Page 48 - Sharp Winter 2023

JOURNEY
timely reminder that Glenfiddich has the perfect dram for everyone. After almost 150 years of crafting high-quality single malts, there’s plenty more where that came from.
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The Glenfiddich story begins in 1886, when founder William Grant, along with his nine children, embarked on a journey to build the world’s finest distillery. He named it Glenfiddich, Gaelic for “valley of the deer,” and on Christmas day, 1887, the first drop of spirit fell from Grant’s handmade copper stills. Over the decades that followed, Grant’s descendants would stay true to the founder’s uncompromising standards, constantly striving to improve their work while adhering to the age-old traditions of whisky distilling. Still family-owned after 135 years, this commitment reveals itself in the team of in-house coopers at their highlands distillery who maintain Glenfiddich’s oak barrels, and the in-house team of coppersmiths who build and repair its copper stills — not to mention the dozens of award-winning whiskies they have helped to produce.
“We have a rich history of firsts and significant moments in the single malt category, especially having been the first to bring single malt to market,” Johnson says. Indeed, in the 1960s when blended whisky was the world’s drink of choice, Sandy Grant Gordon (William Grant’s great-grandson) opted to actively promote Glenfiddich as a single malt outside of Scotland — making it the first brand to do so.
Outside-the-box thinking like this has always defined Glenfiddich’s journey, from the trademark triangular bottle cre- ated in the 1950s as a tribute to the holy trinity of water, yeast, and malted barley (the three essential elements of whisky) to the annual Glenfiddich Artists in Residence Program. Celebrating 16 years in Canada as of 2022, the program recently awarded a presti-
HOW THE GLENFIDDICH BECAME THE WORLD’S MOST-AWARDED SINGLE-MALT SCOTCH WHISKY, ONE UNIQUE BOTTLE AT A TIME
WITH ITS NOTES OF FRESH PEAR AND APPLE, THE
Glenfiddich Orchard Experiment defies expectations of what a single malt scotch can be, evoking an orchard at the peak of autumn ripeness. Golden-hued and crisp, this spirit’s unique character is the result of four months spent in sweet Somerset Pomona Spirit casks — formerly home to a secret blend of juice and Somerset Cider Brandy. Released in October 2022, The Glenfiddich Orchard Experiment is just the latest in a long line of single-malt scotch whiskies that blend heritage and innovation and have helped to make The Glenfiddich the most-awarded single malt scotch whisky in the world.
“Glenfiddich continues to challenge traditions, explore new flavours, and embark on entrepreneurial collaborations in ways other single malts can’t,” affirms Jamie Johnson, Glenfiddich’s National Brand Ambassador in Canada. With the single malt scotch whisky category rapidly growing in Canada, the Experimental Series is a
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