More than a status symbol, this pioneering single malt Scotch has the creds to prove it.
If you’re looking to cement yourself as the favourite child this Father’s Day, then you’ve come to the right place. We know grabbing a bottle can feel like a last-minute panic buy (guilty), but not this year. Why? Because this year, we’re gifting Glenfiddich. Whether Dad’s newer to Scotch, ready to step out of his comfort zone or a whisky veteran, you can’t go wrong with a single malt from the guys who get it right every time.
We’re certain you’ve heard the name Glenfiddich. Even if you don’t drink whisky, we’re betting you’ve come across that forest green bottle of 12yo Scotch with the gold stag. Now, not all whisky is created equal, but Glenfiddich is a household name for a reason – it’s just genuinely good whisky (it’s got the trophies to prove it, too). We know Scotch can be intimidating, but we promise Glenfiddich is worth your time (and money).
Now, a bottle of Glenfiddich is good, but you know what’s even better? A personalised bottle of Glenfiddich. From now until September 11 – yes, we’ve even got you covered if you forget Dad this year (it’s September 7, FYI) – Melburnians and Sydneysiders can head into Dan’s to receive complimentary personalisation on the bottle’s label. How chic. We love the classics like, ‘Thanks, Dad’, ‘You’re the best, Dad’ or ‘Happy Father’s Day’ – the options are endless (well, they’re actually 22 characters long – just an FYI for our fellow type-A gift-givers).
If you’re in Melbourne, drop into Dan Murphy’s in Doncaster, South Melbourne or Mulgrave over those dates, or, if you’re NSW-based, visit Sunnybank. As an extra special treat for the lucky ducks in the Doncaster area, drop in to Dan’s Doncaster East on 31 August or across 5–6 September and you can have your Glenfiddich engraved – you could opt for initials (classy), or DAD or even ILY. And we wouldn’t judge you for picking up a fresh bottle for your bar cart either – two whiskies, one stone. Cue the bagpipes. No, literally, cue the bagpipes at Dan’s Doncaster East.
What about single malt scotch? Glad you asked. Single malt (something Glenfiddich excels in) means the whisky is made from 100% malted barley and has been produced and aged at a single distillery (and it's never a blend of whiskies). If you’re new to whisky, Scotch can seem intimidating – it’s a complex drink and it’s not the cheapest bottle on the shelf, but it sure is worth the investment.
It’s not unusual for a brand to say it’s been ‘built from the ground up’, but Glenfiddich can say that quite literally. Back in 1886, William Grant, along with his seven sons and two daughters (yes, nine children), began building the distillery by hand. We’re talking stone by stone – what a fun family project. The very first drop of single malt came one year later on Christmas Day. The dream? To make the best dram in the valley. Today? Glenfiddich is the world’s most awarded single malt Scotch, so yeah, we’d say they’ve smashed that goal out of the park.
The word Glenfiddich is Gaelic for ‘valley of the deer’, which honours the dream of making the best dram in the valley. As for the deer, well that’s the always-recognisable stag logo. What’s perhaps even more impressive than being the world’s most awarded single malt Scotch producer is the fact that 139 years since that first stone was placed, there’s still a Grant leading Glenfiddich. The brand is still family-owned and operated almost a century and a half later.
Well, duh, it’s the world’s most awarded for a reason. We don’t want to overwhelm you, but the Glenfiddich range has, well, range. So, we’ve hand-picked three single malt Scotch whiskies for you. Let’s just say, if Glenfiddich ran a Buzzfeed ‘Which whisky are you?’ quiz, these three would be the answers.
Let’s start with the iconic Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky. It's golden in the glass. Take a whiff, there's fresh pear and oak. Take a sip, it's sweet and fruity but there's butterscotch, too, some cream and a little malt. And oh boy, is it smooth. The secret sauce? The same Highland spring water Glenfiddich has used since 1887. Serve the original 12yo neat (add a splash of room temp water) with a plate of pan-seared scallops coated in olive oil and chilli.
Before we get into the Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, it’s important to know what the word solera means, because that’s how the 15yo is treated. The solera system is an ageing method primarily used for sherry. Generally, it’s a pyramid of barrels, but at Glenfiddich the solera vat is one large wooden vessel that’s never emptied and always kept half-full. As whisky is drawn, it’s replenished to ensure the vat always contains a portion of the original blend. Now that you’ve had a crash course on solera, let’s talk about the Glenfiddich 15. It's gold with a red hue. Delicious aromas of honey, sweet vanilla fudge and rich dark fruits. The flavours are smooth – there's sherry oak, marzipan, cinnamon and ginger. Pair the 15 with a hot apple pie that’s oozing with gooey cinnamon and dripping in vanilla bean ice cream.
Can you remember where you were 21 years ago? Neither. That’s how long the Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky has been hanging out at the distillery in Scotland. It's dark gold, the nose is sweet with vanilla, a little banana, fig, rich toffee and leather. The 21 year old is finished in Caribbean reserva rum casks, which brings flavours of spicy ginger and lime. Serve the 21yo neat, with a pineapple upside down cake for full tropical, retro vibes. Or if you’re hosting a dinner party, we’d go with individual crème brûlées – the creamy texture and the perfect caramalised crust matched to the whisky’s rich notes of vanilla and toffee? *Chef’s kiss.* PS. If you’re the try-before-you-buy type and you're in Melbourne’s Doncaster area on August 31, September 5 or 6, you can drop into Dan's to taste the gold drop yourself.
You know we’d never tell you how you *should* drink your whisky (except with us), because truth be told, neat, on the rocks or in a cocktail is totally up to you. What we will give you are options. Option one: serve that baby neat. This is obviously the purest way to drink your Glenfiddich. This next one may divide a few people, but adding a few drops of room temperature, filtered water can open up the flavours of your dram. If you’re an on-the-rocks type, remember that temperature will always play a part in flavour. The same goes for heating the glass with your hands. Now, you don’t necessarily need a tulip-shaped glass to enjoy your whisky, you can use a rocks or old fashioned glass, and if we’re being honest, a wine glass will also do the trick.
The list of whisky cocktails is vast, so let’s keep it classic. Use your Glenfiddich to mix up a Godfather, it’s a nowhere-to-hide, two-ingredient cocktail that calls for quality whisky. The key to making cocktails is to have fun with your base spirits, so sub bourbon for Scotch in your Old Fashioned, or for a simple (but impressive) serve, grab some soda water, fresh lemon juice, cloudy apple juice and mix up a round of Glenfiddich Apple Spritzes.
