Glenfiddich 28 Years Old x Aston Martin Blends Three Cask Styles
Glenfiddich has teamed up with Aston Martin on a limited-edition 28 Years Old single malt, and the whisky is as interesting as the car-inspired box it comes in. Malt Master Brian Kinsman built it from three very different cask styles, including whisky that spent 14 years in virgin American oak. The goal was a Glenfiddich that is bolder without losing its identity. The companies revealed it in New York on November 4, with bottles planned from January 2027.
What Makes This Release Special?
This is a new expression, not just a repackaged old one. Kinsman blended three distinct components to push Glenfiddich as far as he dared while keeping the distillery character front and center. He ties the idea to the "perpetual motion" outlook that Glenfiddich and Aston Martin share, and he sums up the result as "unmistakably Glenfiddich, but bigger and richer."
The collaboration also reaches the packaging. Aston Martin's design team combined its Podium Green with copper finishes and the Glenfiddich stag. Flowing surface patterns and layered details nod to both car design and the whisky's maturation journey. Aston Martin's Stefano Saporetti calls it a collector's piece.
It is a limited edition, and outside the US it is exclusive to global travel retail. Think airport shop-in-shops in places like Heathrow, Singapore Changi, Hong Kong and New York JFK, with tastings and brand ambassador visits.
Inside the Bottle
This is a single malt Scotch from Glenfiddich's Speyside distillery, aged for at least 28 years and bottled at 43.7% ABV. Kinsman describes three building blocks.
The first is a traditional Glenfiddich marriage of European and American oak. That is the backbone, with the signature orchard fruit the brand is known for coming from classic ex-bourbon casks.
The second is the wild card. One parcel spent 14 years in standard American oak, then another 14 in virgin American oak. Virgin means fresh barrels that never held anything else, so they hand over more flavor. According to Kinsman, it is big, vanilla-forward and almost tropical, with a creamy vanilla custard quality.
The third is European oak. That whisky spent around eight years in refill wood (casks used before), then 20 years in Oloroso sherry-seasoned hogsheads. Kinsman says it adds mouthfeel, texture, tannin and a complex flavor. Blended together, he describes vanilla and toffee, plus depth.
The Story Behind Glenfiddich
Glenfiddich begins with a man who waited a long time to run his own show. William Grant worked at other Speyside distilleries before building his own in Dufftown in 1886, with his family pitching in. The first spirit reportedly ran on Christmas Day, 1887.
The name is Gaelic for "valley of the deer," which is why a stag sits on the bottle and on this Aston Martin packaging. More than 135 years later, the distillery is still part of the family-run William Grant & Sons.
Glenfiddich also helped change how the world drinks Scotch. In the 1960s, when blends dominated shelves, it pushed single malt to drinkers far beyond Scotland. Kinsman points to a 139-year legacy and generations of Malt Masters behind this bottle, and he says cask experimentation has always been part of the house style. This 28 Years Old is a good example of that tradition.
Price, Proof and Availability
Official Name: Glenfiddich 28 Years Old (developed with Aston Martin)
Category: Single malt Scotch whisky
Bottle Size: 700 ml (travel retail); US bottle size not confirmed
ABV/Proof: 43.7% ABV (87.4 proof)
Age: At least 28 years
Price (SRP): £650 (about $876), subject to regional variations; US price not confirmed
US Availability: US domestic market planned from January 2027; states and retailers have not been announced, so check with your local retailer
Outside the US: Exclusive to global travel retail, launching from January 2027
Limited Edition: Yes
Did You Know?
Most Scotch matures in casks that held something else first, usually bourbon. US bourbon rules require new oak, so used bourbon barrels are plentiful in Scotland. That makes 14 years in virgin American oak a different path.
Tonights Poison Take
Glenfiddich's 28 Years Old is built to catch the eye of two kinds of buyers: collectors who love the Aston Martin design and whisky fans who want to see what virgin oak and sherry can do over decades. At roughly $876 it sits firmly in collector's territory, and the packaging and the three-part blend give it a story to match. Keep an eye on the January 2027 timing, because the US states are still unannounced. Local retailers will be the best source once they know.
Bar Talk: Part of this Glenfiddich spent 14 years in regular oak and then another 14 in brand new virgin American oak.
Know a car lover who also pours single malt? This one has both of them covered, so send it their way.
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About the author: Jas Sawhney (Tonights Poison) has spent 18 years in the beverage alcohol industry and shares new releases, tastings and spirits news as @tonightspoison on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Please enjoy responsibly.
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