$1,250 BOTTLE OF GLENFIDDICH ANNIVERSARY VINTAGE UNVEILED

This week EFTM sampled the seemingly exorbitant Glenfiddich Anniversary Vintage, which has been produced to mark the whisky maker’s 125th anniversary. With one Sydney outlet planning on selling it at $100 per nip, this was sure to be something special.

So rare is the special edition whisky only 286 bottles exist on the planet, with just eight making it down under.

Talk about foresight, the coveted drop was conceived by the family company during their centenary celebrations 25 years ago.

The creation of such fine whisky is usually backed by an equally special story. It was casked in a European Oak sherry butt on Christmas Day 1987. Fast forward a quarter of a century later and Glenfiddich Malt Master, Brian Kinsman pre-selected a small number of the special centenary casks so that on the 125th anniversary of the first spirit running from the distillery’s stills, Glenfiddich founder William Grant’s great-great grandson Peter Gordon and his son Dougal could choose cask number 19996 to become the Glenfiddich Anniversary Vintage.

EFTM was served a nip of the liquid gold in a unique glass which was dated to mark the occasion. Far from being experts in the field, our initial observations were of its distinctive bronze colour and potent aroma, after all it does have an alcohol by volume content of 55.3%!

But an official, expert explanation of the experience goes like this.

It has a nose of rich fruit cake, toasted almonds and cinnamon flavours, underpinned by a zesty citrus note enveloped in vanilla sweetness, allowing hints of liquorice, leather and ground coffee. On the tongue it takes on a beautiful velvety texture, rich and spicy with a sweet sherbety flavour. The depth of oak tannin creates an intriguing balance of sweet and dry with a luxurious mouth coating oiliness, which is decadently succeeded by a long-lasting, sweet, oaky finish.

Even a whisky novice such as me will acknowledge there’s something very special going on here.

Brian Kinsman, Malt Master said: “Glenfiddich has been family run since 1887 and with the freedom of independence and the foresight of long term planning, we have created the largest collection of single malt stock anywhere in the world. It allows to us to create exceptional and fantastic tasting whisky.”

Each individually numbered bottle is finished with a rustic copper and blue design and is presented in its own desirable case. Astute collectors and investors are expected to snap up the few available in Australia.

If you ever get the chance, my only advice is this; sip very slowly and ponder what you were doing all those years ago when the bronze liquid swishing around in the glass was born. I was in year 1.

The Glenfiddich Anniversary Vintage will be available October 2013 and retails for $1,250 AUD.