Sampling Glenfiddich’s new Experimental Series of malts in Mumbai and Delhi

International Scotch Day turned out to be a fitting day to launch Glenfiddich’s Experimental Series in India. The iconic brand’s Global Brand Ambassador, Straun Grant Ralph introduced two new whiskies to a select audience, both of which will now be available at leading wine stores in Delhi and Mumbai.

As is the case with all single malts, each whisky has an interesting story behind it.

Glenfiddich IPA is said to be the first malt available in India that is finished for three months in oak casks, which previously held a bold Speyside IPA (Indian Pale Ale) craft brew. Glenfiddich Malt Master Brian Kinsman collaborated with a local Speyside craft brewer for it. Since the ale itself had fruity flavours, they complement the Glenfiddich’s own fruitiness. The result: a deep gold-coloured single malt with a fresh nose and zesty citrus notes. The tangy hops, however, add bitterness to the whisky. We’re told that this is the first in this series of experiments and there will be more variants of the Glenfiddich IPA in the future.

Glenfiddich Project XX is the collaborative result of 20 whisky experts from 16 countries, who each selected a cask from Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown. These casks were then combined by master blender Brian Kinsman, hence the name XX (twenty in Roman Numerals). “On a lighter note, we can even call it Project Kisses,” said Ralph.

Even with 47% ABV content, this is a much smoother whisky. The deep copper-coloured malt lends the richness of dark chocolate and candy floss sweetness. This was an instant hit with the crowd.

If you see the trendy packaging, the thumb print on the bottle is an amalgamation of the twenty ambassadors’ thumb prints, to seal the special moment when they created the unique dram as a group.

Jazz performance and Ralph’s attempts to teach us some Scottish Gaelic enlivened the evening. Here’s one for you—‘Slangevar’ means ‘cheers to good health’. Remember this the next time you raise a toast with Scottish single malt!