Published on August 3, 2026
By Jonah Flicker
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Last year, Glenfiddich and Aston Martin Formula One Team dropped their first whisky collaboration, a 16-year-old single malt that was aged in three different types of wood: American oak wine casks, new American oak barrels, and second-fill bourbon barrels. This month marks the second release of this partnership, and this new whisky, also aged for 16 years, ups the maturation program to a total of five different cask types
Glenfiddich, one of the most popular and best-selling single malts in the world, has been making whisky for more than 150 years. The distillery is located in the Speyside region of Scotland in Dufftown, just down the road from its sister operation the Balvenie (both are owned by William Grant & Sons). The Aston Martin F1 team is not quite as old, with the current iteration only existing since Racing Point was purchased by Lawrence Stroll—father of the team’s driver Lance Stroll—and rebranded as Aston Martin. The team and distiller announced their partnership in 2024, originally releasing a 1959 vintage single malt aged for 65 years, which was available exclusively at Harrods’ Fine Wines & Spirits Room in London.
As mentioned before, this new single malt was matured for 16 years, the same amount of time as the first release. But the maturation process makes this new expression stand out. Specifically, the whisky was aged in a combination of first-fill bourbon barrels, port pipes, Oloroso sherry casks, wine casks, and a small amount of Fino sherry butts. It was bottled at 86 proof, and the official tasting notes describe a “mellow and silky smooth” palate with notes of “creamy, buttery toffee sweetness, caramelized cane sugar, and a counterbalance of dry oak tannin” (we did not receive a sample to try).
According to the brand, the new whisky was inspired by the dual philosophies of Glenfiddich master of malt Brian Kinsman and Aston Martin’s managing technical partner Adrian Newey. “What I find most compelling about Adrian’s work is that the defining performance often comes from what you cannot immediately see,” said Kinsman in a statement. “Behind every Aston Martin Formula One Team 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 art lies not in the individual components, but in bringing them together in a way that feels perfectly balanced and instinctively right.”
Glenfiddich & Aston Martin Formula One Team 16-Year-Old Limited-Edition Release No. 2 is now available at select retailers around the country (SRP $80), and you can still find the first edition at websites like ReserveBar
