Some luxury collaborations feel assembled in a boardroom. Others reveal a genuine affinity between the parties involved. The partnership between Glenfiddich and the Aston Martin Formula One Team falls firmly into the latter camp, and its second annual whisky release proves the point with quiet confidence.
The Glenfiddich and Aston Martin Formula One Team 16-Year-Old Limited-Edition Release No. 2 arrives this month, building on a relationship established at the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix. Where the inaugural release relied on three American oak cask styles, the new expression expands to five: first-fill bourbon barrels, Port pipes, Oloroso sherry casks, red-wine casks, and, for the first time in the collaboration, Fino sherry butts.
The addition of those two extra cask types is not cosmetic. Glenfiddich Malt Master Brian Kinsman has spoken about how the partnership with Aston Martin's Managing Technical Partner Adrian Newey shaped his thinking. Both men work in fields where the defining performance comes from details no one sees. Kinsman's whisky may spend 16 years in wood before anyone tastes it; Newey's aerodynamic decisions may determine a championship months later.
"What I find most compelling about Adrian's work is that the defining performance often comes from what you cannot immediately see," Kinsman said. "Behind every Aston Martin Formula One car are hundreds of small decisions, carefully refined to create a seamless whole. The same is true in whisky making. For this expression, I combined the influence of five distinct cask types, each contributing its own character, texture and depth."
The Fino component is the most intriguing addition. Fino is the driest of traditional sherry styles, typically associated with delicacy and savoury character rather than sweetness. Used judiciously, its casks provide a structural counterpoint to the darker fruit and richness that Port and Oloroso bring, sharpening the whisky's profile rather than simply layering on more sweetness.
Bottled at 43% ABV, Release No. 2 opens with aromas of rich stewed fruit, floral notes, marzipan and polished leather. The palate shifts into buttery toffee and caramelised cane sugar before dry oak tannins pull it back, and the finish lingers with oaky sweetness. The result is richer and more layered than its predecessor, which offered maple syrup, caramelised ginger and Chantilly cream. This is a more contemplative dram, the liquid equivalent of a grand tourer whose most impressive qualities emerge over distance.
At a suggested retail price of roughly $80, it is also one of the more approachable limited-edition single malts from a major Scotch producer. Glenfiddich Brand Ambassador Brett Bayly has been clear that accessibility was part of the series from the start. The partnership, which currently spans five years and also includes collaborations with Aston Martin Lagonda's road car division on ultra-premium vintage releases, is reportedly being positioned as an annual release, giving collectors and casual drinkers alike a reason to track each new expression.
Release No. 2 was unveiled during Monterey Car Week, where Aston Martin maintains a significant presence. It will reach UK retailers including Selfridges and Master of Malt, with wider international distribution to follow.
