Is Glenfiddich’s Snow Phoenix worth the hype?

This limited $80 bottle released in 2011 has sold for as much as $1,000 on the secondary market. A blend of marketing and whisky making, it stands (almost) alone for its story.

Reading Greg’s story about his recent purchase a bottle of Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix, reminded me of just how important and interesting this ‘11 $80 bottle of single malt scotch turned out to be for the industry and Glenfiddich themselves:

Oh man, owning this bottle has been about six years in the making, I have wanted one for AGES but the auction prices were either way too much or the people who promised to help me get one failed to come through… so I’m super chuffed to have finally bought a bottle at a (vaguely) reasonable price at auction – £280.

It’s a great price for a whisky that has quietly changed the way the industry thinks about whisky production.

The story—In 2010, a warehouse collapsed due to a massive snowstorm. Barrels were exposed to the air in the middle of a cold winter. The distillery decided to commemorate the moment with a single malt scotch that’s a blend of the barrels exposed during the collapsing rough. The Snow Phoenix was born at a fun 47.6% ABV:

Selecting and marrying the finest Oloroso and American oak casks from warehouses struck by heavy snow, our Malt Master created Snow Phoenix.

Master Brian Kinsman had a limited pallet of barrels to pick from. Officially, this is a scotch without an age statement, and unofficially it is said to have whisky matured between thirteen years and thirty. A highlight to blending single malt scotch, Snow Phoenix captured the interest of whisky enthusiasts with a limited bottling and a story to tie it all together.

Glenfiddich (and sister distillery The Balvenie) had a terrific brand strategy of using rare pours as conversation starters when talking to media. Sure, everyone was pouring their “thirty year old” whisky, but with Glenfiddich and The Balvenie you always got something unique.

Snow Phoenix retailed for $80, but back in 2011 the predictions were it would double in price:

A total of only 12,000 bottles will be in circulation. Bechard said he was surprised when he was told the Snow Phoenix would retail for $89.99. Given the Snow Phoenix’s uniqueness and limited bottling, Bechard said it could have been priced at least twice its list. Bechard said the Snow Phoenix’s pricing makes it possible to buy one bottle to enjoy now, and another to keep. Entrepreneurial types are taking advantage of the Snow Phoenix’s scarcity and affordability; bottles have already started showing up on eBay UK.

Snow Phoenix now runs at over $1,000 US, and has held that price consistently over the last several years. The advice above ended up being very good indeed.

From a marketing perspective, this was a terrific move forward for Glenfiddich. From a whisky making perspective, it showed Glenfiddich can succeed with branded whiskies over age statements.

This trend continued.

Just look my reviews for Winter Storm, Fire and Cane, and Project XX. These are a few examples of branded single malts that are a mix of (by standards of decades ago) untraditional combination of casks. Glenfiddich wasn’t first to this, not in 2011, but I’d argue it was one of the first distilleries to do it well at volumes for the everyday consumer.

It’s not just about the whisky inside the bottle.

In truth, Glenfiddich already had similar whiskies—they had their Malt Master’s edition (Terrific!) and Distiller’s Edition (even better!).

However, Snow Phoenix was a combination (blend?) of marketing and whisky making from a preferred selection of barrels (or in the Snow Phoenix case, a somewhat random distribution of barrels).

I’d argue that the Distiller’s Edition is a better tasting single malt scotch from Glenfiddich compared to Snow Phoenix, but it was unable to capture the hearts of many like the Snow Phoenix has.

Marketing and whisky making have always been married in the scotch world—it’s about the story.

How’s it taste?

I largely agree with the Whisky Base community in scoring this around an 86. That’s a good score! I found it a bit abrasive on the palate, but it settled after a few drops of water or (using Kinsman’s favorite method) warming the whisky by cupping the glass.

Whisky is not immune to change in the bottle (I know, I know, it doesn’t age in the bottle but evaporation is a thing), and I’m guessing based on reading recent reviews, it’s mellowed out a little bit.

The value of this whisky is really quite personal, but I think there are plenty of Glenfiddich’s released that are cheaper and better tasting including the (not so cheap) Winter Storm. Note: Winter Storm is also no longer in production but has a relatively affordable after-market price.

Have there been other whiskies that commemorate distillery disasters?

I absolutely love Colonel E.H. Taylor Warehouse C Tornado Surviving Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey (but not as much as their rare Cured Oak release), but this one goes for $12,000 per bottle in the secondary market hitting the stratosphere of Pappy Van Winkle prices. Cured Oak is half that price, and possibly a tad better, though when friend and I had a taste of both at Buffalo Trace Distillery it was a 50/50 split between the two.

There are a lot of ‘forced’ commemorative whiskies that celebrate an event, but the accidental ones are truly special. However, I’m sure I’m forgetting some unique pours. Let me know?

My takeaway on this is—we often talk about the taste of whisky, but the truth is the story is just as fascinating. In the “old days” that story was simplified around the distillery’s history. Today, a whisky needs to have a story about how/why/where it was made to help identify an appreciation for what one is drinking. Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix did just that, and it’s impact on Glenfiddich’s products continues today.