Glenfiddich Orchard Experiment

Back at distiller whisky taste #100 I rediscovered a bit of a special rarity from my early introduction to whisky, Port Chalrotte CC:01. To date, it ranks as one of the best whiskies I have had. It was also pretty powerful in its ability to make me seek out similar caskings. I am yet to find a comparable cognac casked whisky, most players finish in cognac/brandy rather than mature full term in it. Perhaps full maturation in Cognac is what makes PC CC:01 special. In any case, any time I can get my grubby mitts on a cognac/brandy type cask, I’m there. Tonight, something a little interesting then. Glenfiddich Experimental Series claims to embody a family philosophy of freedom and possibilities that creates a range of ground-breaking single malts. With this, the fifth release in the experimental series Glenfiddich has combined Scottish whisky with the west countries cider heritage. Glenfiddich Orchard Experiment takes what I understand is classic Glenfiddich malt that has been matured in European and American oak, and finishes it in Somerset Pomona Spirit Casks (English apple brandy liqueur casks). A single batch was made, and I am not aware of plans to make more. N: An acidic and very crisp arrival. Tart green apple, a touch of sultana and a little vanilla toffee. Looking back, this is a slightly jazzed up version of G12; the malt notes move to the back and apple comes forward. There is, as the nose progresses, a feeling like I’m going to get stung by a drunk wasp; windfall fermented apples in the English summer time is sharply evoked. I am mindful of wasps now. P: Juicy and bright. This could be a fruit juice. Cloudy apple juice, citrus zest brightens things further and some fairly punchy spice of cinnamon and nutmeg make this feel like an apple strudel. What is missing, noticeably, versus G12 is the hefty malt and vanilla. This leans very heavily into the crisp green apple theme (unsurprisingly) and brings little else other than some english toffee along for the ride. F: Medium-short. Wait for it…. apple sweetness. Deleivered with a creamy exiting mouthfeel and a little oaky toffee. I’ve been quite critical of Glenfiddich 12 in the past, calling it ‘a bit forgettable’. Don’t get me wrong, I categorically do not dislike Glenfiddich 12. Its fine. I’d just rather drink something else given the choice. My hope with this G12 in an apple costume was that there would be something really captivating, but it suffers the same fate as regular G12. It’s so uniform and safe that it’s a bit boring. Yes, the apple presence is a little bit different to the typical ‘orchard fruits’ or ‘apple’ notes you read for other whiskies. This truly is apples through and through, but thats not enough. The toffees are great when they come through, the spices are just fine. The nose after a while though becomes sickly. I will gladly drink this, in fact; if it were summer, and I was sat in the sun. I’d happily drink a pint without thought I suspect. But this is not Port Charlotte CC:01, rather, this is my weakest brandy style casking to date. Experiment? yes. Scientific progress? not so much. Distiller whisky taste #198 [Pictured here with an apple green accompaniment to an apple green themed bottle. This magnificent rock is a 2.7 to 3 billion year old komatiite, a type of volcanic-lava flow that can no longer form as the Earth has cooled to much over the past several billion years. The rock hosts a fantastic apple green and exceptionally rare nickel carbonate mineral called gaspeite. This gaspeite formed at the Earths surface through fluid enrichment processes, concentrating nickel from within the komatiite. Not sure how old the gaspeite is, but its certainly not young. This fantastically coloured mineral is only really known from Gaspe in Canada and Widgiemooltha in Western Australia where this lump is from] ‘Brandy’ cask running scores: Port Charlotte CC:01 - 5/5 Balvenie 16 French Oak Pineau Cask Finish - 3.5/5 Arran Rare Batch 17 y/o Calvados - 3.75/5 Starward Cognac Cask - 3.5/5 Glenfiddich Orchcard Experiment Ponoma - 2.75/5 (Glenfiddich 12: 3/5)

Its been a long time since Glenfiddich released what i thought was their last "Experiment", Fire & Cane. Well, last year they gave us the 5th expression in the series, the Orchard Experiment. This Glenfiddich is inspired in Sider, well, actually in a family from england that make apple sider and brandy, something that fits perfectly with Glenfiddich's historic fruity profile. Bottled at 43%abv, it has been finished in Somerset Pomona casks, which is an apple spirit drink. On the palate, it is exactly what you expect it to be: Pears and apples. Stewed apples, grapefruit. A super fruity, fresh dram. It is like having a mixture of every single fruit peel that exist in the world. On the palate, the fruit salad comtinues. Pineapple, pears; a mild and decent spiciness. Dim salt and something that i can only describe as a cube of sugar. Aftertaste is a Glenfiddich classic: Hay, burnt grass and impalpable sugar. Overall, i must say that even if this type of whiskies are not my favorite, this one achieves exactly what it offers: a fruity explosion that is so fresh that must whisky drinkers will enjoy without overthinking this dram too much. It is my least favorite of the experiments collection, but somehow it passes the test. My score for it is 82 over

Tested blind in colored glasses against the Grand Cru. I couldnt pick which one was older but I picked the Orchard as being slightly better and both had a nice fruity body with a long finish. It’s good and a much better value than the Cru.

Nose: Smells slightly soapy/chemical. Fermented apples, seems young Glenfiddich and overall no highlight. Taste: You can taste some apples and there is some spiciness. Overall not rich in flavours and also flat whiskey.

80 points. A very uneventful scotch, while being matured in apple liquor casks, the profile is very unexciting.

A fruity, light and pleasantly cider-y dram with hints of honey.