Culture, Art And Spirit: The Limited Edition Glenfiddich 31-Year-Old Grand Château Has It All

The new 31-year-old expression is cocooned in a captivating packaging, as imagined by French street artist André Saraiva

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The new 31-year-old whisky from Glenfiddich, Grand Château, is cocooned in a whimsical packaging, as imagined by French artist André Saraiva — Glenfiddich’s Grand Château, as part of the Grand Series. Photo: Courtesy of Glenfiddich.

Collectors and connoisseurs, now may be the time to add a new expression of whisky to your spirit cabinet. Whether you are just starting to appreciate the finer things in life, or you have a self-proclaimed obsession with whisky, the latest Glenfiddich 31-Year-Old Grand Château is the creation to keep your eye on.

Scottish distillery Glenfiddich is pushing the boundaries of the whisky world, one release at a time. The perfect example of this is the brand’s newly-launched, limited-edition Grand Château, the first whisky from the distillery to finish in red wine casks. The liquid matures for 22 years in American oak casks, followed by 9 years in casks of red wines from the Bordeaux region in France. Spending nearly a decade in red wine casks provides a fresh new depth to the Scotch’s taste profile—a tangible testament to the convergence of cultures in Glenfiddich’s whisky-making ethos. Blending cultures from all over the globe, the Grand Series collection—to which Grand Château belongs—celebrates Glenfiddich’s dedication to challenging conventions by unexpectedly bringing together two luxury worlds.

Tapping the rich flavour profiles of Bordeaux red wine casks allows the depth of the Grand Château to expand and grow. On the palate, the 31-year-old whisky sings of caramelised cherry and apple. The depth comes through in an earthy blend of notes on the tongue, through a symphony of toasted oak and warm spices. The intensified flavours are quite the departure from Glenfiddich’s typical fruity flavour profile—the Grand Château carries sweet notes of vanilla, contrasted against the full-bodied punch of deep oak. The perfect accompanying spirit for any special occasion, its rich flavours make for a smooth, crowd-pleasing drink that delights both the nose and palate.

A Scotch of this quality deserves a bottle to match, and Glenfiddich understands this. The Scottish brand has a longstanding history of supporting the arts—such as with its annual Artists In Residence programme, for one—and the label carries this collaborative spirit forward with the Limited Edition 31-Year-Old Grand Château. This marriage of the Speyside and Bordeaux regions, that was previously unheard of for the label, inspired acclaimed French artist André Saraiva to design artwork for the bottle’s packaging. For a more traditional take, Saraiva used an intricate Toile de Jouy print, but with a twist. Disrupting the refined art form, the celebrated graffiti artist incorporated a number of bold design elements signature to his work in red, onto the elegant Toile de Jouy pattern.

An even more playful iteration of the bottle’s packaging comes in the form of The Artist’s Edition. This extremely limited version of just 250 bottles worldwide—of which only nine are available in Singapore via ballot—features Saraiva’s spirited character Mr.A, who appears to come to life on the box. Balloting for the limited-run of The Artist’s Edition is available until 16 October.

Glenfiddich’s limited-edition Grand Château with the box, featuring André Saraiva’s Mr.A character against the Toile de Jouy pattern. Photo: Courtesy of Glenfiddich.

But fret not. If acquiring The Artist’s Edition feels out of reach, you can still take home a piece of Saraiva’s art with the Toile de Jouy version. Both designs include a vibrant watercolour print on the inside of the box, as created by Saraiva, encapsulating the artist’s penchant for the sprightly and unconventional. On this partnership with Glenfiddich, Saraiva shared, “When Glenfiddich asked me (and Mr.A) to work with them it felt like a perfect match.” The 53-year-old artist continues, “I am a lover of whisky and the connection to France with this bespoke liquid allowed for a huge amount of creativity.”

Beyond the Grand Château, the Grand Series invites whisky lovers to commemorate their most cherished moments with a series of unique concoctions. From the Grand Yozakura, a 29-year-old limited edition whisky that is finished in rare ex-Awamori casks to the Grande Couronne, a 26-year-old Scotch whisky that spends up to two years in French cognac casks, each of Glenfiddich’s creations is a luxurious whisky you never knew you wanted, but now, you definitely need.

Learn more about the Glenfiddich 31-Year-Old Grand Chateau here. You may ballot for The Artist’s Edition featuring André Saraiva’s Mr.A character here.

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