Skip to main content

Glenfiddich’s Experimental Series is Back with Fire & Cane

Glenfiddich’s newest release is a bit of a dual-headed hydra, if hydra were made of different styles of Scotch whisky and barrel finishes. And didn’t face off against Hercules. OK, so the new Glenfiddich release — named Fire & Cane — isn’t exactly a hydra, but it does have multiple intriguing aspects to it.

The impetus for the newest release from Glenfiddich was born all the way back in 2003 when malt master Brian Kinsman ran peated spirit through the stills at the distillery for the first time.

Glenfiddich Fire and Cane
Jacob Tyler Dunn

Kinsman took this idea over time and expanded on it. Fire & Cane is a marriage of peated and non-peated whisky which were both aged in bourbon casks (sourced exclusively from the Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville, Kentucky). After the initial aging period, Kinsman married the whiskies and finished them in rum casks from a variety of South American countries for a period of three months.

Recommended Videos

“This new single malt truly encapsulates the spirit of experimentation. We started with a question: What would happen if we did something with peat that we had not done before? The answer is an unconventional and unexpected whisky, one that is truly surprising,” Kinsman said in a statement. “During the tastings, some experienced the unusual smoky notes, while others tasted toffee flavors — this phenomenon can be attributed to the Scotch spending three months in sweet rum casks. It’s a bold combination, which I’m sure will appeal and intrigue single malt enthusiasts as well as those looking to try something new and different.”

Glenfiddich Fire and Cane
Jacob Tyler Dunn

Fire & Cane is the fourth release in the Experimental Series. The previous three releases were: Glenfiddich India Pale Ale Cask Finish, Glenfiddich Project XX (a blend of malts chosen by twenty different people), and, the most recent, Glenfiddich Winter Storm (which was aged in French Oak ice wine casks from Canada).

The name for Fire & Cane comes from the dual aspects of experimentation. On one hand, the fire is representative of the peat fires that create the smoky whisky. On the other, the cane represents the use of rum casks and all the flavors that those impart on the married whisky.

Bottled at 43 percent ABV, Fire & Cane has a mix of peat and toffee on the nose, followed by a palate of more peat smoke mingling with green fruits and wood spices (think roasting marshmallows and Granny Smiths over a campfire and making slightly healthier s’mores). The finish is sweet and smoky.

Glenfiddich Fire & Cane retails for around $50.

Sam Slaughter
Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…
World Whiskey Society is launching a bourbon that’s finished in a rare, Japanese cask
World Whiskey Society's newest bourbon was dubbed "Samurai Edition"
Whiskey in a glass

Fans of exceptional, unique whiskey know all about the World Whiskey Society's prowess. Founded in 2020, this brand strives to bring rare, ultra-premium expressions to whiskey drinkers' home bars and liquor cabinets. Its newest whiskey combines America's "native spirit" with the aging techniques popularized in Japan.
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished In Japanese Mizunara Shochu Barrels

To say this whiskey is unique is an understatement. This 108-proof Kentucky straight bourbon dubbed the "Samurai Edition" begins with a mash bill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. Originating at the renowned Bardstown Bourbon Company, it's first matured in charred white American oak barrels before being finished in rare Japanese Mizunara oak casks previously used to age Shochu.

Read more
Michter’s releases two legacy whiskeys packed with flavor and heritage
Micher's is releasing two historic, timeless whiskeys
Michter's

If you're already a fan of Michter's iconic whiskeys like Michter's US-1 Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, Michter's US-1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon, or the iconic Michter's 10-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon, you'll be excited to learn about the popular brand's two new releases set to hit store shelves this month.
Shenk's Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey and Bomberger's Declaration Kentucky Straight Bourbon

This month, the distillery will release two whiskeys in its Michter's Legacy Series: Shenk's Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey and Bomberger's Declaration Kentucky Straight Bourbon.

Read more
Forget the bar cart—this zero-proof lounge is raising the NA bar
Next level NA service
All The Bitter and an NA cocktail.

The non-alcoholic drinks sector is now a vast galaxy of sorts. It continues to grow in impressive fashion with more options than ever, both at the bar and at the store. And now that there's good infrastructure, it seems like a good time for NA to achieve new heights.

All The Bitter is an experiential tasting room focusing on all things non-alcoholic. That means craft NA cocktails, educational tastings, a zero proof market with some 200 products for sale, and even tours. It's arguably the most ambitious non-alcoholic venture in the United States to date and the timing could not make more sense.

Read more