Wednesday night we were treated to a "Taste and Talk" event
courtesy of Glenfiddich, featuring an inspiring account by adventurer Colin
Angus of his "human-powered"
circumnavigation of the globe. The event was held in the lower level of the
charming Six Steps Lounge and featured a tastings of Glenfiddich 12, 15, 18,
and 21 year old expressions.
Colin's unlikely story of travelling around the world--by rowboat
and bicycle--made for a captivating experience. One could hardly believe that
this unassuming fellow achieved such a unique feat, and amazingly this is just
one of his many ambitious expeditions. It was really a treat to talk with him
and hear his story.
I'm sure most of our readers are probably familiar with
Glenfiddich already, but given that this was a tasting of the full range of
malts, it's worth noting how the different flavours stake up, for comparisons
sake:
12 Year: Clean, fresh tasting scotch with hints of cut grass, a light oakiness, with a smooth fruity finish. The twelve is a nice, easy to drink scotch that offers a good introduction for first timer single malt tasters, but lacks any of the depth and complexity of older expressions.
15 Year: The use of three kinds of oak barrels, with additional aging in large pine vats (the so called "Solera process") adds remarkable complexity to the fifteen year old malt. Honey, spice, vanilla, fresh fruit and lots oak are all detectable.
18 Year: Deep oak and peat smoke meet dried fruit and malty sweetness in a fine balance. Cinnamon and nuts round out the flavour, and the finish is smooth, smoky and satisfying.
21 Year: Bright notes of delicious buttery caramel, nutmeg and cookies emerge in the twenty-one year old expression, which has an all-around sweetness due to the finishing in Caribbean rum casks. This spicy sweetness is the perfect counterpoint to the deep wood smoke imparted by the long maturation, making for a very interesting dram. The best of the bunch by far in my opinion.
All that wonderful single malt, plus a rousing tale of old-fashioned adventure, made for a truly memorable evening. A few things I learned:
- Glenfiddich is the most awarded and best-selling single malt in the world. David Stewart is the malt master of BOTH Glenfiddich and The Balvenie, and is "the longest serving malt master in the single malt Scotch whisky industry." i
- William Grant and Son's, owners of Glenfiddich and The Balvenie also, it turns out, make my favourite gin: Hendricks.
- The biggest danger to rowing a boat through a hurricane is, apparently, head trauma.
- Women do not necessarily have a better sense of smell than men, but they are on average better at articulating what they smell.
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Addendum: stop by the excellent Le Gourmet TV for more photos and write-up of the event, plus an interview with Glenfiddich's global brand ambassador.
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