Food & Drink: Fancy a wee dram for Father’s Day?

FOR those looking to indulge their fathers tomorrow – forget the socks and give him something he would really like.

Drink is always popular and the selection of whiskies now available is truly mind boggling. However, this presents the enthusiast with a dazzling array of drams from which to choose from.

But how to make that choice?

For single malt, there’s Lowland, Highland, Speyside, Campbeltown and for the hardened enthusiast, Islay but don’t forget Blended. Then there’s the distillation choice. Do you favour a single distillation such as American bourbon or the smoother, triple distilled drink served in Ireland?

All have their merits and more intriguingly, their own characters.

These days specialist shops and societies will often do tastings where you can sample before you buy, the only problem being what might appeal to you, might not suit the palate of the person you’re buying it for.

Glenfiddich, Gaelic for Valley of the Deer, is the most awarded single malt Scotch whisky in the world – having won more awards than any other single malt since 2000.

Its 12-year-old is the staple of many a collection but it has other maturations, each adding subtle layers to an already floral drink.

I was lucky enough to be invited to sample one of its special selections during a tasting session at Selfridges – the only store in Birmingham stocking the drink.

The Glenfiddich 21-Year-Old Gran Reserva, which has been specially rebranded in the run-up to Father’s Day, is an exceptional and complex drink matured and mellowed in American oak casks for 21 years to reach a rich smoothness. It is then finished in hand selected Caribbean rum casks for a further four months to infuse it with notes of toffee, fig and vanilla sweetness.

For those lucky enough to attend the sampling, the drinker is taken on a journey showing how the 21-year-old transforms from a precocious teenager to the fully-fledged finished article.

You begin by sampling the basic 12-year-old and then move on to the first draw of the spirit which will eventually form the finished product. At a mere 55% ABV (alcohol by volume) it’s fair to say it’s a little feisty but that’s nothing compared to what comes next – the extra-strength rum used to flavour the casks and which gives the whisky its complex taste.

At 61% ABV the only thing I have ever tasted which could come close to the volcanic flavour was a rather robust vodka that I sampled on the streets of Moscow – best not to stand near a naked flame after that!

The final sample is the 21-Year-old itself and after the bruising you have given your palate it tastes like absolute nectar.

At £155 a bottle it’s certainly not cheap but for a special occasion – or a special person – it could be the perfect solution to the present dilemma.