Whiskey without the E ’cause there’s no E in Scotch Whisky

Note: The whisky tasting was free for OhSpooning, courtesy of Glenfiddich.

Last week, the Spooners got a chance to taste several Glenfiddich  Scotch whiskys at a tasting at Freedmen’s, 2402 San Gabriel St. near UT’s campus.

First off, let’s start with how to pronounce it: Glen-fid-ick with a hard “ch.” So raise your glass, and make a toast before we begin.

If you’re not familiar with the brand, Glenfiddich, Gaelic for Valley of the Deer, was founded in 1886 by William Grant in Dufftown, Scotland, and is still family owned. Grant, his wife, and his seven sons and two daughters built the distillery by hand and served its first spirits Christmas Day in 1887.

They claim to have the best dram in the valley. What’s a dram, you ask? Basically, a small glass of whisky.

If you’re not familiar with drinking Scotch whisky, the best way to taste it, we learned from Glenfiddich Ambassador David Allardice, is to drink it neat and then add drops of water to suit your taste (cutting the whisky). Chew it up and roll it around until your mouth waters for best results.

Glenfiddich is a single-malt whisky (the best-selling single-malt in the world), which means they are made from only malted grain, 100% barley. While single-malt is clearly defined in Scotland, there is no definition of single malt in the U.S. law.

I think there were six tastes, maybe seven. I lost track after the first few. There was definitely a favorite, but I lost track of that as well. We were the first in Texas to try the 19 year old Glenfiddich, which will be available in limited supply at select bars and restaurants in Austin.

If you’re interested in trying Glenfiddich, the 12 year is on special at Freedmen’s this month for $3 during happy hour.

Make sure to listen to our podcast to learn more about Glenfiddich from the ambassador himself.