Glenfiddich has always been known for its orchard fruit notes. In The Glenfiddich Orchard Experiment, the apple effect has been – in the words of Struan Grant Ralph, global brand ambassador and member of the William Grant family that owns the distillery – ‘turned up to 11’. 

Glenfiddich’s Experimental Series has seen some interesting finishes to the classic Speyside single malt… previously the whisky has spent its last few months of maturation in oak casks formerly containing unexpected liquids such as IPA or Canadian ice wine.

The Orchard Experiment is the result of a collaboration with a family of apple growers in Somerset. For more than 200 years, the Temperley family has made cider (Burrow Hill cider is widely available). In the late 1980s, Julian Temperley began making cider brandy, a revival of an ancient craft that had been left to the Calvados makers in northern France for many decades. By 2011, largely due to the Temperleys’ efforts, Somerset cider brandy was awarded protected geographic indication, the only English spirit with a PGI. 

In addition to Somerset cider brandy, the Temperley family also produces its Somerset Pomona (named after the Roman goddess of fruitfulness), a blend of cider brandy and apple juice, the equivalent of Calvados-based pommeau, or Cognac-based Pineau des Charentes. It is casks that contained Pomona that were used to finish the Glenfiddich Orchard Experiment.

Drunk neat, the Orchard Experiment’s apple notes may be a little overwhelming, but it comes into its own in cocktails, and the vanilla and spice notes of the single malt add depth to apple-led drinks. A simple serve is a 1:3 ratio of Orchard Experiment to apple juice, with apple and mint leaf garnish. However, Brummell would recommend the addition of a half measure of Temperley Pomona apple liqueur (or Normandy pommeau) and a dash of bitters to balance that, then lengthen it with soda – especially on a sunny day in the extended summer. 

Alternatively, try the Temperley cocktail recipe: 

50ml Glenfiddich Orchard Experiment

20ml sweet white vermouth 

10ml Manzanilla sherry

10ml Somerset Pomona

1.25ml sugar syrup

Stir over ice, strain and pour into a coupe and serve with an olive garnish.

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