Glenfiddich's Cask of Dreams
A couple of weeks ago I was blessed with an invitation to a Glenfiddich event to introduce their Cask of Dreams limited bottling at Seven Grand and was able to learn a little bit more about the world of whisky.

Now just in case you don’t know a lick about whisky (which was me about a year and a half ago, but I learn a little bit more each time I goes to one of these kinds of events) Glenfiddich (who is celebrating it’s 125th birthday this year) is the largest producer Single Malt Scotch Whisky in the world (and also the most awarded Single Malt Scotch Whisky out there).

Now for those nascent to the world of brown liquor, Single Malt Scotch is whisky made in Scotland (otherwise it’s just called whisky). It needs to be made from barley (versus rye or wheat) and at a single distillery (if it’s not then it’s usually referenced as: "blended malt", "vatted malt" or "pure malt"). Another rule is that Single Malt Scotch must matured in an oak cask in Scotland for at least three years (though most Single Malts are matured for much longer).

Glenfiddich’s Cask of Dreams promotion is a toast to the spirit of Glenfiddich founder William Grant’s pioneering spirit. With that in mind Glenfiddich took 11 virgin American oak casks all over the United States, had people sign them with their dreams (my favorite: “I wish for a girlfriend”), and then sent them to Scotland to be used for the finishing of this Scotch.

The brown liquor inside of these casks was a marriage of Glenfiddich whiskies taken from a hand-picked selection of American oak casks holding matured whiskies of a variety of ages, with the youngest at 14 Years Old. The whisky was then decanted into the 11 Casks of Dreams and left to finish to bring an intense and powerful vanilla sweetness. The casks were closely monitored to ensure a desirable balance of the oak’s vanilla and spice with fruity, floral aromas, with Malt Master Brian Kinsman finding everything just about right after 3 months of finishing at a high strength of 48.8% ABV.

The project was such a hit Glenfiddich’s already committed to doing it again next year and our neighbors to the north (read: Canada) are jumping in on the action.
So if you’re game to enter the world of Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Glenfiddich’s Cask of Dreams is available in the limited quantity of 3,500 bottles at select American retailers, restaurants, and bars (like Seven Grand) with the recommended retail price of $99.