Until today there was one big distillery never reviewed on Whisky Gospel. Yes, A few years of reviews and still not a single Glenfiddich whisky review here.

It’s not that I didn’t taste Glenfiddich whiskies, after all it’s one of the most popular single malts around the globe and even my brother who doesn’t drink much whisky (I know, a big failure on my behalf) has a Glenfiddich 12 yo bottle at home. But I must admit that those Glenfiddichs I did taste, like the 12 yo, 18 yo and others just didn’t tingle enough my resolve to sit down and write a proper review.

But then Glenfiddich has released their first two experimental series expressions and the one that was finished in IPA casks definitely piqued up my interest. I’ve seen Irish whiskies finished in beer casks like Jameson Caskmates and Scotch blend (Grant’s Ale Cask Finish) but this is the first single malt Scotch whisky ever finished in IPA casks. It was finished in casks that held IPA beer brewed specially for this whisky by Speyside Craft Brewery for three months, and then bottled at 43%. Let’s see if this experimental is successful.

Glenfiddich Experimental Series IPA Cask (43%, £43.98/€49.95)

Nose: Malt, citrus bitterness (grapefruit and the white layer between the peels and the fruit meat) with that distinct hops greenery and bitterness. Then comes the fruit sweetness, green and unripe pears and apples and yet behind that initial wave it’s still a very classic Glenfiddich, honey, vanilla, bread, very smooth with a touch of white pepper. After a while in the glass it’s pretty much all classic Glenfiddich with a slight IPA bitterness.

Palate: Grapefruit bitterness, sweet apples and pears, maltiness, baking spices, vanilla pudding, honey and it ends with bitter citrus peels and oak spices.

Finish: Short medium finish, slightly bitter and green, vanilla, oak spices, a touch of citrus and very smooth.

Thoughts: The IPA cask finish does adds a nice touch of citrus and hops bitterness but don’t get mistaken – it’s still a classic Glenfiddich whisky. For Glenfiddich distillery it was a successful experiment and so If you like Glenfiddich and IPA beers, it’s a nice and refreshing addition to your home bar.