Glenfiddich IPA Experiment

The Single Malt Meets Hipster Hops. 

Nestled in the heart of Speyside, on the banks of the Fiddich river in the Scottish Highlands, sits the majestic Glenfiddich distillery. Gaelic for “Valley of the Deer,” and built by hand, the Glenfiddich was founded by William Grant in the summer of 1886. They began production the Christmas of 1887.

When Prohibition hit, only 6 Scottish distilleries remained open, including Glenfiddich. Anticipating a surge in demand after the ban, they increased their Whisky production. The Whisky makers wanted to come out ahead. And that they did.

Glenfiddich has also proved their resourcefulness. They decided to build their own grain distillery after a dispute with DCL, and began producing their own single malt. So the Girvan plant was born, becoming part of the William Grant & Sons family. They were even the first to introduce Scotland’s secret single malt to the rest of the world.

Glenfiddich is head and shoulders above the rest, in production and innovation. With onsite cooperage and coppersmiths, they have 28 pear shaped copper stills and handcrafted oak Solera Vats. They produce an astounding 10 million liters per year, using malted barley from Balvenie and water sourced from the Robbie Dhu Spring.

With their diverse and dignified line up, the newest series from Glenfiddich is going to be a full range of experimental single malts. Beginning with the IPA Experiment. Beer and Whisky pretty much go hand in hand, since they share the same ingredients and production processes. Glenfiddich malt master Brian Kinsman, along with Speyside craft brewer Seb Jones, specifically created a new India Pale craft ale to season the casks used to finish the traditional single malt.

To find the perfect brew, they seasoned several different casks for various times before adding the Whisky. The result is the first ever single malt finished in IPA seasoned casks. Imagine the sweet vanilla Scotch with the tanginess of hops. A quirky marriage of Scottish tradition and hipster trendiness.