Glenfiddich and Aston Martin System One Staff mark the second yr of their partnership with two limited-edition single malts that remember the precision, foresight, and unseen craftsmanship behind distinctive efficiency.
Among the most essential components of efficiency are these we by no means see.
That philosophy sits on the coronary heart of the newest collaboration between Glenfiddich and Aston Martin System One Staff, which has produced two new limited-edition single malts impressed by the respective crafts of Glenfiddich Malt Grasp Brian Kinsman and Aston Martin System One Staff Managing Technical Companion Adrian Newey.
The brand new releases – the Glenfiddich & Aston Martin System One Staff 16-12 months-Previous Restricted-Version Launch No.2 and 19-12 months-Previous Restricted-Version Launch No.2 – mark the second yr of a partnership that brings collectively two very completely different worlds united by precision, experimentation and long-term pondering.
The parallel between Kinsman and Newey is especially compelling. A Malt Grasp makes choices a few whisky that will not reveal their full penalties for years. Newey, in the meantime, has spent his profession anticipating how invisible airflow will behave round racing automobiles earlier than these automobiles even exist.
Totally different supplies and disciplines, definitely, however a surprisingly comparable philosophy: perceive what can not instantly be seen and use that data to form the eventual outcome.
For Glenfiddich, based in Dufftown in 1887, that invisible craftsmanship encompasses every little thing from its Robbie Dhu water supply to cask choice, maturation, mixing and the amassed data of generations of whisky makers.
For Aston Martin System One Staff, the identical thought manifests in aerodynamics, simulation, and engineering at its AMR Know-how Campus, the place its superior wind tunnel and technical infrastructure assist the group’s pursuit of System 1 efficiency.
“What I discover most compelling about Adrian’s work is that the defining efficiency usually comes from what you can’t instantly see,” explains Brian Kinsman.
“That’s one thing I recognise in whisky-making. The character of a single malt is formed by numerous exact choices over time – cask choice, steadiness, maturation, timing – each refined by itself, however transformative when introduced collectively.”
Kinsman says the target with the 2 newest releases was to seize that very same idea of unseen craftsmanship, producing whiskies which can be layered and balanced whereas permitting him to experiment with bolder, extra intense flavours.
Glenfiddich 16-12 months-Previous Restricted-Version Launch No.2
The 16-12 months-Previous is constructed round maturation throughout 5 completely different cask sorts, creating layers of flavour that work collectively a lot as particular person technical components mix to find out the general efficiency of a System 1 automotive.
Glenfiddich’s attribute fruit-led model is complemented by first-fill bourbon barrels, Port pipes, Oloroso sherry casks and wine casks, with a remaining affect from Fino sherry butts.
The outcome combines orchard fruit and sweetness with a silky texture and restrained oak affect.
On the nostril, the whisky provides wealthy stewed fruits and floral notes alongside touches of marzipan and polished leather-based, with water bringing contemporary ripe fruit additional ahead.
The palate is mellow and clean, creating creamy, buttery toffee and caramelised cane sugar balanced by dry oak tannins. The end is lengthy, with lingering oak sweetness.
ABV: 43%
Glenfiddich 19-12 months-Previous Restricted-Version Launch No.2
The 19-12 months-Previous takes the idea of experimentation significantly additional.
Accessible completely by World Journey Retail, the whisky combines the affect of Colombian, European and American oak – bringing three completely different continents right into a single expression.
Initially matured in conventional whisky casks, the spirit is then divided among the many three oak varieties earlier than being introduced again collectively for its remaining marriage.
Of specific curiosity is using Colombian oak, which introduces brightness to the whisky’s richer underlying construction.
The nostril combines vanilla, crystallised ginger and conventional boiled sweets with candied orange and lemon peel alongside heat oak spice.
On the palate, a sherbet-like zest is joined by a wealthy, waxy texture, adopted by baked apple and cinnamon. The end is lingering, candy and full-bodied.
ABV: 43%
System 1 Meets the Artwork of Whisky
The 2 releases symbolize one other stage in a relationship that started when Glenfiddich introduced its multi-year partnership with Aston Martin System One Staff in November 2024.
There may be an apparent distinction between the 2 worlds. System 1 measures progress in milliseconds and operates beneath relentless aggressive strain. Single malt whisky calls for persistence measured not in seconds or laps, however years and many years.
But beneath these variations lies a remarkably comparable obsession with element.
Newey’s aerodynamics work is finally about controlling forces the spectator can not see. Kinsman’s craft relies on anticipating how wooden, spirit and time will work together lengthy into the long run. Neither can merely await the completed product earlier than deciding whether or not the underlying selections have been right.
And that maybe makes the Glenfiddich and Aston Martin System One Staff partnership extra pure than it’d first seem. Past the acquainted worlds of luxurious and motorsport, each disciplines rely upon expertise, instinct and the flexibility to grasp how numerous small choices ultimately mix into one thing distinctive.
The brand new 16- and 19-12 months-Previous restricted editions flip that philosophy into one thing altogether extra tangible – and, on this case, drinkable.
Glenfiddich and Aston Martin System One Staff encourage accountable enjoyment. By no means drink and drive.
SKILFULLY CRAFTED. ENJOY RESPONSIBLY. NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE.
