🥃 Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23 Year Old
23-year-old single malt Scotch from Glenfiddich: American and European oak, with a finish in French cuvée casks; 40% ABV.
Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23 Year Old is a 23-year-old single malt whisky from Speyside, 40% ABV. It is matured in American and European oak and then finished in French cuvée casks. It is therefore older and more complex than the 12-year-old flagship, and in style it is closer to the “celebratory” expressions.
According to Difford's Guide, the 23-year-old whisky matures in American and European oak, is married together, and then finished in cuvée casks, that is, casks from French sparkling wines. Whiskypedia explains that the older expressions of the brand have a greater share of sherry casks, and blending takes place in marrying tuns.
Why this matters to you. Grand Cru is the oldest expression described here, so compare it with the 18 and the 21 Gran Reserva not only by age but also by type of finish: here it is cuvée, there it is rum. The age on the label is the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (Single Malt Scotch Whisky) |
|---|---|
| Raw material | malted barley |
| Cask type | American and European oak for 23 years; finish in French cuvée casks |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years in oak by law; this expression is 23 years |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23 Year Old → packed in → 🍷 Oak barrel ← packed in ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🐝 American white oak
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Glenfiddich, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Glenfiddich 12 Year Old, 🥃 Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Solera, 🥃 Glenfiddich 18 Year Old Small Batch Reserve, 🥃 Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Gran Reserva, 🥃 Glenfiddich 12 Year Old, 🥃 Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Solera, 🥃 Glenfiddich 18 Year Old Small Batch Reserve, 🥃 Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Gran Reserva, 🥃 The Balvenie, 🥃 The Glenrothes 25 Year Old
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Grand Cru 23 is finished in Champagne casks?
The source refers to French cuvée casks, that is, casks from French sparkling wines. It does not specify which sparkling wine.
What is the strength of Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23?
40% ABV, according to Difford's Guide.
What casks is the main whisky matured in?
In American and European oak for 23 years, before the finish.
What to read next
- 🥃 Glenfiddich 12 Year Old — Flagship 12-year-old single malt Scotch from Glenfiddich in Dufftown; 40% ABV; the age statement returned to the label in 2000.
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🐝 American white oak — A North American oak that gives wine strong vanilla and coconut notes.
Similar
🥃 Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Gran Reserva · 🥃 Glenfiddich 12 Year Old · 🥃 Glenfiddich 18 Year Old Small Batch Reserve · 🥃 Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Solera · 🥃 The Glenrothes 15 Year Old · 🥃 Scapa Skiren
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Difford's Guide: Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23 Year Old (40 %; 23 years in American and European oak, then finished in French cuvée casks)
- Difford's Guide: Glenfiddich Distillery (Dufftown, first spirit Christmas Day 1887, William Grant & Sons, range overview)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): Glenfiddich (marrying tuns and solera vats; ex-sherry casks in growing share with age; solera pioneered for the 15 year old)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)