duPont Registry News reported on Thursday that Aston Martin and Glenfiddich are kicking off their partnership at the 2025 Monterey Car Week. Both brands are launching a pop-up whisky tasting, according to The Spirits Business. The brands also launched more than a few releases to honor both legacies, including a limited-release whisky from 1976.
The 1976 Single Malt Scotch spent time finishing in hand-coopered European oak sherry casks. The specific vintage signified a critical year for Glenfiddich and Aston Martin, according to The Spirits Business. Malt Master at the Glenfiddich Brian Kinsman shared his thoughts on what made the year such a special one for both brands in a statement:
“This exceptional cask was not selected for its vintage year alone, but for the era it represents; the transformative mid-1970s, a defining period that marked the beginning of Glenfiddich’s modern era and helped shape the whisky’s character for generations to come.”
Clocking in at 48.8% ABV, just 50 bottles are globally available. The rare release can be snagged exclusively through William Grant & Sons’ The Distillers Library Whisky Boutique at Glenfiddich’s campus.
Glenfiddich made an appearance in the charming city of Monterey, located on California’s central coast. Monterrey Car Week, a 10-day event honoring the automobile industry, featured the Glenfiddich during a whisky-tasting pop-up. The tasting coincided with Aston Martin’s promotion of a plug-in hybrid supercar, the Valhalla.
“To honor this shared spirit of transformation, Glenfiddich is introducing a curated pop-up whisky tasting experience at The House of Aston Martin at Monterey Car Week, where Valhalla, Aston Martin’s first plug-in hybrid supercar, will take center stage,” said Glenfiddich’s Global Brand Director Claudia Falcone according to The Spirits Business. “Valhalla embodies the same rarity, precision and future-facing vision as Glenfiddich 1976 Vintage. Together, they tell one story: two brands united by heritage and driven by innovation.”
Glenfiddich’s Releases with Aston Martin in Depth
According to Food & Wine, Brian Kinsman is a fan of Formula One and watched plenty of F1 racing in the 1980s and 1990s. He visited Aston Martin’s Formula One headquarters before working on the release of the extended-age scotch and a 16-year-old limited-release expression that is more readily available to the public. While at Aston Martin’s facilities, Kinsman noticed some similarities between Glenfiddich and the luxury car company.
“While the technology and engineering are cutting edge, the craftsmanship, precision and skill of the people working there was very reminiscent of our distillery,” the Malt Master said according to Food & Wine.
The 16-year-old whisky release features a more budget-friendly suggested price of $75, and the liquid spent time aging in a mixture of American oak, second-fill ex-bourbon casks, and some American oak wine casks to add a fruity quality to the final liquid. Kinsman shared that American oak seemed like the vessel of choice, because, according to the Food & Wine interview, it “really brings out the core character of Glenfiddich.”
As far as the aroma and palate of the Glenfiddich’s 16-year-old release, Food & Wine describes it as “rich” and “sweet.” The whisky has a juicy fruity quality — presumably from the wine casks — and the finish is loaded with vanilla and toffee.
The brand’s limited 1976 vintage has more of that vinous influence due to the fact that the liquid spent a significant portion of time maturing in a refill Sherry cask prior to moving to a 100-liter European oak sherry cask. The whisky possesses red berry, gentle spices, and sherbet according to The Spirits Business. Stewed fruits dominate the pour, and the finish features sweet oak spice.
An even rarer release dropped in early July at the start of the partnership, Glenfiddich 1959. The Spirits Business reported that the whisky honored the year Aston Martin joined Formula One Racing. The rare release was available exclusively at the luxury goods shop, Harrods.
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