After their inaugural ‘First Drop’ release sold out within a matter of weeks, House of Hazelwood is set to delight more whisky aficionados, as they launch an Autumn Collection of eight rare and mature Scotch whiskies. Featuring a rare 1963 single distillery release, the collection has been hand-selected from those formerly owned by the Gordon family – as private collector’s items, some have never been available to the public… Until now.
A Legend Within The Scotch Whisky Community
Charles Gordon, patriarch of the family, has a personal connection with Hazelwood House. It was here he spent much of his youth and in later years he played a pivotal role in bringing in some of the earliest stock that was laid down for this House of Hazelwood Collection. Every cask in Charles’ inventory has been aged for at least fifty years; every bottle has its own story to tell.
Describing the Autumn Collection, House of Hazelwood Marketing Director Jonathan Gibson, said: ‘Our Autumn Collection speaks not only to the breadth and depth of the inventory that we are privileged to work with but also to the character of those family-members who built the stocks over the course of generations. These are truly remarkable liquids; the consequence of remarkable thinking, of brave decision-making and the luxury of time that private family ownership brings. No whisky exemplifies this more than A Singular Blend – a rare composition, unheard of at this age with a truly outstanding character that makes it at once a joy to drink and a treasure to collect.’
‘These are tremendous whiskies – greatly aged, complex, outstanding on the palate. However, what really sets them apart are the stories behind them. Every bottle is an invitation into the Gordon family’s ways of working – a very personal connection to a different era, a different mindset. We should be in no doubt that these whiskies are heirlooms and none more so than the 1963 release A Singular Blend. To see a whisky of such provenance available to purchase is a remarkable thing – and for those lucky enough to try it, the liquid character is breath-taking.’
Renowned whisky expert Charles Macleanon the new collection.
A History of House of Hazelwood
A century after Charles began the legacy, generations of the Gordon family have continued to lay down stocks of whisky — previously maintained for special occasions and personal enjoyment. In that time, it’s become the greatest inventory of aged Scotch whisky held anywhere on the planet. A diverse collection, it tells the stories of the past and geography of Scotland; including remote places, lost ways of working, first casks, last casks, ambition and achievement.
Selected warehouses across Scotland house the precious stock, with more added each year — some are held in traditional dunnage warehousing near Dufftown in Speyside for careful monitored and sampling ahead of bottling and release. And the name? This rarest of collections took the name House of Hazelwood, paying homage to the Gordons’ Dufftown home – Hazelwood House.
The First and Second Collections
House of Hazelwood launched its first collection in May 2022, its sights set on opening the doors to the diverse range of rare, aged and storytelling whiskies laid down by the Gordon family over the last century. An inimitable selection, these are some of the most sought-after and lauded Scotch whiskies in the world.
As with the inaugural collection, eight whiskies have been released across two ranges in this next drop. These are: The Charles Gordon Collection and The Legacy Collection. The rarest of all the Gordons’ bottles, A Singular Blend, leads the collection, showcasing a provenance never before seen at this age; only 74 bottles have ever been available worldwide since its 1963 release. The blend comprises grain and malt components distilled within the very same Highland distillery in the same year of production. Back then, to acquire one was quite something, 58 years on, it is an opportunity that’s nothing short of remarkable.
The Charles Gordon Collection
A Singular Blend, 1963 Blended Scotch Whisky
Composed not only of whiskies from the same region but scotch whiskies from the very same Highland distillery – with both grain and malt components stemming from the same year of production at the same site. Matured for 58 years in American Oak the blend has over time, taken on rich layers of complexity that complement and enhance both aspects of the distillery character. A significant number of the bottles have already been reserved by existing buyers.
74 bottles worldwide, RRP £4,900
The Old Confectioner’s, 44-Year-Old Blended Malt
Whiskies such as this, transport the imbiber to lost places that cannot be revisited any other way. An aged malt, rich with the treacle toffee, liquorice and candied fruit notes found in old sweet shops, it’s warming, satisfying and lightly drying on the finish, unified by years of maturation in refill sherry butts.
256 bottles worldwide, RRP £3,000
The Next Chapter, 50-Year-Old Blended Scotch
Taking us back to 1972, this liquid was aged in a combination of European and American Oak casks; marking a brave new chapter through a ten-year secondary finishing period in active ex-bourbon barrels. Such a process is irregular and so adds vigour to the otherwise weighty blend.
157 bottles worldwide, RRP £4,000
The Unknown, 44-Year-Old Blended Scotch
Compelling, mysterious and alluring; little is known about this blend. Elements were distilled in 1978 and blended in 1989, followed by an exclusive secondary maturation for a further 33 years in a single refill butt — resulting in exceptional quality.
143 bottles worldwide, RRP £3,000
The Legacy Collection
Represents a legacy for future generations to explore and enjoy, this showcases some of the brightest highlights of the inventory, comprising whiskies of character and provenance, each with their own story. Some are the first of their kind, some the last of their line; evoking the spirit of an era, they offer insights into the inner workings of the Scotch whisky community.
A Breath of Fresh Air, 37 Year-Old Blended Grain
A blend of aged grain whiskies from across Scotland, this possesses a character that is clean, fresh almost minty on the palate. Displaying the diverse, beguiling identities that old grain whisky can take on, it’s invigorating, reviving and entirely unique, offering something alternative for even the most experienced of palates.
417 bottles worldwide, RRP £1,450
A Trail of Smoke, 42 Year-Old Blended Malt
Take a meandering taste journey through Scotland’s Islands – from dry and herbal to luscious and fruity with a delicate trail of woodsmoke always present in the background. Complex, evocative this release is redolent of the remarkable islands from which it hails.
385 bottles worldwide, RRP £1,900
The Eight Grain, 40-Year-Old Blended Grain
Celebrating all that aged grain whiskies can bring this highly unusual release brings together the distillery character of eight of Scotland’s closed and active grain whisky distilleries. A rich decadence contrasts bright citrus notes characteristic of the component distilleries.
384 bottles worldwide, RRS £1,200
The Lowlander, 36-Year-Old Blended Scotch
A too-often overlooked region within the world of Scotch whisky, The Lowlands present whiskies with a bright and crisp in character, including notes of indigenous granite and spun sugar. The Lowlander is certainly an ambassador for the region’s distillation and maturation.
432 bottles worldwide, RRP £950
Further Details
The House of Hazelwood Autumn Collection is available exclusively from www.houseofhazelwood.com. Sales of ‘A Singular Blend’ are reserved for House of Hazelwood Keyholders and existing buyers throughout October.
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