When I told my husband that I got an invite to taste whisky cocktails by Glenfiddich, the expression on his face was too hilarious. I think it’s the very first time he came to respect this little blogging side-gig I have going on.
Anyway, he was practically begging me on bended knee (wedding proposal epic style) that I had to accept this invite. And so I did, and it was one of the best events I have attended!
First of all, the who’s who of the blogging world were there (location: the plush Olive Beach on Wood Street), the cocktails were flowing, the hosts were gracious, and it really was one helluva party!
Now that I have recovered a bit from the hangover, let me gather together some thoughts on Glenfiddich in general and the event in particular.
The event’s purpose was to introduce Glenfiddich in all its glorious splendor and generate appreciation for its versatility. Usually Glenfiddich is consumed on the rocks, or with club soda. This event tried to showcase the different aged Single Malts of Glenfiddich mixed into exquisite cocktails.
Here are the cocktails we tried.
On the left is the Mulberry sparkle made from a 12 year old expression with handpicked figs from Gujarat. A fig puree complemented the sweetness of the malt, and the splash of ginger juice gave it a spicy zing. A twist of lime juice made for a surprising citrus-y finish.
This was the first drink I tried and I loved the combination of figs with the whisky. I always love a little sweet in my drinks, so this was easy to like.
K loved the second drink in the above photo. It’s the Nutty Rob Roy. I noticed all the men in my group gravitated to this one. It was made of Kashmiri walnuts to complement the nuttiness of the 15 year old expression. A fine touch of palm sugar and a black pepper cordial added some liveliness to the drink.
The last two cocktails are for the real whisky connoisseurs. The Darjeeling Mail Old Fashioned which was made from a fruity Glenfiddich 18 year old expression combined with a Darjeeling Castleton Muscatel extract, then finished with a marigold flavor. Each sip of this cocktail tasted different, thanks to the marigold finish. This cocktail is a rare one because of the combination of a high-end whisky with a high-end tea. The Castleton Muscatel second flush was planted 125 years ago, and over time, has acquired a unique flavoring and taste.
The last one – the Moon Spring was another personal favorite. This was a combo of the Glenfiddich 21 year old (with its nuanced rum character) combined with Silver Tips Full-moon Tea. The Nasturtium Orange ice cube enhanced the peppery finish of the 21 year old. This tea is also a unique one – plucked only on one full-moon night every year, just for a minute short of 3 hours, they say it is a cosmic confluence that makes Silver Tips Imperial Darjeeling Tea magical.
Apart from these four cocktails, they had a couple of crowd favorites as well – the Brahmaputra Boat (combo of Glenfiddich 12 year old with cinnamon and bay leaves), and the Speyside Tiramisu. This tiramisu flavor was the favorite of all the girls. The fruit-forward notes of the Glenfiddich 12 year old combined beautifully with the tangerine sweetness and intense aromas of the Gung Giri estate’s premium coffee finished with orange oils, cinnamon spice and caramel. Yum, yum, yum. I was all smiles after this one.
If the photo above looks a little blurry, well, it perfectly captures the state of mind of the photographer (K), and me after sampling all those drinks.
All in all, this was a fabulous event!
Last words
If my descriptions of these cocktails have your mouth watering, you can try these too. The cocktails will be available across premium bars and restaurants in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. The Glenfiddich 21 year old cocktail will only be available at select outlets at a premium price point of INR 20,000.
Happy drinking!
