Glenfiddich Completely Reworked Its Aston Martin F1 Whisky

Aston Martin doesn’t bring the same Formula One car to the track each season. Glenfiddich doesn't see a reason to bring back the same whisky, either.

For the second release in its partnership with Aston Martin’s Formula One Team, Glenfiddich has returned with another 16 year old Speyside single malt at 43% ABV, but almost everything apart from the age statement and proof has changed. The new limited edition Glenfiddich & Aston Martin Formula One Team 16 year old Release No. 2 uses five different cask types and arrives with an SRP of $80.

That's a significant departure from the inaugural release, which debuted last year following the brands' partnership announcement in late 2024. That whisky leaned heavily into American oaks, aging in a combination of virgin American oak, bourbon barrels, and American red wine casks. The resulting single malt was correspondingly oak-forward. When we reviewed it in 2025, we found the 93-point single malt had pine and fresh oak on the nose, which gave way to brown sugar, baked apple, pineapple, and candied berries, with a syrupy texture and drying oak on the palate.

Release No. 2 takes a broader approach. Glenfiddich malt master Brian Kinsman built the whisky from stocks aged or finished in first-fill bourbon barrels, port pipes, oloroso sherry casks, wine casks, and a smaller contribution from fino sherry butts. “For this expression, I combined the influence of five distinct cask types, each contributing its own character, texture, and depth,” Kinsman said in a press release. “The art lies not in the individual components, but in bringing them together in a way that feels perfectly balanced.”

Kinsman’s five-cask construction is inspired by legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey, now managing technical partner at Aston Martin Formula One Team. The brands draw a parallel between Newey's manipulation of aerodynamic forces around a car that doesn’t yet exist and Kinsman's work designing whisky that won’t be ready for years; both seek exemplary results “through the mastery of the unseen.” It's an elaborate metaphor for maturation, but the glass offers an interesting comparison: Release No. 2 tastes markedly different from its predecessor.

The nose opens with caramel and vanilla alongside cooked and macerated orchard fruits, orange citrus, sticky toffee, cinnamon graham cracker, worn leather, and dried tobacco. A light floral character—reminiscent of honey blossom—also appears and, along with the orchard fruit, makes the whisky immediately recognizable as Glenfiddich. It’s layered and complex without feeling busy.

It's medium-weight on the palate and initially sweet, with orchard fruit arriving before barrel spice begins working toward the back of the tongue. Spiced apple cider garnished with a singed cinnamon stick comes to mind, followed by stewed pear, caramel, and another lift of floral character. It has considerable breadth, but it remains light on its feet and remarkably easy to drink. The oak arrives most clearly on the finish, but it's aged, soft, and restrained rather than drying, followed by a final sweet pop of stewed fruit. It’s well-executed. The five different cask influences work together instead of competing.

Same age, same proof, same Formula One partner, entirely different setup. In racing, they call that development.