House of Hazelwood launches 2024 ultra rare whisky collection and I taste all but one

House of Hazelwood has launched its 2024 collection of ultra-rare malt and grain whiskies, an eight-strong selection that span geography and time.

The drop comprises some of the earliest whisky stock laid down for the House of Hazelwood, including the very last of their line, providing a poignant snapshot of bygone whisky eras.

Highlights include The Transatlantic, a 33 year old blended grain whisky; The Silk Traveller, a 44 year old blended grain Scotch, and Queen of the Hebrides, a heavily peated 36 year old Islay blended malt. 

The rarest whisky in the release, The Last Trace, is a 58 year old antique, matured in American white oak.   

House of Hazelwood origins…

For almost one hundred years, generations of the Grant Gordon family have laid down stocks of whisky, ostensibly for personal consumption, at the family’s Dufftown home, Hazelwood House.  

Having unique access to this astonishing archive, the House of Hazelwood blending team have been tasked with deciding what should be released, and how it should be blended.  

I was invited to Huntsman & Sons, of London’s Saville Row, renowned for bespoke menswear tailoring, for an exclusive tasting of these rare whiskies, curated by Eilidh Muir from the House of Hazelwood blending team.

The drop comprises some of the earliest whisky stock laid down for the House of Hazelwood, including the very last of their line…

Of this eight strong collection, I was lucky enough to sample seven. The missing expression was The Last Trace, understandably absent because of its rarity. Only 65 bottles have been yielded from the entire production. The 58 year old is a blend of two Hogsheads which had lost the vast majority of their content through evaporation. 

So what did I miss? Charles Maclean, renowned whisky expert, describes The Last Trace as “one of the most extraordinary whiskies I have ever tasted. It has a creamy feel with a very light sweetness with coconut notes on the nose. It truly is one of a kind.”

House of Hazelwood 2024 Collection tasting notes

The Old Ways, 1972 vintage single grain Scotch whisky (£3,500)

Bottled at 50.1% ABV, with only 123 available worldwide, this mahogany hued treasure hails from the Girvan distillery and is the embodiment of Seventies whisky production.  It’s a complex and characterful whisky, that’s very much of its time.

On the nose, there’s a slight painterly aroma, as well as a dark, sugary sweetness, but on the palate, it reveals classic heft, with notes of bitter chocolate and stewed fruits. The mouthfeel is rewarding and creamy.

The Garden at Hazelwood, 47 year old blended malt Scotch whisky  (£4,500)

Distilled in 1972, and light gold of colour, this blend is floral and flouncy on the nose, with herbs, grass and lavender to the fore – for me it conjured up images of Julie Christie galivanting in Joseph Losey’s The Go-Between. This picturesque bouquet is similarly sweet on the palate, but the grassy vista has a wild edge, where orchard fruit notes mix with mint. The finish is as smooth as a freshly mown lawn.

Served at 43.7% ABV, only 137 bottles are available. 

A Minute to Midnight, 45 year old blended Scotch whisky (£4,000)

An unashamed Sherry bomb, this dark mahogany blend is bold and indulgent. Bottled at 58.6% ABV, it offers dark berry fruits on the nose, with leather and spice manifesting on the palate; I found a drop of water ushers in a Jammy Dodger sweetness. Limited to 154 bottles worldwide, the mouthfeel is creamy and tannic.

The Silk Traveller, 44 year old single grain Scotch whisky (£1,500)

Bottled at 47.6% ABV, and producing an inventory of 212 bottles, this golden single grain Scotch is a journey well worth taking. On the nose you’ll discover a veritable container of spices, akin to ambling around an exotic florist. Sipping reveals a complex yet smooth demeanour, with notes of bitter coffee, leather and warm toffee sauce. 

The Hazelwood Highlander, 33 year old blended Scotch whisky (£1,200)

Blending malt and grain whiskies from across the Highlands, this artful creation has a light approach, offering sweet heather on the nose. The palate artfully balances this sweetness with dollops of treacle, and overripe orchard fruit.

Bottled at 45.8% ABV, only 203 bottles of this amber-coloured thirty-something exist.

The Transatlantic, 33 year old blended grain Scotch whisky (£1,300)

A certifiable crowd pleaser, this 33 year old Scotch Blended Grain, a deep mahogany red in colour, makes no attempt to disguise its American virgin oak confinement. The nose hollers bourbon, with tell-tale toffee and vanilla. On the palate, these western spurs become even more pronounced. Imagine a breakfast bowl of toasted cereal and vanilla goodness – I found it dangerously moreish. Bottled at 57.3% ABV, there are 291 bottles available.  

Queen of the Hebrides, 36 year old Islay blended malt Scotch whisky (£2,000)

Heavily peated, this briny blended malt has an ABV of 43.4% and is rich and savoury.  Matured in American oak, the nose offers characteristic campfire smoke and cold tar soap. This phenolic character sweetens on the palate, with freshly baked Dundee cake and bacon sarnies jostling for dominance. A remarkably complex liquid, 274 bottles are available.

The House of Hazelwood’s third collection is available exclusively to order from houseofhazelwood.com and select luxury retailers. Expect it to be rolled out to international markets throughout 2024, including the UK, Germany, Italy, France, and Taiwan, with US and other parts of Asia to follow in 2025.