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The Diageo Rare & Exceptional online platform collects some of the most exclusive whiskies in the world in one convenient place.

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The Diageo Rare & Exceptional online platform collects some of the most exclusive whiskies in the world in one convenient place.

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

When it comes to fine single malt Scotch whisky, we’ve come to expect distilleries to release expressions that are 20 or even 30 years old. A 50-year-old whisky, however — well, that’s something which makes us stop and take notice.

Last month, The Glenrothes made waves when it unveiled its oldest single malt whisky ever: A 50-year-old expression that was distilled in November 1968, followed by maturing in sherry and bourbon American oak casks until its bottling in September 2019. This was hardly everyday news for the Speyside distiller: Until now, The Glenrothes’ oldest single malt was a mere 25 years old. What’s more, this limited-release whisky comes in individually numbered crystal decanters, each one housed inside a stunning black-lacquered presentation case.

Not just anyone will be able to get their hands on this remarkable release, though, as only 50 bottles have been made available globally. Lucky buyers will become one of just 50 people globally to join ‘Fifty,’ an ultra-exclusive virtual club whose members will be invited to visit The Glenrothes Estate for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet the distillery team and stay at the property’s spiritual home, Rothes House. Members will also receive an engraved membership card that matches the number of their bottle and grants access to an exclusive web portal where they can register their membership, see product release previews and more.

Whisky aficionados, take note: just one of these treasured bottles is hitting the auction block this month during Bonhams’ Fine & Rare Wine and Whisky sale on Friday, 20 November. The decanter in question, number 38 of 50, is estimated to fetch HK$230,000-300,000 (£23,000-30,000). All proceeds will be donated to a charity organisation based in the Asia-Pacific region.

So what can buyers expect from this incredibly rare whisky? “After half a century maturing in sherry bourbon oak casks, our 50-year-old single malt offers a unique blend of aromas with complexity that only a whisky of this age can deliver,” said Laura Rampling, Master Whisky Maker at The Glenrothes. “It is dark and fragrant, offering sweet and spiced flavours with a refined finish and gentle lingering of woody spices. On the nose, drinkers can expect hints of jasmine and cedar.”

[caption id="attachment_212129" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The Glenrothes Estate.[/caption]

“As our oldest ever release, this 50-year-old is a salute to the loyalty and craft of our distillery team, several of whom have over 40 years’ service,” said Kerr Arthur, Director of The Glenrothes brand. “They truly understand the art of whisky-making The Glenrothes way, and now 50 people will have the privilege of sharing in this milestone release.”

In advance of the auction date, we spoke to Rampling and Arthur to find out more about this exciting release, the historic legacy of The Glenrothes and how innovation will play a role in the future production of single malt Scotch whisky.

What makes The Glenrothes special?

Kerr Arthur: Our entire whisky-making process is underpinned by our Four Corners: water, distillation, wood and maturation. We start with our particularly soft water which is sourced on our distillery estate on Speyside. Our new-make spirit is nurtured in our tall copper stills for much longer than most whiskies and this creates a lighter, fruitier and more delicately flavoured spirit.

Maturation in sherry-seasoned oak casks plays a big part in creating great whisky especially for The Glenrothes as unlike many, our whiskies are always 100 percent natural in colour and that can only be achieved by investing in high-quality casks. It is this unique blend of science and alchemy which helps turn our new-make spirit into a world-class malt. Our whisky maker noses each and every cask individually and hand-selects those that are ready to be bottled.

What does this 50-year-old expression reveal about The Glenrothes’ style of whisky making?

Laura Rampling: We wouldn’t consider this whisky a ‘revelation,’ but rather an embodiment of The Glenrothes’ rounded and rich house style at an elevated level.

When was the decision made to release the 50-year-old and how was that decision reached?

Laura Rampling: The decision to create bespoke, collectible bottles can happen in different ways. Sometimes we have an idea for a new whisky and I go and seek the casks from which we can create a whisky in line with that idea. Other times, while reviewing existing whisky stocks, we discover fantastic special casks which can be utilised and we create something around that.

Alongside day-to-day whisky creation, we routinely nose and taste stock to identify whether we might have some casks which are special or remarkable. We learn to expect the unexpected. It was back in 2018 that we decided to launch a 50-year-old, having identified casks of that age which had exceptional characteristics.

[caption id="attachment_212130" align="aligncenter" width="767"] Laura Rampling, Master Whisky Maker at The Glenrothes.[/caption]

Should we expect to see any similar releases of limited editions from The Glenrothes in the future?

Kerr Arthur: We are constantly reviewing our stocks and planning future releases. There will certainly be more excellent whiskies coming out in the future. Based on the reaction to our 50-year-old so far, we would be very unpopular if we did not release further editions!

The 50 owners of The Glenrothes 50-year-old will be invited to the distillery. What are some of the special experiences they can look forward to there?

Kerr Arthur: Those who buy the 50-year-old will be given the opportunity to see behind the scenes at The Glenrothes. This is a rare and exclusive experience in itself, as the secluded estate — which includes the distillery, cooperage, private farms and Rothes House — is normally closed to visitors. I’m sure there will also be the opportunity to sample some truly special whisky.

Why is this the first time The Glenrothes has released a 50-year-old edition?

Laura Rampling: We wanted to do something that celebrated the loyalty and craft of our distillery team in Rothes and this 50-year-old is a celebration of their skill, passion and commitment. It’s also about being in the right place at the right time – a combination of having great whisky at the right age and customers wishing to buy it.

How do the packaging, membership card, and invite to The Glenrothes estate relate to how The Glenrothes wants to interact with customers?

Kerr Arthur: The 50-year-old packaging was designed to offer a special experience that reflects the significance of opening the distillery doors to a select group of buyers for the first time. We really do value relationships with people who buy our whiskies – it’s part of our community culture.

Inviting buyers of our 50-year-old to our home is a thank you to them and a symbol of The Glenrothes community they will be part of. Our Spirit of Rothes community is where we can talk to buyers more intimately and we want to continue to grow this community with members from across the globe.

[caption id="attachment_212131" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The Glenrothes Estate.[/caption]

How does the 50-year-old add to the whisky-making legacy of The Glenrothes?

Kerr Arthur: It’s our first and will therefore go down in our history as such. It also provides us with the confidence to create similar aged releases for the future which will be part of the legacy of our 50-year-old.

Laura Rampling: Our legacy is rooted in the tradition, skill and expertise of our team and our 50-year-old pays tribute to them. This is a hugely exciting chapter and as Master Whisky Maker I am looking forward to building on the legacy of The Glenrothes, honouring its history while helping create great new whiskies for our customers to enjoy.

What does the future hold for The Glenrothes? How will you embrace tradition vs. innovation?

Kerr Arthur: We have always sought to progress as a distillery and embrace the new if we feel it will enhance the whiskies we create. We will continue to do so but will never walk away from what we feel defines us: natural water sources, unusually slow distillation in tall stills, high-quality sherry-seasoned oak casks, 100 percent naturally coloured whiskies and the craftsmanship of our local community.

Laura Rampling: The Four Corners of our whisky-making process won’t change and we will continue to celebrate this tradition. We do things a bit differently and such a high-quality, traditionally handcrafted spirit will always demand attention.

The post Everything You Need to Know About The Glenrothes’ Oldest Release: A 50-Year-Old Whisky Coming to Charity Auction This Month appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

After aging for 78 years, a single-malt whisky from The Macallan will go up for auction October 31 at Sotheby's in London.

The prestigious tipple apparently has notes of apple, peach and grape, and the bottle features a label designed by the Spanish artist Javi Aznarez, also known for his work as a comicbook illustrator. It's the oldest aged whisky ever to be sold at auction, and forms part of a six-bottle collection from the Scottish distillery.

[caption id="attachment_211573" align="alignnone" width="684"] The 78-year Macallan whisky (extreme right) is part of "The Red Collection", a set of six single-malts, and goes under the hammer at Sotheby's end October.[/caption]

The full set of single-malt whiskies is dubbed "The Red Collection" and features other prestigious whiskies matured for 40, 50, 60, 71 and 74 years. It is estimated to fetch between £200,000 and £800,000 (HK$2.02 million and HK$8.08 million).

Each bottle comes housed in a presentation box made from the same oak wood used to craft the distillery's casks.

[caption id="attachment_211574" align="alignnone" width="684"] The whiskies are presented in boxes made from the same oak wood used to craft the distillery's casks.[/caption]

Proceeds from the sale will go to the London-based charity City Harvest London, which redistributes surplus from the food industry to vulnerable people across the British capital. More details here.

(All images: Sotheby's)

The post Oldest Aged Whisky to be Auctioned is Now up for Grabs at a Sotheby’s Sale appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Silicon Valley is now turning its attention to whiskey aged in barrels, with a start-up promising to mature spirits on a large scale in days instead of years — with the same taste, colour and aroma.

Bespoken Spirits, created by two partners in Menlo Park, California, says it has raised US$2.6 million (HK$20.2 million) in seed funding to launch its accelerated spirits aging process. The company claims that its patent-pending system could save the spirits industry more than $20 billion a year.

"Our sustainable approach helps customers go from concept to bottle in just days," said co-founder Stu Aaron. "We tailor the customer's spirit to meet their specifications, using materials science and data analytics to save them years of time and as much as 70 percent of their costs.

"This is accelerated maturation 2.0."

According to a Bespoken statement, there are more than 9.1 million barrels of bourbon and other spirits aging just in the state of Kentucky. Each year, nearly 20 million gallons of spirits are lost "to evaporation due to the wasteful, time-consuming and antiquated barrel aging process."

The company says that its proprietary technology "extracts the key elements of the barrel that enhance aroma, color and taste (ACT), managing the critical chemical reactions... enabling billions of bespoken recipes within days, not years."

Skipping a laborious process

Whiskey usually takes at least three years to age, and the bulk of its flavour comes from the oak barrels used during the maturation process.

"The traditional spirits production process is outdated, imprecise, unpredictable, unsustainable and inefficient," said co-founder Martin Janousek. "We've reimagined the process with modern science and sustainable technology, using the same all natural elements of wood, toast, and char."

Bespoken whiskeys and bourbons are already sold in stores and have even won competitions, the company says.

But how does it taste?

The reviewer at WhiskeyWash.com gave it middling scores. "My first impression was of the smell of rust and antiseptic - not the most inviting of notes right out of the gate," reviewer John Dover wrote after tasting Bespoken whiskey distilled with bourbon mash.

"It tastes of plastic with a hint of banana bread, like biting into your afternoon snack but forgetting to unwrap the cellophane first," he added.

He was a bit kinder when reviewing Bespoken's rye whiskey flavoured with charred American Oak staves. "Drinking this was similar to sitting down to a cooled bowl of oatmeal with raisins," he wrote. "There was an oakiness to the rye with a sharp cinnamon note on the front of the tongue."

Investors include T.J Rodgers, owner of Clos de la Tech wine, and ex-pro baseball player Derek Jeter.

The post This California Start-Up Claims it Can Achieve Quality Barrel-Aged Whiskey in Days appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The difference between bottles, casks, independents and funds.

The post How to invest in whisky appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

The difference between bottles, casks, independents and funds.

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

By now, your bosses and colleagues have probably seen more of your abode than you would've ever expected to show them.

With many of us working from home these days, meetings held over video conferencing apps the likes of Zoom and Microsoft Teams have become the new normal. Inevitably, this means letting colleagues into our residences — albeit virtually — and having them catch glimpses of it via our backdrop. Depending on where your workspace is located, this view could range from a boring blank wall to windows or cluttered bookshelves.

Your makeshift office may not be the most glamorous, but there are several easy interior design tricks that you can employ to quickly jazz up the background of your Zoom calls.

Textiles and cushions

If your workstation of choice is the couch or bed, all it takes is a few snazzy throw pillows wrapped in eye-catching fabrics and prints to provide visual interest in the space behind you. Consider dressing your cushions in the Armani/Casa Exclusive Textiles by Rubelli collection, which is inspired by modern art — specifically works by Henri Matisse, Vasilij Kandinskij and Paul Klee.

It showcases striking colour blocks embellished with embroideries, ikat details and intertwined motifs. These are available in various patterns and shades ranging from pastel to neutral hues. More details here.

Houseplants and greenery

Adding houseplants to your home office will help the space look less spartan and bland. Smaller plants like cacti, succulents and spider plants can be displayed on shelves or tables, while larger ones such as philodendrons, snake plants and ZZ plant (Zanzibar Gem) can be placed on the floor to break the monotony of blank walls.

Online plant retailer Flora Houses offers a wide variety of houseplants that will thrive indoors and are generally low-maintenance. Its range includes Japanese fir, fiddle leaf fig and Bird of Paradise. The store provides free doorstep delivery with a minimum spend.

Artworks and paintings

Perhaps houseplants may seem like too much of a commitment, or you simply don't have green fingers. This is where paintings and art pieces make an easier alternative. You can simply hang a couple of them on the wall that constantly forms your video call backdrop.

An Andy Warhol or Basquiat will certainly impress your co-workers, but your art doesn't necessarily have to be expensive or by big name artists. Consider procuring artworks instead from indie galleries such as Odd One Out, which boasts an array of creations by local and international printmakers and illustrators. We can't take our eyes off the above acrylic painting by Micke Lindebergh, which is titled 'Small Yellow Flower Pot' and features colourful blooms accented by quirky squiggles and bright hues.

Statement ornaments and furniture

Inject a dose of quirk into your meeting setup by peppering your background with assorted decorative items and statement furniture pieces. These can be anything from figurines to colourful tiles and dramatic room dividers.

Our go-to is Lala Curio, which is a whimsical wonderland of objets d'art such as brass monkey sculptures, cloisonné birds, and, one of our favourites — an adorable trio of cranes adorned with rock crystal feathers and perched on crystal balls.

Wallpaper

Why settle for one specially curated work area, when you can turn your whole room into an Instagram-worthy space? Wallpaper is a bold and easy solution — if every wall in your room is clad in beautiful prints, you can essentially park yourself in any corner and still have an envy-inducing Zoom backdrop.

Designer wallpaper has seen a resurgence in recent years, and we're obsessed with Christian Lacroix's exquisite Oiseau Fleur vinyl wallpaper, which depicts vibrant botanical and bird motifs against a silk effect embossed base. It comes in two colourways of pink and grey.

(Main image: Brina Blum/ Unsplash; Featured image: Christian Lacroix)

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