Just in time for Father's day, William Grant & Sons are delivering their latest limited edition to the LCBO. The Snow Phoenix does not tread lightly, it is elegantly packaged, priced to sell ($90) and higher abv than Glenfiddich's typical product. What you'll find is that this adversity-inspired and non-chill filtered dram is truly unique.
Due to record-breaking snowfall in January 2010, Glenfiddich had a number of warehouse roofs collapse onto their maturing casks and exposing them to the winter air. An image taken of the collapse depicted an angelic figure of light shining into the warehouse that was ultimately responsible for the Snow Phoenix name.
This light gold liquid is composed of a variety of casks up to 30 years matured in American oak and Oloroso sherry barrels from the affected warehouses. Its creator, Brian Kinsman, sat with us and spoke to this whisky being a tribute to the pioneering spirit of Glenfiddich, taking a potentially tragic event and making a positive of it.
This expression is modelled on the Glenfiddich 12, but ventures into some rather different territory. Let's get on with our tasting notes then.
Nose: Fresh pepper, vanilla, cloves and pear.
Palate: Dances on your tongue and really coats the mouth with a mix of the sweet and sour. You can really taste both types of wood here, muted sherry and a distinct wood must from the American oak. Honey and cocoa at the back of the tongue.
Finish: Seems short due to the high alcohol, but lingers. A drop of water spreads it out and mellows the finish bringing out the sweeter sherry elements.
Overall: A whisky that stands at a good arm's length from Glenfiddich's typical offerings, best enjoyed with some water added and Brian suggests to try it on ice if you like. This is an obvious grab for collectors and if Glenfiddich is your drink, you owe it to yourself to give this a try. It's already sold out for good in the states, so if you're interested, you'll need to act fast while it's at the LCBO. If you're too late, keep in mind that Glenfiddich's 18 year product is priced at $100 and is a fantastic value at this range all year round.
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