Glenfiddich Experimental Series #4 Fire & Cane

The most recent release in the Experimental Series (already available in some market, but in Belgium only from January 2019 forward, unfortunately) is this Glenfiddich Fire & Cane. It is a very atypical Glenfiddich – so perfect for this series, eh? – because daringly peated. With its 8ppm (hence the ‘Fire’) this makes for a smoky Glenfiddich. The ‘Cane’ refers to the rum casks on which this Glenfiddich – after regular maturation on bourbon cask – was finished. I was able to try it at a fantastic Glenfiddich Experimental Series Tasting Experience in Brussels on the 17th October and was very pleasantly surprised.

The nose starts very sweet on barley sugars, juicy peach, dried apricots, tinned pineapple and green banana. Then some bresilliene nuts and baked pear, soft spices from the wood and… there it is: a delicate smokiness with a salty note. Exotic and atypical and delicious.

Wonderfully creamy and full-bodied, immediately sweet and spicy (toffee, baked pears, apples with cinnamon and cloves) in a smoky jacket. Yes, you can taste the rum notes. This is nicely balance and a very good combination.

The finish takes me to a dying camp fire, where I slurp some hot mocha with a piece of toffee. The spices linger the longest: nutmeg, pepper and cloves.

Not exactly what you would expect from Glenfiddich. A peaty Glenfiddich on rum cask: doesn’t have to get much crazier than this. But when it’s this good, you can only call it a successful experiment. This bottle will lighten up many a cold winter’s evening.

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