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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 whisky
connoisseurs and collectors around the
world, The First Drop, a rare 1964
Single Grain Scotch Whisky from House of
Hazelwood’s inaugural collection sold
out within weeks of its launch. With
just 71 bottles of this rare dram
available worldwide, The First Drop
offered whisky enthusiasts a unique
opportunity to own the very ‘first
drops’ of new make spirit filled to cask
from the Girvan grain distillery on 8th
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 just 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 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.
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 from specialist online whisky
shops such
ass
The Whisky Shop
and
Hard To Find Whisky
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