UK. William Grant & Sons has launched the new Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix, a limited-edition single malt Scotch whisky bottled just this year.
The whisky’s creation was inspired by the collapse of several Glenfiddich distillery roofs in January 2010, following weeks of heavy snow and record low temperatures. Weighed down by four feet of densely compacted snow, the roofs collapsed and exposed hundreds of maturing oak casks to the night sky. In wintery conditions and temperatures of -19˚C, distillery staff swung into action – working round the clock to clear the snow.
“Standing amongst the wreckage and exposed casks, we were working out our next steps and assessing the situation,” recalled Glenfiddich Malt Master Brian Kinsman.
“I was thinking about how the casks, some of which were very old, contained some beautiful whisky and it occurred to me that they would create a fantastic non-aged single malt. A limited-edition bottling from the whiskies in the damaged warehouses would be an appropriate way of celebrating the pioneering spirit of the distillery team at this moment in Glenfiddich’s history.
“A photographer was shooting the scene and rather fittingly, when we looked at the pictures, the light shining through the warehouse roofs looked like a phoenix rising above us. I suppose this was the moment of conception of Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix.”
To mark this defining moment the Snow Phoenix is marketed as “a Glenfiddich single malt Scotch whisky born of chance and adversity”.
Snow Phoenix was created by marrying together natural strength and non-chill filtered casks of different ages and finishes, including American oak and Oloroso sherry. The result is a single malt, gold in colour with bright copper highlights.
Shifting snow around the clock gave the Glenfiddich distillery team a deep admiration for those who work in extreme conditions, the company said. Glenfiddich has therefore dedicated Snow Phoenix to the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team (CMRT), who battle harsh environments to save lives in the heart of Speyside, and has made a special contribution to their funds.
To celebrate this partnership Kinsman invited a group of CMRT volunteers to a mid-mountain tasting where they developed the Snow Phoenix tasting notes. By conducting the tasting notes at a high altitude, Kinsman was able to explore the difference temperature has on the taste of whisky.
One thousand bottles will be made available exclusively to members of the online club, Glenfiddich Explorers, with the remainder available in selected markets* – including global travel retail – from mid-November.
Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix (47.6% abv) has a recommended retail price of £49.99 RRP for a 70cl bottle. It is also available as a 75cl priced at US$89.99.
*NOTE: Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix will be available in the UK, Portugal, Netherlands, South Africa, Russia, US, Taiwan, Cyprus, Lebanon, Spain, Andorra, Canary Islands, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, China, India, South Korea and selected airports around the world.
For trade enquiries contact Ian Taylor, William Grant & Sons. Tel: +44 (0)20 8334 1258. Fax: +44 (0)20 8332 1695. E-mail: Ian.Taylor@wgrant.com
