Exploring Glenfiddich 18 Year Old

Having recently unveiled our newly designed Glenfiddich 18 Year Old packaging in October and with Christmas just around the corner, now seems like the perfect time to talk to you about this exceptional single malt in a bit more detail, looking at its complex maturation process, new design and award-winning taste.

Words by Ian Millar

If we go back a few years, my first taste of Glenfiddich 18 Year Old was in 1996 and it was known then as ‘Glenfiddich Excellence’, the namesake of another (more recent) edition of ours, which I am sure you’re already familiar with - Glenfiddich Excellence 26 Year Old.

Although I worked for another company at the time, I still found the Excellence to be, well, excellent. To this day, that view has not changed.

Our 18 Year Old is particularly special because every drop of this precious liquid is nurtured in small batches and each one is individually numbered and carefully watched over by our Warehousemen. Each batch has extraordinary consistency and character from an intense marrying period, and a warming, distinguished finish.

The end product is a result not just of 18 years of care and attention, but of whisky-making craft and knowledge passed down through generations here at our Distillery.

Marrying

This expression is a combination of whiskies matured in both American and European oak casks and, for me, it’s all about ‘balance’; marrying post-maturation allows these different whiskies to gently come together over a minimum period of three months.

Small batches

Each batch of Glenfiddich 18 Year Old consists of no more than 160 casks individually chosen by Brian Kinsman and checked for quality and consistency.

Family 

Here at Glenfiddich, we have the long-term stability of the Family behind us, ensuring that we invest as much time planning for the long term as it we do for the next five years.

Food pairing & gifting

Glenfiddich 18 Year Old is a little on the dry side and is renowned for its luxurious, silky finish with hints of sweet spice and vanilla, flavours that go hand in hand with the festive season ahead. It goes exceptionally well with beef, meat or smoked fish and anything slightly savory, as this contrasts well with the slight sweetness of the whisky.

A new and luxurious design

As is the case with all Glenfiddich packaging upgrades, we have increased the quality of the 18 Year Old packaging to better reflect the quality of the award-winning whisky contained inside.

This whisky is now presented in a beautiful new bottle and a luxurious case that signals a move away from our famous tround boxes – all of our whiskies make fantastic gifts and our 18 Year Old is no exception.

There’s an inherent sense of pride in our workforce too, not just as a result of the huge global success we’ve been lucky enough to have here, but also because of their special relationships with many members of the Grant Family who are the very heartbeat of the Distillery.

If you too know of any delicious festive food pairings that go with our 18 Year Old, I’d love to hear your suggestions on Twitter.

You can also discover more about the fascinating journey of our newly designed 18 Year Old over on the Glenfiddich Instagram feed.