Glenfiddich Orchard Experiment (43%)
As much as Jameson is, for many Canadians, the archetypal Irish whisky, Glenfiddich is often viewed in this country as one of the oldest and most hidebound of the Scottish single malts. It has, after all, had a presence in this country for far longer than most of its contemporaries, longer, even, than such storied brands as Laphroaig and The Macallan, and was one of only seven single malt whiskies listed in my 1990 copy of the LCBO price book, also the only one sold in a 1.14 litre bottle.
So while the ‘oldest’ tag might be warranted, the traditionalist view is, again like Jameson, entirely undeserved. In fact, Glenfiddich is today one of the most experimental Scottish distilleries out there, having in recent years employed a wide variety of interesting and, in some cases, most unusual barrels for finishing its whiskies, including Canadian icewine casks and, in the Orchard Experiment, oak previously used to mature Somerset Pomona.
If you’re unfamiliar with Pomona, you’re not alone. The product of the Somerset Cider Brandy Company in Somerset, England, Pomona is a 20% alcohol blend of apple juice and cider brandy aged in oak casks for an undisclosed period. Those barrels were then transported to Dufftown, Scotland, and used to finish this most interesting whisky.
Medium gold in colour, the apple of the finishing barrels is immediately evident on the nose, although not in a sweet, McIntosh or Royal Gala apple sort of way, or even a tangy Granny Smith, but rather more in the form of a floral apple perfume. As a house style, Glenfiddich is known for its orchard fruit character, but the Pomona barrels take this one step further, with a mix of fruit and fresh orchard aromas that obviously highlights apple, but also features pear, caramel, a touch of fresh plum, and tree blossom notes.
The flavour begins with moderate sweetness and immediate notes of apple juice alongside hints of brown spice, notably nutmeg, leading into a drying mid-palate that mixes the classic creamy pear notes of Glenfiddich with apple skin, caramel, honey, and more pronounced brown spice. Rather astonishingly, soft notes of apple persist even in the dry, lingering, slightly spicy finish.
While I have not been entirely on board with all of Glenfiddich’s Experimental Series, I am very much delighted with the way this particular one turned out. It is a bright, fresh whisky that might on the surface be better suited to the summer months than January 2, but which I intend to sip during the doldrums of winter to transport myself to warmer, sunnier, more orchard-y climes.
89 ($112)
