This year, Glenfiddich celebrates the golden anniversary of its Distillery Visitor Center with the release of Rare Collection Cask No. 20050, 200 limited-edition commemorative bottles.
The rare whisky was hand-selected by Glenfiddich Malt Master Brian Kinsman as a limited-edition single cask release to mark this special 50th anniversary. The bottles were laid down on Christmas Day 1987, Glenfiddich’s centenary year, and matured in American Oak Hogsheads.
“This whisky, is inspired by the 1969 bottling gifted to VIP guests at the original visitor center opening,” said Glenfiddich Malt Master Brian Kinsman. “30 years old, it is a true connoisseur’s choice with a host of seductive flavors and subtle aromas. Walnut in color, on the nose, you’ll discover rich Christmas cake, woody spice and warm dried fruits, hints of cinnamon, antique leather and coffee grinds with a subtle citrus note enveloped in vanilla sweetness. Then to taste, a beautiful silky-smooth texture, rich and fruity with a sweet spicy flavor and an incredible deep darkness. The oak tannin creates an intriguing balance of sweet and dry with a luxurious mouth coating oiliness. All culminate in a long lasting, sweet oakiness – a rare and golden whisky experience to share and enjoy.”
“The Valley of The Deer” in Speyside, Scotland, is where William Grant, Glenfiddich’s founder, hand-built its distillery with the help of his seven sons and two daughters in a single year in 1887. In the summer of 1969, under the stewardship of Grant’s great grandsons Charles and Sandy Gordon, Glenfiddich opened the doors of its Visitor Center. Now, the center attracts visitors from all over the world inviting them to walk through 131 years of family history and distilling expertise. It was the first of its kind for the Scotch whisky industry and helped to kick start the boom in whisky tourism. According to Scotch Whisky Association, there over 2 million visits in 2018 to whisky distilleries in Scotland – a record figure.
“Today, people can’t conceive how difficult it was in the 1960s to launch not just a malt whisky to the world, but the whole concept of single malt whisky,” said Glenfiddich Brand Manager David Grant, a cousin of Sandy and Charles, was present when the visitor center was opened this week 50 years ago. “And our visitor center was at the forefront of our effort and our most successful weapon. The decision to create it and invest our resources in people and money, was a stroke of brilliance. This visitor center and the team running it were our most important and effective marketing weapon in the creation of the global brand which Glenfiddich has become.”
Available now exclusively at the Distillery Visitor Center gift shop, Glenfiddich Rare Collection Cask No. 20050 has a recommended retail price of $1,967.
