One of the more enjoyable holidays for those who like their whisky single and malted is to head for Dufftown in Scotland. This is the heart of Speyside, adjoining the Scottish Highlands, and is the single-malt capital of the world. Nowhere else in Scotland will you find such a concentration of distilleries. The locals have a saying: ?Rome was built on seven hills, Dufftown stands on seven stills.? It is also said that Dufftown raises more capital for the government per head of population than any other place in the UK. Added to the enjoyment is the countryside: the crystal-clear Fiddich river, where you could catch sight of salmon leaping out of the rushing waters, the rugged countryside, emerald-green and scattered with pine forests, ancient castles that appear out of nowhere and the smell of fresh heather and cold, clean air. This is pretty close to heaven if you are a fan of single-malt whisky, and a dramble?a combination of a dram and ramble?is the best way to enjoy this unspoilt part of Scotland.
The original seven distilleries are down to six, but one of them is the jewel in Scotland?s single-malt crown: Glenfiddich, the world?s most-awarded single-malt Scotch whisky. This year, it is celebrating 125 years of pioneering whisky-making and a tour of the beautifully-preserved distillery offers a chance to taste what founder William Grant termed the ?best dram in the valley?? from Glenfiddich 12-year-old, the best-selling single malt on the planet, to the very rare and expensive 50-year-old. All along the road from Elgin, the nearest town, there are distilleries of famous Scotch whisky and single-malt brands, from Chivas Regal to Cardhu and The Macallan, as well as the Malt Whisky Trail, which takes you to eight distilleries. But, to me, the best way is to do the dramble, a ?wee dram?, as the Scots call a peg of whisky, and a ramble, which means the tour is not too tiring. The Whisky Trail can be exhaustive and also exhausting, so it?s best to pick one distillery and find out what makes single malt such a special brew and meet the people behind its making. Glenfiddich happens to be the single malt with the largest sales in India, so there must be a reason why. Perhaps, it lies in, what the trade calls, expressions.
Walking into a duty-free store at a major international airport, the average buyer might be a little confused at the array of single malts and their vintage. Would an 18-year-old be more mature and, therefore, better than a 12-year-old? Then there is the 21-year-old nestling next to a 30-year-old single malt and there?s also the 40-year-old. Which one should you choose? The greater the vintage, the higher the price, but is it just a marketing gimmick by spirits companies? Some spirits take a longer time to mature than others. At Glenfiddich, a cask was filled in 1937 with spirits. It took 64 years for it to mature enough for the malt master, the final authority on when to bottle a whisky, to declare it ready. It is the world?s oldest single malt and the cask only had enough spirit to fill 61 bottles, making it also the rarest. What then explains why the Glenfiddich 12-year-old is the best-selling single malt in the world? It?s not just the price?buyers of single malt are usually from the affluent class anyway. It is, as I discover on my dramble, a question of taste, and taste also has to do with the kind of cask it is matured in, apart from the decision of the expert whisky taster, or malt master, as to when the content of a cask is ready for commercial embrace.
A good reason to ?do the dramble? in Glenfiddich is that it is one of the last remaining family-owned distilleries?Peter Gordon, the current director, is a descendant of the founding family?and run quite differently from most other single-malt brands that have been bought by spirits giants like Diageo, Pernod Ricard and Suntory/Beam, the big three. ?If I need a decision on a new expression of whisky, I can just walk into Peter?s office,? says current malt master, Brian Kinsman. ?It doesn?t have to go to a board of directors or a marketing committee.? Tradition lives here, another good reason to cross the bridge over the bubbling natural spring, Robbie Dhu, and literally imbibe the spirit of a 125-year-old legend in single malts. Basically, what goes into the making of a single malt is pure, clear spring water and abundant supplies of fragrant golden barley. Each distillery follows its own traditions, lore and recipes for everything from malting the barley to the height and size of its stills. The unique characteristics of each Speyside distillery result in delightful, hand-crafted whisky from each one.
At Glenfiddich, the difference lies in the kind of casks that have been used before for other types of spirits to bring out a distinct flavour. The Glenfiddich 12-year-old, the original signature whisky, is aged for 12 years in American and Spanish oak casks, which were used to store bourbon and sherry, respectively, which gives it a delicately-balanced fragrance, somewhat sweet with a long, smooth and mellow finish. The Spanish Oloroso sherry casks lend a touch of fruity sweetness, while the American oak used for bourbon adds an oakiness to the flavour. The 15-year-old, my personal favourite, is made using a pioneering distillation process unique to Glenfiddich and matured in three oak casks?sherry, bourbon and new oak. The whisky is left to marry in a handcrafted Solera Vat, a huge edifice that dominates the main warehouse.
There are times when nature can intervene and create a unique-tasting whisky, like the Snow Phoenix, a rare limited-edition produce. It was born out of chance and adversity when, in October 2010, after weeks of heavy snow and record low temperatures, four feet of densely-compacted snow, which covered the Glenfiddich distillery roofs, caused a number of the warehouses to collapse, leaving the maturing oak casks exposed to the frigid night sky. The Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix was created by marrying together whisky from the exposed casks with natural-strength-filtered casks of different ages and finishes, including American oak and Oloroso sherry. While bourbon and sherry casks are widely used to mature single malts, a twist in production can make a world of difference. The 18-year-old, for instance, is only produced in small, individually-numbered batches, so there is greater care and supervision. Oak barrels that contain bourbon, sherry, rum and even wine are now being experimented with to add variety and a unique taste. The Glenfiddich 21-year-old, for instance, is finished for up to four months in hand-selected bourbon barrels that once contained rum from the Caribbean, giving it a warm and spicy finish. Similarly, the Glenfiddich Age of Discovery, freely available in duty-free shops, is matured in casks that were used to produce Madeira and is a 19-year-old version.
There?s also an Age of Discovery Bourbon Reserve. Bourbon casks can only be used once and the aromas release quickly without being exhausted by long maturation, perfect for ageing single-malt Scotch. The third ?expression? in the series is the Age of Discovery Red Wine cask finish, left for at least 19 years to mature and finished in casks, which previously housed the full-bodied red wines produced in South America. It marks the first time in Glenfiddich?s history that a whisky has been finished in red wine casks, pointing to the constant attempt to discover new flavours, or expressions, for single malts.
Take the Glenfiddich Cask Collection, launched last year and consisting of three expressions?Glenfiddich Select Cask, Glenfiddich Reserve Cask and Glenfiddich Vintage Cask. Crafted by Kinsman, it is born out of Glenfiddich?s pioneering Solera process, which marries specially-selected Glenfiddich whiskies in a single wooden vat after maturation in traditional oak casks to guarantee consistent taste and flavour. The Select Cask is matured in hand-selected aged bourbon, European oak and red wine casks. The Reserve Cask is matured in distinctive Spanish sherry casks used for their mellow and rich flavour characteristics, while the Vintage is matured in European oak and American bourbon casks to imbue a smoky, peaty taste.
Even virgin oak casks can impart their own flavour, as in the 14-year-old Glenfiddich Rich Oak, matured in untouched American and European oak casks. The use of untouched European oak casks is a first for the single-malt whisky industry. The malt master?s role is crucial. Each year, Kinsman hand-selects truly exceptional casks, which he has tasted, and marries them with the remains of previous 40-year-old whisky. The result is the Glenfiddich 40-year-old, which brings a hint of chocolate and peat, the local organic residue that lends Scotch its unique flavour. The latest from Glenfiddich is the Rare Oak 25-year-old. Matured for at least a quarter of a century at the Speyside distillery, this whisky of unique character will be available exclusively in duty-free shops and has been matured in European sherry butts and American bourbon barrels. Over two and a half decades, the wood from large Spanish sherry butts gradually gives the whisky deeper, richer fruit flavours, while the smaller American oak barrels impart flavour much quicker, and infuse this single malt with soft vanilla notes and a hint of spice. Adds Peter Gordon: ?For over 125 years, my family has been making innovative whisky. We are passionate about creating superior single malts and, as an independent family-run distillery, we have the freedom to do this. We will only release a liquid once we truly believe it is ready to be enjoyed by malt aficionados.?
The rarest of the rare is, of course, the Glenfiddich 50-year-old. This has been created from two casks (a 1955 and a 1957) married for six months before bottling. Just 500 bottles of this extraordinary whisky have been created and are released on a strict global allocation of 50 bottles per year for 10 years. Each bottle is decorated with Scottish silver, sealed with a waxed-engraved medallion and is housed in a hand-sewn leather box, with a leather-bound book and a signed certificate. It?s available in the shop at the Glenfiddich distillery and online, or in some exclusive duty-free shops, for around ?20,000. It is a single malt of uncommon depth and complexity, and I was privileged to taste it, only a wee dram mind you, when it was launched in Dufftown a few years ago. If you?re in Dufftown, the man to meet is Ian Millar, the global ambassador for Glenfiddich, who visits India in the course of his duties. Be nice to him and he may slip a small bottle of the 50-year-old from the precious cask stored in warehouse number eight. A wee dram, as they say in this part of the world, but what a dram. Indeed, what a dramble.