Scotch Addict

Earlier this month, Glenfiddich auctioned off a 55 year old Scotch that fetched £46,850 (approximately $72,632 USD) and set a European record. It was one of the 15 bottles of Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve (the first to be sold), named after the oldest living Scot. Put into cask 1955 and bottled last month, it was estimated that the bottles would go for 30,000 and 35,000 pounds – it exceeded that price (fortunately for Water Aid, who gets the proceeds).

When we visited Scotland a few years ago, I learned that Glenfiddich was one of the most popular brands of Scotch in the entire world. At the time, and it may still be the case now, they were the best selling single malt Scotch. That fact seemed to be reinforced by how frequently we saw Glenfiddich branded tanker trucks rolling through the hills of Speyside.

Located outside Dufftown in Speyside, Glenfiddich is Scotland’s largest distilleries with its own cooperage, coppersmith, and bottling facility (yes, they are one of the few that distill, mature, and bottle all in one facility). There is also, of course, warehouses for maturation and they currently have 26 stills – 10 wash, 16 spirit.

As for the name, they are located in the valley of the River Fiddich, hence Glen Fiddich. But enough with the history lesson, let’s get to Glenfiddich 18 Year Old – a scotch I’ve enjoyed before but most recently last night.

Glenfiddich 18 Year Old

Here’s what Glenfiddich says about their 18 year old:

Remarkably rich aroma with ripe orchard fruit, spiced apple and a robust oakiness.

Richly delivers luxurious dried fruit, candy peel and dates overlaid with elegant oak notes.

Warming. Rewarding. Distinguished.

As you’d expect from a Speyside, the flavors are fruity but you get a hint of spice along the way. On the nose it’s easy to get a strong sense of a wide variety of fruit, from apples to a hint of raisin, some citrus. On the palate, you get all that, plus oakiness to remind you of its age, with a sweetness of vanilla. Finish is long, smooth and warm, with a small nudge of spiciness.

It’s no surprise this has one several medals and is one of the most popular Scotches in the world.

(Photo: hep)

Look at enough bottles of Scotch whisky and you’ll start seeing the same words over and over again. How many distilleries have “glen” in their name? Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Glengoyne, Glenfarclas, Glen Grant… you get the idea. Many of the distillers have names that describe where they’re located, which is why glen (which means valley in Gaelic) is so prevalent in so many names.

I started looking for common syllables in distillery names and come up with this short list.

• Ben: It’s Scottish for mountain.
• Burn: It’s Gaelic for fresh water but it’s also the name for a watercourse, artificial or natural, from large streams to small rivers.
• Cairn: It’s a man-made pile of stones.
• Dhu: The sgian-dubh, or skean dhu, is a small single edged knife that’s part of traditional Scottish Highland dress.
• Duff: Duff is a surname
• Glen: Gleann, and thus Glen, is Scottish for Valley with a river and is typically narrower and deep.
• Knock: It’s another term for clock.
• Loch: Loch is the term used for a lake or an inlet (Loch Ness? Lake Ness).
• Strath: It’s a large valley that usually has a river and is wide and shallow.

I found it kind of fun to see what the origins of some of those syllables. For example, I thought it was interesting that there were different terms for a valley. You have strath for wide and shallow valleys and glen for narrow and deep valleys. Were there any that surprised you?

Glenfiddich produced 61 bottles of a whisky that has been maturing in a cask (casks?) for 64 years and this past week they auctioned one of those bottles off. The bottle fetched 25,200 pounds, or $37,245, from an unknown purchaser over the telephone. It’s not the most anyone has ever paid for a bottle, by a long shot, but it’s a sign that Scotch whisky is still selling strong.

The whisky in the bottle was distilled on July 17th, 1937 and bottled on October 24, 2001. Quit a long period of time!

Do you know how to pronounce Lagavulin? Glenfiddich? Glenmorangie?

If you know those, you’re in pretty good shape. How about Bruichladdich? Caol Ila?

Now, visit this website and play all the names. They have an audio file for a lot of distilleries (many of the majors, most of the smaller ones too) in both .wav and .au, though some are only in .au file format.

How many did you get right? If you got the pronunciation right did you accent the right syllable? Glenmorangie is easy to say but I bet you accent the wrong syllable like I did.

Learn how to pronounce scotch whisky names from an expert.

In mid-2006, Forbes listed the world’s most expensive whiskies with the top bottle netting $38,000. That’s right, a single bottle of the stuff at the top of the list costs more than most of the cars on the road today. Which was it? It was The Macallan Fine and Rare Collection, 1926, 60 Years Old… a single malt of the highest order took the top spot and it’s not actually possible to buy it anymore.

Here’s what Forbes had to say:

The oldest and most sought-after of Macallan’s revolutionary Fine & Rare Collection is now sold out. It is still possible to taste this totally unique Scotch whisky at the Old Homestead Steakhouse in the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, N.J. However, it sells for a nosebleed-inducing $3,300 per dram, so you had better have had a good run at the craps table.

To clarify, the list was created to capture the most expensive of each type, so you’ll see clearly “inexpensive” Jack Daniels Single Barrel Whiskey listed because it’s the most expensive Tennessee whiskey. Sazerac Rye 18 Year Old is the most expensive rye whiskey and Suntory Yamazaki 18 is the most expensive Japanese whiskey. Anyway, here’s the rest of the list:

1. The Macallan Fine & Rare Collection, 1939, 40 Years Old: $10,125
2. Chivas Regal Royal Salute, 50 Year Old: $10,000
3. Glen Garioch, 1958, 46 Year Old: $2,600
4. Bruichladdich 40 Year Old: $2,500
5. Glenfiddich 40 Year Old: $2,500
6. Springbank 32 Year Old: $750
7. Auchentoshan 1973 32 Year Old: $700
8. Evan Williams 23 Year Old Bourbon: $350
9. Midleton Very Rare: $139
10. Suntory Yamazaki 18 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey: $110
11. Sazerac Rye 18 Year Old: $55
12. Johnny Walker Green Label: $50
13. Bernheim Original Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey: $50
14. Jack Daniels Single Barrel Whiskey: $42