Celebrity Life

One of the rarest bottlings of this limited-edition Scotch can be yours through Bonhams this January.

A half-century is a milestone worthy of celebration on any occasion; in a world of ephemera, it's a marker of of quality. Of things that endure. Of things created to last. In love, 50 years is the Golden Anniversary; in Scotch, the continuation of a legacy, like for Highland Park, whose new 50 Year Old single malt celebrates the Orkney distillery's 223 years of excellence.

A style with rich, sherried dried fruit and sweet toffee, Highland Park 50 Year Old single malt Scotch Whisky comes in a limited-edition run of 274 bottles, each signed by Master Whisky Maker, Gordon Motion. And for serious Scotch lovers, the first of these bottles is hitting the Bonhams auction block on 21 January 2022, with an estimated worth of HK$210,000 to HK$250,000.

"This 50 Year old whisky is one of our oldest and rarest releases and I’m very proud to have been part of its journey," says Motion. "When I sampled it, it has absorbed the rich sherried flavours of dried fruit and sweet toffee from its final first-fill cask maturation, but still retained all the delicate fragrance and flavours driven by the original refill casks.”

Highland Park's third 50 Year Old single malt

Just the third 50 Year Old bottling in Highland Park history, every step of its creation has been intricately considered and measured to present the utmost delicate and rich flavours that a great whisky can offer. Created using a traditional solera system — a way of maturing sherry — the Scotch delivers richness and maturity of flavours both old and new.

For those unfamiliar with the solera system, the process borrows a small quantity of whisky produced from a previous batch, blending it with the new expression to capture flavours within a flavour — legacies within a legacy. Highland Park’s new 50 Year Old edition marries together a careful selection from nine refill casks from 1968, re-racked into fine first-fill sherry seasoned oak casks. After 12 years of maturation, one limited cask was chosen and blended with a minute portion of the previous 50 Year Old release by the distillery.

"I introduced a small quantity of this cask to some of our 2018 batch of 50 Year Old, to create a further layer of depth and complexity," adds Motion. "As the 2018 50 Year Old contains some of our 2010 batch, this approach allows me to maintain the core DNA of our oldest Highland park whisky through each extremely limited batch release."

The whisky auction market remains robust

Despite the impact of the pandemic, the whisky auction market has remained strong and has even engendered a following among young collectors, according to Daniel Lam, Specialist for Fine Wine & Whiskies at Bonhams.

"[Whisky] has become a mainstream category in almost all international auction houses," says Lam. "For Scotch, Japanese whisky and US bourbon, the market has nourished a group of very young collectors, which is a positive sign for the future of whisky auctions."

For Lam, Highland Park's 50 Year Old single malt Scotch Whisky makes an appealing auction piece for its legacy and presentation, as well as exclusivity of only 274 bottles.

"Each whisky distillery has it own unique premium bottling, and Highland Park, situated as the most northern distillery in Scotland, its style is very distinctive," says Lam. "I personally adore the packaging, the craftsmanship and the golden hand-crafted decanter."

Making green the new black

The upcoming charity auction is in support of Green Power, a renowned green group NGO addressing the diverse environmental issues in local communities such as climate change, waste reduction and biodiversity. All net proceeds from the auction will be donated to the organisation in support of their environmental education and sustainability projects.

"Bonhams plays a part in society, we value corporate social responsibility. Therefore, we would like to support Green Power for their good causes in addressing and mitigating environmental issues especially here in Hong Kong," says Lam, noting the importance of sustainable development for the future of whisky.

"There is a saying, 'green is the new black'; we ought to address the importance of sustainability to whisky distillers for long term development of the whisky industry," adds Lam. "Partnering with Green Power could bring awareness of 'being green' to whisky distillers."

A collector's piece

Not only is the whisky a time capsule of historical flavours, it comes in as l'objet d'art of its own: the heavyweight glass bottle is embossed with a design inspired by the Norse heritage of Orkney island, dating back over 1,200 years, coming packaged in a hand-made wooden box crafted by Scottish Master Craftsman John Galvin.

One of its exclusive 274 bottles is set to go up for auction on 21 January 2022, with an estimated worth of HK$210,000 to HK$250,000.

For more information, visit highlandparkwhisky.com.

The post Headed to Auction: Highland Park’s 50 Year Old Single Malt Captures Time in a Bottle appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The most mathematically pleasing scotch ever made by the Isle of Islay distillery.

The post Bowmore and Aston Martin collaborate to make a Golden Ratio-inspired single malt appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

The most mathematically pleasing scotch ever made by the Isle of Islay distillery.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

On what is World Whisky Day, we take a look at one distiller who has created an exclusive offering worth almost £3,500. Award-winning independent distiller Loch Lomond Whiskies has unveiled its newest aged single malt, a 45 year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Distilled in 1973, the super-premium Loch Lomond 45 year old has matured […]

Five compelling Highland whiskies, selected and bottled by two gentlemen from fair Emilia-Romagna. When Federico Mazzieri and Marco Maltagliati created their whisky consultancy in 2019, the goal was simple. "We wanted to offer anybody who desired it the opportunity to discover and learn about the extraordinary product that is Scotch Whisky," says Mazzieri. "In a way which felt natural, while still keeping excellent standards of quality." Fast forward two years, and the duo (operating under the moniker 'Dream Whisky') have just released 'Metamorfosi': their second collection of single cask whiskies, inspired by the Scottish Highlands throughout the seasons.

Like many veterans in the hospitality industry, both Mazzieri and Maltagliati felt much of the Scotch that was typically available in the retail marketplace placed too strong of an emphasis on branding. To that end, as with their first series of chronologically released 'Dream No.1/No.2' bottlings, each whisky in the Metamorfosi collection has been packaged simply: featuring labels hand-drawn by Italian illustrators (each inspired by the relevant flavour profile) and a checklist of technical info. "Every year [we] present a unique collection with a limited number of bottles," says Maltagliati. Thus far, the only throughline appears to be the exclusive use of single cask whiskies -- favoured by Dream Whisky for their "fragrance and flavour" and ability to transport drinkers to "faraway, magical places".

The omission of conspicuous brand names encourages drinkers to trust their senses, though unlike the previously numbered editions, all five are focused on sites throughout the Highland region. The 'Autonno' (i.e. autumn) is the youngest of the bunch: aged for 10 years in ex-bourbon hogsheads before being finished in sherry -- a lightly alcoholic dram that's velvety-soft smoothness "immediately calls for a second sip". By contrast, the 'Estate' offers a more complicated sensory journey with aromas that vary as widely as flowers in springtime and candy floss (a take which Maltagliati wrly observes is "open to interpretation").

And for those to whom time is no object, the '1990' will likely prove the most intriguing: laid down for three decades, not long after the establishment of the Invergordon distillery. A favourite of indie bottlers like Duncan Taylor, Invergordon was persuaded to release some of its ex-bourbon spirit, crafted in distinctive pot stills, for this new collection -- a surefire vote of confidence in Mazzieri and Maltagliati. Clad in a hand-drawn label and possessed of the length and intensity only time can bring, it's fair to assume this is the stuff whisky dreams are made of.

To purchase a bottle from the Metamorfosi series, visit Certa Platform online -- the exclusive importer of Dream Whisky in Hong Kong.

The post Dream Whisky’s ‘Metamorfosi’ Collection Blends Italian Style with Scottish Substance appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Last Drop Distillers has released The Dumbarton 1977 Single Grain Scotch Whisky to great acclaim.

The post Why you should be adding more independent bottlings to your whisky collection appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Last Drop Distillers has released The Dumbarton 1977 Single Grain Scotch Whisky to great acclaim.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

In the world of spirits, there's a whisky to suit every taste, and now there are two new ones you need to try. known as the ‘King of Whisky’, the esteemed whisky brand Royal Salute recently introduced its first new 21 year old blends -- The Malts Blend and The Lost Blend -- since its founding in 1953 (timed to coincide with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II). At the launch event in Seoul, we got a first look at the two new additions and we also sat down for a taste with Master Blender Sandy Hyslop as we discussed the spirit of Royal Salute and his two new creations for the brand.

[caption id="attachment_159930" align="alignnone" width="683"] Royal Salute Master Blender Sandy Hyslop[/caption]

How long have you been blending whiskies and how did you get started?

I started in the whisky industry in 1983. Gradually my career has evolved to become master blender. You just can't become [a master blender] overnight. You need to learn about all the different parts of the process; to understand whisky quality, maturation, casks, and technicalities of bottling. It’s about building up a full palette of understanding of all the different parts of the whisky business.

In your opinion, what makes for a good whisky?

A good whisky is something that is well matured and sophisticated in flavour. It’s all about getting a balance of flavour and not allowing any one of those flavours to dominate, but complete each other.

[caption id="attachment_159931" align="alignnone" width="805"] Royal Salute The Signature Blend 21 Years Old[/caption]

Congratulations on the launch! How do the new blends align with the history of the brand?

The first bottles of Royal Salute were first produced in 1953, two of which were given to the Queen at her coronation, which makes this extra special. We are the only whisky in the world that has been continuously available at 21 years old since then. There’s no other whisky in the world that has these credentials. For me, as master blender for Royal Salute, it is a huge honour to be responsible for such a prestigious whisky. But the icing on the cake is for me to be able to add new whiskies with new flavours to the family of such amazing lineage under my tenure -- it’s an amazing achievement. This isn’t just a limited edition, or a one-off.

The signature Royal Salute 21 year old is rich pear fruit flavours. The Malts Blend is dialled up in that fruit flavour to possess the same Royal Salute credentials, but with the sweetness of peaches and homemade jam making it more indulgent and syrupy.

For The Lost Blend, I was going for something a little bit more traditional. Some of the whiskies in the blend are no longer in existence, [making The Lost Blend] extremely rare. It’s still Royal Salute with the traditional spiciness and nuttiness, but it is also sophisticatedly smoky. Not just peat, not just medicinal, but more of a whisper of bonfire smoke. It’s the easiest thing in the world to make a smoky whisky, but not to make a whisky that still has that sweet flavour. A dusting of smoke is what you want, and that’s what The Lost Blend is all about.

[inline-quote author="Sandy Hyslop, Master Blender at Royal Salute"]"I can't explain how fabulous it is to be responsible for Royal Salute and introduce two permanent expressions. "[/inline-quote]

I wanted two things: people who enjoyed Royal Salute at the moment to be given the opportunity to try something slightly different. but also for people who were coming to Royal Salute for the first time to be able to choose different kinds of flavours. It’s great to be able to offer different dynamics to Royal Salute.

Between the two new blends, which do you prefer?

That’s a tough one. That’s like asking which is your favourite child! I love The Malts Blend. But the smokiness of The Lost Blend is something really exciting for me to work on. To make something 21 years old with a smoky character was a real challenge for me and I really enjoyed the challenge. They’re different in both ways. I’m a real sweet tooth, so I love that the sweet Malts Blend, but the smoky Lost Blend is also really interesting. It’s too hard to pick between the two.

[caption id="attachment_159932" align="alignnone" width="805"] Royal Salute The Lost Blend 21 Years Old[/caption]

As The Lost Blend is using whiskies that are no longer in existence, how will this affect production?

We’re never going to have oceans of stock of The Lost Blend. But I have ring-fenced a serious amount of distilleries that are no longer producing to make sure that we have a sizeable amount of inventory for the future. One advantage that we have is that we’ve been producing 21 year old whiskies for so long that we have extensive amounts of inventory laid down.

In your opinion, what are the best ways to enjoy these new additions?

The Malts Blend I love with a little bit of water. It lends itself really well with a big block of ice. I actually quite like The Lost Blend as a highball with soda and ice. It works really well with the aromatics and the smoke comes off brilliantly. Because it has so much richness in flavour, both blends actually also work really well in a cocktail. It's actually a really versatile whisky, more versatile than what people. You’ll have to have a taste yourself to know what I mean.

The post Royal Salute Master Blender Sandy Hyslop Unveils Two New Whisky Expressions appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Two doyens of disparate worlds and one 49-year-old bottle of scotch to rule them all.

The post Object of Desire: The Dalmore L’Anima, Aged 49 Years appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Two doyens of disparate worlds and one 49-year-old bottle of scotch to rule them all.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Sit on the iron throne and sip some single-malt scotch.

The post Exclusive limited-edition Game of Thrones whiskies at Changi appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Sit on the iron throne and sip some single-malt scotch.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.