The year has possibly been one of F1’s biggest, foraging on the success of their collaboration with Netflix with the “Drive to Survive” and “F1 academy” series. Lest we forget the “F1” movie and then a host of blunders, last minute surprises, constant drama and media play, which gave loads of popcorn worthy moments and gossip to go by the office water cooler.

All of this has surmounted to fully sold out races, rocketing TV ratings, bandwidth gorging insta reels, and a larger than ever female viewership. Whisky distillers such as Glenfiddich didn’t fall short either, lapping up some of this F1 vivacity, collaborating with racing icon, Aston Martin, releasing three expressions as part of a tri-series, a 16 YO, 19 YO and the 1959 Legacy.

The 16 YO Grand Prix Aston Martin F1 limited edition, the youngest, is aged for a minimum of 16 years and is matured in a combination of three different types of casks – American casks that previously held wine, virgin American oak (first fill) barrels and second fill ex-bourbon casks. With a strength of 43% alcohol, it certainly moves the pointer a bit further since most Glenfiddich come at the standard 40% – a good thing surely. Aesthetically, the bottling keeps with the traditional Fiddich contours but the labelling adorns the racing icon’s rich Racing Green theme, with both Lance Stroll’s and Fernando Alonso’s names written on either side of the box. There’s a few indents on the labelling along with Aston’s logo finding a spot in addition to the distiller’s!

Now, to find if this 16 trumps Aston Martin’s 2025 standings, stay tuned…

ABV : 43%

Eye : Burnished  | E150a – caramel colouring, Chill filtered

Nose : Caramel with lush dried fruits, hints of charred wood, red apples and smoked figs; maple syrup, subtle nuances of tropical fruits, ginger, some brine and white pepper.

Taste : Vanilla with pleasant woody notes on the palate, mild hints of melon, a spicy mouthfeel with pepper, oat biscuits, raisins and dried fruits.

Finish : Medium | Vanilla with good depth from dried fruits accompanied with a pinch of pepper.

Hard hitting on the nose, with a lot of breadth, showcasing good maturity, the palate however is mild and weaker but not lacking flavour. There’s substance in this mix with a lot more caramel and charred wood type flavours emanating from this 16 YO expression.

It does reflect that traditional Fiddich DNA echoing from deep within, but with layers of dried fruits and spice suited on. At AUD $ 149 it isn’t a bad choice and though you’ve got a couple of bucks piled up from the Aston Martin collaboration, it’s not too bad and does deserve a sip. I could say this isn’t a stellar dram but surely above average, punching beyond the 7th place 2025 F1 constructor standing!

Slainte!