„The House of Hazelwood“ ist eine einst private Sammlung der Familie Gordon, Besitzer des Unternehmens William Grant & Sons, zusammengesetzt aus Fässern, die seit fast 100 Jahren zusammengestellt wurden – eigentlich für spezielle Ereignisse und den Privatverbrauch. Diese Sammmlung teilt sich in die „The Charles Gordon Collection“ und die „The Legacy Collection“ – jeweils vier Fässer wurden in der ersten Veröffentlichung abgefüllt.

In einer Aussendung teilt man seitens The House of Hazelwood mit, dass der 58 Jahre alte Girvan, der aus den allerersten Brenngängen stammt, bereits nach einigen Wochen restlos ausverkauft ist – und weist gleichzeitig auf die anderen, 33 bis 56 Jahre alten Abfüllungen hin, die nach wie vor zum Verkauf anstehen (mit Preisen ab 950 Pfund).

Hier die Aussendung und einige Bilder dazu:

COLLECTORS SEIZE RARE OPPORTUNITY TO OWN A PIECE OF DISTILLING HISTORY

The First Drops of whisky distilled at Girvan grain whisky distillery sold in entirety to collectors and enthusiasts within weeks of launch

Following strong interest from collectors around the world, The First Drop, a rare 1964 Single Grain Scotch Whisky from House of Hazelwood’s inaugural collection has sold out within weeks of launch. With just 71 bottles of this precious spirit available worldwide, The First Drop offered enthusiasts a unique opportunity to own the very ‘first drops’ of new make spirit filled to cask from the Girvan grain distillery on 8^th January 1964.

Commenting on the news, House of Hazelwood Marketing Director, Jonathan Gibson, said:

‘Given growing interest in aged grain whisky and the historical significance of this release, it should perhaps come as no surprise that The First Drop has generated such interest. All the same, we have been thrilled by the strong response from collectors. The First Drop marks a significant moment in the history of Scotch whisky production – a snapshot in time that cannot be repeated. Like each of our eight inaugural releases, it is unique, remarkable and utterly irreplaceable – we are all delighted to see these bottles in the hands of collectors who we know will treasure them.’

Commenting on the renewed interest in grain whisky, scotch whisky expert, Tom Bruce-Gardyne said: “If you have the patience to wait, single grain whisky matured over the decades in the best possible wood, can be truly stunning – a spirit to seduce even the most committed of single malts fans with its elegance, complexity and sheer depth of flavour.”

The First Drop is one of eight bottles that make up the House of Hazelwood’s inaugural collection which is split across The Charles Gordon Collection and The Legacy Collection. The four releases in the Charles Gordon Collection are all at least 50 years old starting from £3,000, while the Legacy Collection ranges between 33 and 46 years and are priced between £950 and £1,500.  The whiskies are available online at: www.houseofhazelwood.com

The House of Hazelwood Launch Collection:

The Charles Gordon Collection

A legend within the Scotch whisky community, Charles Gordon spent much of his youth at Hazelwood House and in later years was fundamental in bringing in some of the earliest stock that was laid down for the House of Hazelwood collection This eponymous collection of rare and old Scotch whiskies represents some of the most remarkable stock held within the inventory – every cask aged for at least fifty years, every bottle with its own story to tell.

• The Cask Trials, 53 Year-Old Single Grain Scotch Whisky. Distilled in 1968 and matured for 53 years in a single sherry butt, this is an incredibly rare, deep and intense release crafted from an unlikely marriage of European oak and Girvan grain. Almost unrecognisable as grain whisky but with a delicious underlying richness.

• The First Drop, 58 Year-Old Single Grain Scotch Whisky. On 8th January 1964, the very first drops of new make spirit flowed at the Girvan grain distillery, in South Ayrshire. Since then, many millions of litres of alcohol have flowed off those stills but the first casks filled have lain undisturbed – maturing and improving with every day. 

• Blended at Birth, 56 Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky. Some whiskies may appear born to be paired together but very few are blended at birth. Yet such is the case with this unusual parcel of grain and malt, born 56 years ago and married – as new make spirit – before aging as a blend for half a lifetime in American Oak. Time has mellowed the new-make character and brought the malt and grain components together to create a blend that has matured as a single spirit.

• The Long Marriage, 56 Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky. This unique whisky has lain undisturbed in a single refill butt marrying for almost half a century. Bottled at natural strength this is one of the rarest whiskies within our inventory – rich and mature with a majestic antique character and layers of complexity.

The Legacy Collection

Every whisky laid down within the House of Hazelwood inventory represents a legacy for future generations to explore and enjoy. The Legacy Collection showcases some of the brightest highlights of the inventory, comprising whiskies of exceptional character and provenance, each with a story to tell.  Within the Collection are whiskies that are the first of their kind, the last of their line, those that capture the spirit of an era and those that offer insights into the inner workings of the Scotch whisky community.

• The Tops, 33 Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky. Every blender has malt whiskies in their inventory that are considered to be ‘tops’ – the best of the best available from the inventory, typically used sparingly and eked out over time. This rare blend of malts is an indulgent combination of the very best of our ‚tops‘, married together to create something truly precious – richly decadent with a sherried character and layers of complexity. 

• The Spirit of Scotland, 46 Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky. This exceptional blend was first created in 1994 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the oldest recorded reference to Scotch Whisky within the1494 Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. Since first being blended, the spirit has lain in cask for a further 28 years, developing further with every year and building into a truly exceptional, fully-unified Blended Scotch Whisky.

• Sunshine on Speyside, 39 Year-Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky. Distilled in the early ‘80s in the era of brightly coloured, tropical flavoured cocktails it is perhaps only natural that this Speyside Blended Malt has taken on notes of pineapple and mango throughout its time in cask. The emergence of flavours such as this is unusual, inexplicable and reminds us of the magical process that takes place between cask and spirit over time.

• The Lost Estate, 43 Year-Old Blended Grain Scotch Whisky. Grain whisky distilleries in Scotland are rare enough but a blend of grain whiskies created from now-silent distilleries is rarer still. This unique blend brings together the individual distillery characters of two of Scotland’s closed grain whisky distilleries to create a style of whisky that reflects a past era of production.

About House of Hazelwood

For almost one hundred years, generations of the Gordon family have carefully laid down stocks of whisky for special occasions and personal consumption. This rare collection has become known as House of Hazelwood, after the family’s Dufftown home – Hazelwood House.

Today, the House of Hazelwood collection has grown to become the greatest inventory of aged Scotch whisky held anywhere in the world. Spanning seven decades and every corner of Scotland, the diverse whiskies held in cask tell stories of remarkable places, lost ways of working, first casks, last casks, the ambitions and achievements of several lifetimes – none of which will be repeated again. 

Website: www.houseofhazelwood.com