House of Hazelwood debuts Warehouse Reserve series
William Grant & Sons-owned House of Hazelwood has unveiled a heavily Sherried 36-year-old blended malt as the inaugural release in its new Warehouse Reserve series.
The new series is dedicated to whiskies sourced from the Gordon family’s private dunnage warehouse in Dufftown, Scotland.
Bottled at 51.4% ABV, the first whiskey in the series, Warehouse Reserve Batch One, offers notes of maraschino cherries, coffee beans and treacle.
Eilidh Muir, blender at House of Hazelwood, commented: “This 36-year-old blended malt is a celebration of Sherry cask maturation. The Sherry influence here is profound. Its depth and complexity reward slow appreciation, and we’re delighted to share it with those closest to House of Hazelwood.”
Limited to 150 bottles, the whisky is being offered exclusively by invitation to the house’s friends, including guests who have visited Hazelwood House in Dufftown, as well as those attending private tastings or warehouse experiences.
Each bottle has an RRP of £1,650 (US$2,210).
Jonathan Gibson, director at House of Hazelwood, said: “This first Warehouse Reserve bottling represents the essence of our private stock – casks that have been nurtured for decades and held back until their character becomes unmistakably special. And for generations, this is how these private stocks were used – for gifting and sale by invitation only to friends and guests of the family.
“To be in a position to share even a handful of these bottles again now with our closest friends and visitors feels like reopening a family album.”
House of Hazelwood’s inventory is spread across a carefully selected network of warehouses throughout Scotland.
Each year, a specific number of casks are set aside for long-term maturation, with some stored in traditional dunnage warehouses near Dufftown.
Before bottling, the casks are monitored and sampled individually over time, with only ‘the most exceptional’ chosen for release.
William Grant & Sons, which also owns The Balvenie, Glenfiddich, Kininvie, Ailsa Bay, and Girvan distilleries in Scotland, launched the House of Hazelwood in 2015.
Last year, the brand unveiled a new One For The Next series that will culminate in the ‘world’s first’ 100-year-old single grain whisky.
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