At an exclusive event, held this week at The Glenfiddich Distillery, independent, family-owned distiller, William Grant & Sons Ltd unveiled the Glenfiddich 50 Year Old - one of the rarest and most precious expressions of authentic single malt whisky ever released by the distinguished distillery.
Supply is strictly limited - over this and the next nine years only 50 will be released worldwide each year from a stock of just 450 highly covetable bottles.The Glenfiddich 50 Year Old will be available in the world’s most prestigious airports for the next two months, before a limited number travel from the distillery to select retailers and high-end establishments around the world. It will sell for £10,000 per bottle.
For half a century, two casks of whisky have aged gently in Glenfiddich’s Warehouse 8 under the watchful eyes of David Stewart - the industry’s longest-serving and most experienced Malt Master. The cool, damp atmosphere of the warehouse is perfectly suited for the maturation of the finest of whiskies and, for decades, David and his long-standing craftsmen have mended and tended to these casks with traditional techniques and time-honoured dedication.
The Glenfiddich 50 Year Old, at 46.1% ABV, is imbued with a unique preciousness that only time can bring and remains remarkably light and elegant on the palate whilst the nose is beautifully harmonious with an uplifting, vibrant and complex aroma. Each bottle comes presented in a case including a leather bound book detailing the whisky’s history with pages to record personal tasting notes for each occasion the whisky is enjoyed. A certificate, included in the case, has been hand-signed by four of the distillery’s long-serving craftsmen who, between them, have spent 160 years at Glenfiddich keeping a watchful eye as this precious whisky has matured.On return to the distillery, the certificate will be handsigned by Peter Gordon, the current Chairman and fifth generation descendent of the distillery’s founder.
As great-great-grandson of William Grant, Peter Gordon commented: “At Glenfiddich, nothing is more important than producing the world’s best whisky. Our independence enables us to do things differently and focus on the liquid above all else, a sentiment embodied in the flawless quality of this single malt.
“We’re happy to wait as long as we need to - up to fifty years in this instance - to produce the perfect whisky. The Glenfiddich 50 Year Old is the pinnacle of our whisky-making excellence and epitomises my great-great grandfather’s vision of creating the very ‘best dram in the valley’.”
It’s not just the whisky that sets new levels of perfection; the packaging of the Glenfiddich 50 Year Old is imbued with authenticity and rich heritage. Design cues have been painstakingly taken from archives that record the distillery’s 120 year history; the hand-blown bottles are individually numbered and presented in beautifully hand-stitched, leather-bound cases inspired by William Grant’s personal ledgers. Each bottle is decorated in Scottish silver, crafted by Thomas Fattorini, a sixth generation silversmith, and imprinted with William Grant & Sons’ own hallmark.
Peter Gordon continued by saying: “Staying true to the pioneering spirit of our founder, William Grant, who laid down stocks of whisky for future generations to enjoy, we have consistently planned ahead and have more aged stock than any other distillery. Our whisky spends years being carefully matured in our warehouses, with each additional year imparting light and elegant notes to the liquid. Every new year is important when it comes to making exceptional whisky - and Glenfiddich 50 Year Old is the ultimate expression of this pioneering foresight.”
