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Grand Series: Glenfiddich malt master on his proudest creations
Brian Kinsman, the sixth malt master of the 125-year-old Glenfiddich, breaks down his latest series that reaches beyond the whisky trade.
In January 1997, Brian Kinsman gave up his PhD in dental materials to pursue a career in the world of casks and stills at William Grant & Sons, the parent company of world-renowned single malt Scotch distillery Glenfiddich.
In 2001, after a few years in the lab, Kinsman fell under the tutelage of Glenfiddich’s then master blender David Stewart. Eight years later, he took over the baton as the sixth malt master of the 125-year-old distillery, shouldering the legacy of creating “the best dram in the valley”.
“I remember day one like it was yesterday: whisky samples spread wall to wall. The stills had scents of infused oils; the fermentation lab smelled of a brewery,” says Kinsman. “Twenty-seven years in, every day brings something different; but creating new expressions is my favourite part of the job.”
One of his proudest creations of late is the Grand Series – an ambitious marriage of Glenfiddich’s revered tipples with traditions beyond the whisky trade.
The youngest of the series is Glenfiddich Grand Reserva 21 Year Old – a caramel-coloured liquid that was aged in American and European oak casks before a six-month finish in Caribbean Reserva rum casks. It brings sharp kicks of ginger, lime and sultry fig that ends in sweet toffee wrapped in spicy, exotic warmth.
The second in the Grand Series family is Glenfiddich Gran Cortes 22 Year Old that began as an intense liquid that’s been matured in a range of Oloroso sherry casks before undergoing a six-month finish in American Palo Cortado sherry casks – a first for the distillery and a rarity in the industry overall. Exclusive to the Asian market, the whisky has notes of date, dark chocolate and raisins on the nose and deep oak and sweet vanilla on the palate.
For this robust whisky, Kinsman advises a food pairing that packs equal oomph. “The 22 Year Old needs something with spice, heat and liveliness, or else the whisky will just completely overpower your meal,” he says.
Another proud brainchild of the malt master, the Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23 Year Old was finished in rare French Cuvée casks that had undergone cast fermentation. The casks’ potent flavours promise decadent apple blossom, freshly baked bread and candied lemon to the nose; and layers of rich vanilla oak, sweet brioche, sandalwood, pear sorbet and white grape to the palette.
Finally, unlike the active wine casks used in the Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23 Year Old, the French Cognac casks used in the finish of the Glenfiddich Grande Couronne 26 Year Old were more inert, explaining why – unlike its younger siblings – the finish, or rather what Kinsman calls “second maturation” – took two years.
The resulting golden tipple brims with silky chocolate, indulgent café crème, soft brown sugar with a hint of spice, and of course, a long-lasting sweet oak. “It’s a much slower process here when it comes to the finish,” says Kinsman. “But what you have is a marriage of the best of France and Scotland. The Glenfiddich Grande Couronne 26 Year Old is truly made for the maverick-minded looking for a special treat.”
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