Leading single malt Scotch whisky brand Glenfiddich has teamed up with Aston Martin Formula One and has marked the announcement by releasing one of the oldest age statements in its 137-year history.
Distilled in 1959, the 65-year-old Scotch whisky edges out the legendary 64-year-old 1937 Rare Collection, innovatively bottled in 2001 when interest in ultra-aged expressions was a fraction of what it is today. But Glenfiddich’s malt master, Brian Kinsman, was not trying to break records with this latest expression – 1959 also saw Aston Martin take its place on the Formula One grid for the first time.
Kinsman said: “It is a rare whisky that embodies the essence of this partnership, capturing the spirit of innovation and excellence that both Glenfiddich and Aston Martin have upheld for decades. The bottle is a tribute to our shared legacy, connecting the past with the future in a truly remarkable way.”
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A 65-year-old whisky is a remarkable accomplishment for any distillery. Multiple malt masters would have nurtured that whisky through the decades, each concluding that it still needed more time to reach its peak. Now finally bottled, its alluring color, complex flavor profile and rarity will tempt collectors to dive deep into their pockets.
Tantalizingly, Glenfiddich has not offered a release date on the Aston Martin expression, only promising to release it “at some point during the partnership”. It’s a multi-year deal, with no fixed end date, so neither brand appears keen on going at Formula One speed with this. There’s also no SRP offered, but the recent Glenfiddich 50 Year Old ($50,000), puts us in the right ballpark.
While we haven’t tried the 65 Year Old, we can speculate on the flavor profile based on its age and the fact that it spent so much time in an ex-sherry cask. This should mean plenty of dry oak spice, dried fruits and rich dark chocolate.
The announcement coincides with the Las Vegas Grand Prix (Nov 22–24), which for its second year has proved to be just as much about being seen as seeing the race. Despite being the youngest race on the F1 circuit, it has already proved to be the US’s answer to Monte-Carlo.
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