Glenfiddich distillery (
) is a
Speyside single malt
Speyside single malts are single malt Scotch whiskies, distilled in Strathspey, the area around the River Spey in Moray and Badenoch and Strathspey, in northeastern Scotland.
The two best-selling single malt whiskies in the world, The Glenlive ...
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky (; sco, Scots whisky/whiskie, whusk(e)y; often simply called whisky or Scotch) is malt whisky or grain whisky (or a blend of the two), made in Scotland.
All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. Commercial distil ...
distillery owned by
William Grant & Sons
William Grant & Sons Ltd is an independent, family-owned Scottish company that distills Scotch whisky and other selected categories of spirits. It was established in 1887 by William Grant, and is run by Grant's descendants as of 2018. It is the ...
in the Scottish
burgh
A burgh is an autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland and Northern England, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burg ...
of
Dufftown
Dufftown ( gd, Baile Bhainidh ) is a burgh in Moray, Scotland. While the town is part of the historic Mortlach parish, the town was established and laid out in the early 19th century as part of a planned new town settlement. The town has several ...
in
Moray
Moray () gd, Moireibh or ') is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.
Between 1975 ...
. The name Glenfiddich derives from the
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
''Gleann Fhiodhaich'' meaning "valley of the deer", which is reflected in Glenfiddich's stag logo.
History
The Glenfiddich Distillery was founded in 1886 by
William Grant in
Dufftown
Dufftown ( gd, Baile Bhainidh ) is a burgh in Moray, Scotland. While the town is part of the historic Mortlach parish, the town was established and laid out in the early 19th century as part of a planned new town settlement. The town has several ...
, Scotland, in the glen of the
River Fiddich
The River Fiddich ( gd, Fiodhach / Abhainn Fhiodhaich) is a right bank tributary of the River Spey in northeast Scotland. It rises on the eastern slopes of Corriehabbie Hill in Glenfiddich Forest and flows northeastwards beneath the A941 road, p ...
.
The Glenfiddich
single malt whisky first ran from the
still
A still is an apparatus used to distill liquid mixtures by heating to selectively boil and then cooling to condense the vapor. A still uses the same concepts as a basic distillation apparatus, but on a much larger scale. Stills have been used ...
s on Christmas Day, 1887.
In the 1920s, with
prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...
in force in the US, Glenfiddich was one of a very small number of distilleries to increase production. This put them in a strong position to meet the sudden rise in demand for fine aged whiskies that came with the
repeal of prohibition
The repeal of Prohibition in the United States was accomplished with the passage of the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution on December 5, 1933.
Background
In 1919, the requisite number of state legislatures ratified the Eig ...
.
In the 1950s, the Grant family built up an onsite infrastructure that included coppersmiths to maintain the copper
still
A still is an apparatus used to distill liquid mixtures by heating to selectively boil and then cooling to condense the vapor. A still uses the same concepts as a basic distillation apparatus, but on a much larger scale. Stills have been used ...
s, and a dedicated
cooperage that is now one of the very few remaining in distilleries.
In 1956 the Grant's brand launched the now-iconic triangular bottle, designed by
Hans Schleger
Hans Schleger (born Hans Schlesinger; 29 December 1898 - died 18 September 1976) was a German-Polish-Jewish and later British graphic designer.
Early life
He was born in Kempen in Posen, Prussia (in modern-day Poland) on 9 December 1898 to ...
.
Following difficult times in the 1960s and '70s, many small, independent distillers were bought up or went out of business. In order to survive, W. Grant & Sons expanded their production of the drink, and introduced advertising campaigns and a visitors' centre.
In this period they also took the decision to begin marketing single malt as a premium brand in its own right, effectively creating the modern
single malt whisky
Single malt whisky is malt whisky from a single distillery.
Single malts are typically associated with single malt Scotch, though they are also produced in various other countries. Under the United Kingdom's Scotch Whisky Regulations, a "S ...
category with the 1963 introduction of Glenfiddich single malt to the United States and other foreign markets.
![Glenfiddich Distillery Pagoda](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Glenfiddich_Distillery_Pagoda.jpg)
Later, W. Grant & Sons was one of the first distilleries to package its bottles in tubes and gift tins, as well as recognising the importance of the
duty-free
A duty-free shop (or store) is a retail outlet whose goods are exempt from the payment of certain local or national taxes and duties, on the requirement that the goods sold will be sold to travelers who will take them out of the country, w ...
market for spirits. This marketing strategy was successful, and Glenfiddich has since become the world's best-selling single malt.
It is sold in 180 countries,
and accounts for about 35% of single malt sales.
Glenfiddich is currently managed by the fifth generation of William Grant's descendants.
In September 2014, William Grant & Sons agreed to acquire
Drambuie
Drambuie is a golden-coloured, 40% ABV liqueur made from Scotch whisky, heather honey, herbs and spices. The brand was owned by the MacKinnon family for 100 years, and was bought by William Grant & Sons in 2014.
Etymology
The name "Drambuie ...
for an undisclosed price rumoured to be in the region of £100 million.
Since 2002, Glenfiddich has an Artists in Residence (AiR) programme with a total budget of £130,000 allowing artists to stay and work in the distillery each year.
In 2019 there were eight artists in residence and in 2021, there were six artists in residence.
In 2021, the distillery began converting distillery trucks to run on
Biogas
Biogas is a mixture of gases, primarily consisting of methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide, produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material, sewage, green waste and food waste. It is a ...
made from the distillery waste products.
Production and location
The Glenfiddich distillery produce the Glenfiddich whisky in
Dufftown
Dufftown ( gd, Baile Bhainidh ) is a burgh in Moray, Scotland. While the town is part of the historic Mortlach parish, the town was established and laid out in the early 19th century as part of a planned new town settlement. The town has several ...
,
Moray
Moray () gd, Moireibh or ') is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.
Between 1975 ...
.
Glenfiddich is a
single malt Scotch
Single malt Scotch refers to single malt whisky made in Scotland. To qualify for this category, a whisky must have been distilled at a single distillery using a pot still distillation process and made from a mash of malted barley. Therefore, ...
whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden c ...
, this means the whisky was distilled at a single distillery using a pot still distillation process and must be made from a mash of malted barley.
Onsite there are 31 distinctively-shaped "swan neck" copper pot stills. These stills are smaller than those now in use at most other major distilleries. All stills are handmade and Glenfiddich employs a team of craftsmen and
coppersmith
A coppersmith, also known as a brazier, is a person who makes artifacts from copper and brass. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. The term "redsmith" is used for a tinsmith that uses tinsmithing tools and techniques to make copper items.
Hi ...
s to maintain them.
These stills have a capacity of around 13,000,000 litres of spirit.
The water source for Glenfiddich Whisky is The Robbie Dhu springs nearby to the distillery.
![Glenfiddich_Distillery_stills_hall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Glenfiddich_Distillery_stills_hall.jpg)
Glenfiddich is matured in many different casks, such as:
# ''
Rum
Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Phili ...
'' casks from the Caribbean
# ''
Bourbon whiskey
Bourbon () is a type of barrel-aged American whiskey made primarily from corn. The name derives from the French Bourbon dynasty, although the precise source of inspiration is uncertain; contenders include Bourbon County in Kentucky and Bourbo ...
'' barrels from America
# ''
Sherry
Sherry ( es, jerez ) is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versi ...
'' butts from
Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera (), or simply Jerez (), is a Spanish city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, located midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cádiz Mountains. , the ...
in Spain
Once the spirit has matured, the casks are emptied and the whisky is "cut" with pure Robbie Dhu spring water.
Glenfiddich has a bottling hall onsite along with a large bottling plant in Bellshill.
Glenfiddich is a distillery in
Scotland's Malt Whisky Trail
Eight malt whisky distilleries and a cooperage form the Malt Whisky Trail in Scotland's Speyside. Seven of the eight distilleries are in production and operational, whilst the Dallas Dhu distillery is a historic distillery. The Malt Whisky Trail ...
, a tourism initiative featuring seven working Speyside distilleries including Glenfiddich, a historic distillery (Dallas Dhu, now a museum) and the
Speyside Cooperage
The Speyside Cooperage is a cooperage located in Craigellachie, Aberlour, Scotland. Its visitor centre, the only such in Britain, is part of the Malt Whisky Trail, started in the early 1980s.
Each year, it produces and repairs nearly 150,000 ...
.
Whiskies
Core range
* Glenfiddich 12-year-old
* Glenfiddich 15-year-old
* Glenfiddich 18-year-old
* Glenfiddich 21-year-old
Liqueur
* Glenfiddich Malt Whisky Liqueur: Until 2011 Glenfiddich produced a
liqueur
A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyond ...
that was 40% alcohol by volume, and sold in 50 cl (500 ml) bottles.
Critical acclaim
Glenfiddich's whiskies have performed well at international
spirits ratings
With a growing number of offerings, such as those produced by an increasing number of microdistilleries, various mechanisms have arisen to provide reviews and opinions of individual varieties of spirits. These events generally use expert panels ...
competitions. The 12, 15, 18, and 21-year offerings have all rated well in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the Beverage Testing Institutes' reviews. On balance, the 15-year whisky has performed the best, receiving three double-gold medals (in four years) at the 2007–2010 San Francisco competitions and a score of 91 with the Beverage Testing Institute.
Glenfiddich Awards
Started in 1970, Glenfiddich promoted the
Glenfiddich Food and Drink Awards The Glenfiddich Food and Drink Awards were intended to recognize achievements in writing, publishing and broadcasting on the subjects of food and drink. The awards had been sponsored since 1972 by William Grant & Sons, a family-owned Scottish disti ...
to honour distinguished writing and broadcasting in the fields of food and drink in the UK. In 2008, Glenfiddich decided to discontinue distributing Food and Drink Awards, reviewing their "strategy, scope and potential application in some of Glenfiddich’s key markets outside the UK."
Started in 1998, Glenfiddich promoted the
Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards
The Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards are annual awards given to notable Scottish people. It is sponsored by the Scotch whisky company Glenfiddich, in association with The Scotsman newspaper. Nine awards are given out for art, business, envir ...
. The Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards were annual awards given to notable Scottish people. Glenfiddich sponsored the event, in association with The Scotsman newspaper. Nine awards were distributed for art, business, environment, food, music, screen, sport, writing and "Top Scot". A consulting panel nominated four people in each category, with the winner decided by a public vote. The "Top Scot" is an open award, with the public able to nominate anyone. The awards haven't been hosted since 2014.
In popular culture
* Glenfiddich was the favourite whisky of fictional detective
Inspector Morse
Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse, GM, is the eponymous fictional character in the series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter. On television, he appears in the 33-episode drama series ''Inspector Morse'' (1987–2000), ...
, as well as his creator
Colin Dexter
Norman Colin Dexter (29 September 1930 – 21 March 2017) was an English crime writer known for his ''Inspector Morse'' series of novels, which were written between 1975 and 1999 and adapted as an ITV television series, ''Inspector Morse'', fro ...
.
* In the film ''
The Dogs of War'',
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Awar ...
is seen carrying two bottles of Glenfiddich 10 Year Old in his luggage upon arrival to the fictional country of Zangaro.
* In the 150th episode of ''
Family Guy
''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...
'', "
Brian & Stewie",
Brian Griffin
H. Brian Griffinas shown in Brian Griffin's House of Payne is a fictional character from the American animated television series ''Family Guy''. An anthropomorphic white labrador retriever voiced by Seth MacFarlane, he is one of the show's mai ...
keeps a bottle of what appears to be Glenfiddich 12 Year Old in a safe deposit box as a
last drink should he intend to
kill himself. On the full uncut version of the episode he confirms to Stewie that it is indeed Glenfiddich.
* In the 2004 film ''
Hotel Rwanda
''Hotel Rwanda'' is a 2004 drama film directed by Terry George. It was adapted from a screenplay co-written by George and Keir Pearson, and stars Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo as hotelier Paul Rusesabagina and his wife Tatiana. Based on the Rw ...
'', the lead character
, played by
Don Cheadle
Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. (; born November 29, 1964) is an American actor. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including two Grammy Awards, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also earned ...
, bribes
General Augustin Bizimungu with bottles of Glenfiddich in exchange for favourable treatment by his soldiers.
* In the novel ''
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest
''The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest'' (original title in sv, Luftslottet som sprängdes, lit=The castle in the air that blew up) is the third novel in the best-selling ''Millennium'' series by Swedish writer Stieg Larsson.; It was pub ...
'' by
Stieg Larsson
Karl Stig-Erland "Stieg" Larsson (, ; 15 August 1954 – 9 November 2004) was a Swedish writer, journalist, and activist. He is best known for writing the ''Millennium'' trilogy of crime novels, which were published posthumously, starting in 2 ...
, Evert Gullberg, a former
intelligence officer
An intelligence officer is a person employed by an organization to collect, compile or analyze information (known as intelligence) which is of use to that organization. The word of ''officer'' is a working title, not a rank, used in the same way a ...
, although not fond of alcohol; pours himself a glass of Glenfiddich.
* In the sitcom ''
The Vicar of Dibley
''The Vicar of Dibley'' is a British sitcom which originally ran on BBC One from 10 November 1994 to 1 January 2007. It is set in a fictional small Oxfordshire village called Dibley, which is assigned a female vicar following the 1992 changes ...
'', David Horton desperately attempts to conceal a bottle of Glenfiddich from his guests, who he believes aren't worth wasting the fine whisky (due to their working-class status). However, when the eponymous vicar arrives, she spots the hidden bottle much to David's dismay and his guests' delight.
* In the television series ''
Falling Skies
''Falling Skies'' is an American science fiction television series set in a Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic era, created by Robert Rodat and Executive producer#Motion pictures and television, executive produced by Steve ...
'' Captain Weaver and Dr. Glass share a bottle of 30-year-old Glenfiddich.
* In the 2016 film ''
Star Trek Beyond
''Star Trek Beyond'' is a 2016 American science fiction action film directed by Justin Lin, written by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung, and based on the television series ''Star Trek'' created by Gene Roddenberry. It is the 13th film in the ''Star Tr ...
'', Doctor
Leonard McCoy
Dr. Leonard H. McCoy, known as "Bones", is a character in the American science-fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. McCoy was played by actor DeForest Kelley in the original ''Star Trek'' series from 1966 to 1969, and he also appears in the anim ...
and Captain
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius Kirk is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in ''Star Trek'' serving aboard the starship USS ''Enterprise'' as captain. Kirk leads ...
share a drink from a fictionalised Glenfiddich 30-year-old Single Malt. In contrast to the Glenfiddich norm, the bottle featured in the film was square-based rather than the iconic triangular shape the brand is renowned for.
* In the FX TV show ''
Archer'', there are several instances where the main characters drink "Glengoolie", which is a parody of Glenfiddich.
* In the 2012 movie ''
Jack Reacher'', the triangular green bottle is on the table when Rosamund Pike goes to talk with shooter suspect's father.
* A number of Glenfiddich whiskies feature in bars on the ''
Yakuza'' video game series as part of their long-running product placement deal with
Suntory
(commonly referred to as simply Suntory) is a Japanese multinational brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan, and makes Japanese whisky. Its ...
.
See also
*
List of whisky distilleries in Scotland
This is an incomplete list of whisky distilleries in Scotland. According to the Scotch Whisky Association there were 138 distilleries licensed to produce Scotch whisky in the calendar year 2020.
Currently operating distilleries
Malt whisky dis ...
References
External links
*
{{Scottish Distilleries
Scottish brands
Distilleries in Scotland
William Grant & Sons
Scottish malt whisky
1887 introductions
1886 establishments in Scotland
Companies based in Moray