Glenfiddich releases second batch of Archive Collection, including never before available 1987 ‘family cask’ bottling

As one of the world’s most recognisable whiskies, Glenfiddich launched the first of its Archive Collection in 2023. Now more whiskies have been added to this collection of rare single cask bottlings. Rosalind Erskine took a trip to Dufftown to find out more.

The job of a whisky maker or master blender may seem like a dream for many. These people are responsible for creating our national drink, using, among other things, their heightened sense of smell and taste.

One of these is Glenfiddich’s Brian Kinsman, who is responsible, along with this team and staff at the distillery, for making one of the world’s most recognisable whiskies. Still owned by the Grant family, Glenfiddich has been made since 1887 when William Grant ran spirit through the stills on Christmas Day.

Known for its three cornered green bottle, the light and fruity dram of the 12-year-old is easily drinkable and available to buy at a good price. It’s the production of this, and the core range, that keeps Mr Kinsman busy most of the year, and consistency is key.

The 1989 cask bottling from the Archive Collection

But once in a while, the team can experiment and the brand releases something new, the latest of which is the Archive Collection, a range of single cask bottlings ranging from the 1970s to 1990s.

Of this, Mr Kinsman said: “I find these single cask bottlings (in the Archive Collection) exciting as for 99 per cent of the year, I am trying to combat the natural cask variations and smooth them out, so that every time you open a bottle of Glenfiddich 12-year-old, no matter where you are in the world, you can confidently say it is the same.

A bottle of 12-year-old is the exact opposite of these bottlings, as the influence of a single cask needs to be as small as possible, whereas here you can have two casks side by side and the resulting whisky is so different. It’s fun.”

Struan Grant Ralph, global brand ambassador, said: “Glenfiddich is not best known for releasing cask strength, single cask releases and the Archive Collection definitely breaks that mould. There have always been Spirit of Speyside releases and higher strength releases throughout the years, but the Archive range showcases the more unusual variety that is there.”

Global whisky ambassador for Glenfiddich, Struan Grant Ralph.

As with every distillery, there’s tales to be told about the whisky. But here, there’s also a wealth of information on the liquid, casks and what was going on at the time, thanks to the ongoing family ownership and archive, managed by archivist Andy Fairgrieve. Of this treasure trove of information, Mr Fairgrieve said: “We’re incredibly fortunate to have the continuity of family ownership. The company has never changed hands, so no one new has ever come in and said ‘that’s not so important, chuck it out’. Also it helps that the owners are a north east family, we’re famous in the north east of Scotland for not throwing anything away, in case it comes in handy.”

The generations of family ownership can’t be understated here. A family set-up, which is what most distilleries in Scotland started off as, is now very rare and it shapes the whole operation, as Mr Fairgrieve explained.

“The history and culture is the brand at Glenfiddich, it’s a family culture and it’s a family history,” he said. “And we have guys with incredible service history here, so it’s more than just the family involvement, it’s the individuals that have gone before that have put their working lives into the creation of what we’re drinking today. Whisky is a human story.”

Part of this human story is tradition, and to mark the first spirit that ran off the Glenfiddich stills on Christmas Day, the Grant family still fill a cask on December 25. One of these, a hogshead from 1987, has been bottled as part of the Archive Collection and is exclusive to the distillery. Never before has a ‘family cask’ of whisky been made available to the public in the UK, making this a rare and special buy for fans of the brand. Kirsten Grant Meikle said members of the family still celebrate Christmas at the distillery and fill a cask.

Glenfiddich distillery, located in Dufftown, has been in the same family since it opened.

She said: “This is the first time this has been released commercially here (the 2023 Archive Collection included a 1987 sherry cask that was exclusive to China and Taiwan). We've got some bottles in the family that we released to ourselves, but this is the first time we've actually taken one to market here, so it's great to see. There’s always family at the distillery on Christmas Day, filling a cask, which we take in turns and we’re not all here all the time.”

Part of the sixth generation of the Grant family, Ms Grant Meikle said they don’t see themselves as owners. She said: “There’s a thought process in the family that it's not any of ours to sell. We don’t feel we own the business. At the moment Peter, Glen and I are the controlling generation and it’s ours to pass on in a better way than we found it.

"So we are custodians of the brands rather than the owners of the business. If you think like that, then our job is to make the liquids and ensure that it's as good as what we're tasting today. We learn from the previous generation – the good things and the bad. In family meetings, it’s all about laying stuff down and longevity.”

Mr Fairgrieve added: “It’s the same with the archive, you want to make sure that when you close the door at the end of the day that it’s all there for the person who opens the door tomorrow and with Glenfiddich and the family influence, there’s tradition without being a slave to tradition and not being afraid to innovate and try something new.” Mr Kinsman said: “A big part of whisky making here is about looking after the history, the heritage, the quality.”

Glenfiddich launched the first of their Archive Collection single cask bottlings in 2023.

It is a huge operation, but at its heart Glenfiddich is still a family business with a rich history – a portion of which can be enjoyed through the new additions to this rare and fascinating range of whiskies.

Beginning in April 2024, the single cask bottlings from the 2024 Glenfiddich Archive Collection will launch in selected markets, including UAE, UK, Australia, South Africa, Germany, Nordics and Northern Europe and Global Travel Retail. The 1987 centenary cask, hand-filled by William Grant’s descendants on Christmas Day, will be released as a Distillery Shop exclusive, a whisky that until purchased, will not have left its home throughout its entire lifetime. Find out more at www.glenfiddich.com