Glenfiddich IPA Experiment

This is the other member of the Experimental series so far: Glenfiddich IPA Experiment.

The Speyside Craft Brewery created an IPA using British hops (Challenger hops among others) which was filled into American oak casks that had previously held Glenfiddich for around 12 years. The beer acquired some of the taste of the whisky and was bottled. The casks were then filled with an aged Glenfiddich for a finishing period of a few months.

They didnt’t try to create a whisky that tasted like beer, they were simply aiming for an extra layer of aroma. To me it sounds a bit strange to scientifically develop a tailor-made beer and then say the resulting whisky shouldn’t really taste like it…

Glenfiddich IPA Experiment
(43%, OB 2016)

Nose: nothing extraordinary happening here, in the sense that it seems quite a common Glenfiddich nose. Apples, vanilla, some biscuity notes. Plenty of zesty citrus as well, but not to a level that can’t be found without beer finishing. Soft cinnamon.

Mouth: a honeyed fruity note, juicy pears and stewed apples. Cinnamon again, some ginger too. Towards the end there’s a clear bitter citrus note that indeed reminds us of hoppy beer (if you say so). Something rather grassy / grapefruity.

Finish: rather long, on citrus and spices, with the same hoppy / citrusy bitter edge.

Not bad either, although perhaps not as drastically experimental as it sounded. A decent Glenfiddich with just tiny added elements that are vaguely recognizable as beer. I think Project XX was more complex and much nicer to drink. Around € 55.

Score: 81/100