Updated:
Readtime: 5 min
Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here.
- Aston Martin and Glenfiddich have revealed a limited-edition 28-year-old single malt Scotch whisky, arriving in January 2027.
- The whisky combines virgin American oak, Oloroso sherry-seasoned European oak and ex-bourbon cask influences, with an ABV of 43.7 per cent.
- Pricing remains unannounced, with sales confirmed for the US and selected global airport retailers.
Even if you can’t afford an Aston Martin, the luxury car brand seems determined to give you a taste of that lifestyle beyond its dealerships. We’ve seen the British marque’s name on exclusive Breitling watches, while its Formula One team has been busy putting racing green on PUMA sneakers and apparel. Now they’re pouring out something extra special whisky from Speyside.
Aston Martin and Glenfiddich have unveiled Glenfiddich 28 Years Old, a limited-edition single malt Scotch whisky that brings together nearly three decades of maturation and packaging developed with Aston Martin’s design team. Born of a partnership between the carmaker and the Scottish distillery in the valley of the deer, the upcoming release harkens back to the late 1990s: the Aston Martin Vanquish and the V12-powered DB7 Vantage, cars “heralding a new era of high-performance motoring.”
Behind the green-and-copper livery is a rather complex cask blend of whisky laid down before 2000. Glenfiddich Malt Master Brian Kinsman combines whisky influenced by virgin American oak, Oloroso sherry-seasoned European oak and traditional ex-bourbon casks, driving out the richer oak character you’d expect from an older expression, without losing the distillery’s familiar fruit notes. As Kinsman puts it, the collaboration captures a philosophy of perpetual motion in a bottle.
28 Years in the Making
The 838 HP Aston Martin Valen is the most powerful front-engined production car ever; powered by a 625 kW 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 engine, it hits a top speed of 345km/h, accelerating from 0–100km/h in 3.1 seconds. All that speed, and yet both Aston Martin and Glenfiddich showed that speed isn’t everything. Together, they slowed things way down to a steady pace to bring us a 28-year-old whisky in the most peculiar way possible.
One component of the release begins in American oak before moving to secondary maturation in virgin American oak that has never held whisky. That fresh wood is meant to deliver a more pronounced hit of vanilla sweetness and add spice to warm the palate.
Kinsman then adds whisky matured in European oak hogsheads, seasoned with Oloroso sherry, for a richer, sherried dimension. Traditional ex-bourbon casks also contribute to the final marriage, helping retain Glenfiddich’s signature orchard-fruit character.
The result, according to Glenfiddich, balances the intensity of active oak with its signature brighter fruit notes, rather than letting almost three decades of wood take over the driver’s seat.
Glenfiddich 28-Year-Old – Tasting Notes
As the distillery describes it, the nose opens with creamy toffee, vanilla shortcake and candyfloss. Add a splash of water, and burnt orange and marmalade enter the picture. On the palate, Glenfiddich offers a soft, mellow texture, complemented by pronounced oak tannins and the aforementioned vanilla sweetness; it’s a delicate mix, followed by a particularly oaky finish with tangy, warming spice. It’s bottled at 43.7 per cent ABV.
“Working with highly active casks gave me the opportunity to explore how different layers of oak influence could come together, while preserving the vibrant fruit notes synonymous with Glenfiddich,” Kinsman said.
“The result is a single malt that reflects our shared pursuit of refinement, while remaining unmistakably rooted in Glenfiddich’s 139-year legacy of whisky making and the expertise passed down through generations of Malt Masters.”
Aston Martin’s Influence Goes Beyond the Bottle
We’re not going to pretend Aston Martin has suddenly become a master distiller, but they haven’t exactly sat back in the driver’s seat idling the distillery’s engines. Although Kinsman and crew certainly did a lot of the heavy cask lifting, Aston Martin knows a thing or two about packaging, bringing elements of their livery to the presentation.
The bottle and box bring together the carmaker’s Podium Green and copper-coloured detailing with Glenfiddich’s stag emblem. If you manage to grab one when they go on sale, the angular bottle will arrive sitting pretty in a green presentation case with sculpted, flowing lines that nod to the movement of an Aston Martin. Much better than trying to make a whisky box look like a miniature sports car.
It’s another example of how widely the Aston Martin name is travelling beyond the showroom floor. Recent collabs have stretched all the way from Breitling’s James Bond-inspired DB5 watch to a Lenovo ThinkStation, with the whisky a product of the recently inked partnership with Glenfiddich.
How Much Will It Cost?
The only detail we’re missing in all of this is the price. Neither brand has announced a price or confirmed just how many bottles will be produced. But to give you an idea of where we think it’s headed, when Glenfiddich introduced its Time Reimagined collection in 2022, the 30-year-old Suspended Time was AUD $1,680. It’s certainly a lot less than a brand new Aston Martin, but it’s still a fair bit more than most can afford. If you can pony up for a bottle in January 2027, fantastic. Let us know how it tastes. For the rest of us, maybe check out the Glenfiddich 21-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, one of the many whiskies over $200 that are actually worth buying.
Glenfiddich 28 Years Old goes on sale in January 2027, exclusively in the United States and selected global airport retail outlets. Whether Australian travellers will find it at their local international terminal remains to be confirmed, so keep an eye out at duty-free when you’re coming through the airport terminal. You never know when you might find something special.
Comments
We love hearing from you. or to leave a comment.