House of Hazelwood

For almost one hundred years, generations of the Gordon family have carefully laid down stocks of whisky for special occasions and personal consumption. This rare collection has become known as House of Hazelwood, after the family’s Dufftown home – Hazelwood House. 

Today, the House of Hazelwood collection has grown to become the greatest inventory of aged Scotch whisky held anywhere in the world. Spanning seven decades and every corner of Scotland, the diverse whiskies held in cask tell stories of remarkable places, lost ways of working, first casks, last casks, the ambitions and achievements of several lifetimes – none of which will be repeated.  

The House of Hazelwood inventory is held in several carefully selected warehouses across Scotland, with fresh stocks laid down each year. Prior to bottling, a small proportion of the stocks are held in traditional dunnage warehousing near Dufftown in Speyside, from where they are carefully monitored and sampled ahead of release. 

Talking about the collection, Kirsten Grant-Meikle, fifth generation descendant said: “For almost one hundred years my family has been laying down stocks of whisky to mature for future generations to enjoy, with the collection growing in scope and stature as the decades have passed. For the first time, this once-private collection is being offered to those outside the immediate family in small batches hand-selected for release. These are the most compelling whiskies that the inventory has to offer – a bridge between the past and the present, each issue remarkable by virtue of its character, history or method of production.”

Connoisseurs and Collectors

The whiskies are aimed at whisky connoisseurs and collectors who love rare and aged whiskies. The collections offer a range of whiskies that will surprise and delight you and challenge what you think of blends, blended malts and grains. 

Each whisky is an individual and has its own story to tell. We find that some of our customers choose to buy our whisky due to its unique flavour and style, while others buy the complete collection. 

Our Portfolio 

Our whiskies range in price from £900 up to £6,000 being the most expensive in our collection to date. 

We believe that luxury blends of such rare quality and nature merit the price tag – these are never to be repeated bottlings – once they are gone, they are gone. There are many single malts that are not anything like the age and rarity of these whiskies that are sold at much higher price points. We have been told our whiskies are extremely well priced given the rarity and quality of the whisky.

Unlike most Scotch whisky producers, our business carries with it no requirement to release whiskies of a given age or style on a set date. It is a collection of individual spirits, representing unique casks, trials that have taken place over the years and combinations that may never be seen again. Central to this is the philosophy that the maturing stock is ready when it’s ready. The inventory is regularly sampled, with meticulous records kept of its progress. Only once it reaches its peak will it be bottled – and of course, in a world of individuals, once it’s gone it is truly gone. The whiskies carried within the collections are unique and irreplaceable– single snapshots in the long history of Scotch whisky.

The collections are worked on by a team of people including the family, directors of the business and the blending team. At the outset, we don’t set out with a theme in mind and always start with the liquid and endeavour to keep an open mind. Our goal is to uncover the hidden gems, the unusual flavours and parcels of whiskies that we think are exceptional within the family’s collection. Variety is also an essential element. We don’t stipulate that we need to create a set number of blends, blended malts or grains. Depending on what we uncover that then inspires the names and theme for the whiskies.

To date (July 2024) House of Hazelwood has released three Collections of eight whiskies in each. The diverse whiskies all feature unique provenance and are highly limited – from the first drop of whisky to come off the stills at the Girvan grain distillery on the South Ayrshire coast – to the last drops distilled at some of Scotland’s now silent distilleries. Each collection is split across a range of four Charles Gordon Collection releases (with recommended retail pricing from £3,000 to £6000 / 70cl) and four Legacy Collection releases (with recommended pricing from £950 to £1,900). 

The Collections

The House of Hazelwood Launch Collection (First Collection):

The Charles Gordon Collection

A legend within the Scotch whisky community, Charles Gordon spent much of his youth at Hazelwood House and in later years was fundamental in bringing in some of the earliest stock that was laid down for the House of Hazelwood collection This eponymous collection of rare and old Scotch whiskies represents some of the most remarkable stock held within the inventory – every cask aged for at least fifty years, every bottle with its own story to tell. 

• The Cask Trials, 53 Year-Old Single Grain Scotch Whisky. Distilled in 1968 and matured for 53 years in a single sherry butt, this is an incredibly rare, deep and intense release crafted from an unlikely marriage of European oak and Girvan grain. Almost unrecognisable as grain whisky but with a delicious underlying richness. 
• The First Drop, 58 Year-Old Single Grain Scotch Whisky. On 8th January 1964, the very first drops of new make spirit flowed at the Girvan grain distillery, in South Ayrshire. Since then, many millions of litres of alcohol have flowed off those stills, but the first casks filled have lain undisturbed – maturing and improving with every day.  
• Blended at Birth, 56 Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky. Some whiskies may appear born to be paired together but very few are blended at birth. Yet such is the case with this unusual parcel of grain and malt, born 56 years ago and married – as new make spirit – before aging as a blend for half a lifetime in American Oak. Time has mellowed the new-make character and brought the malt and grain components together to create a blend that has matured as a single spirit.
• The Long Marriage, 56 Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky. This unique whisky has lain undisturbed in a single refill butt marrying for almost half a century. Bottled at natural strength this is one of the rarest whiskies within our inventory – rich and mature with a majestic antique character and layers of complexity.

The Legacy Collection

Every whisky laid down within the House of Hazelwood inventory represents a legacy for future generations to explore and enjoy. The Legacy Collection showcases some of the brightest highlights of the inventory, comprising whiskies of exceptional character and provenance, each with a story to tell.  Within the Collection are whiskies that are the first of their kind, the last of their line, those that capture the spirit of an era and those that offer insights into the inner workings of the Scotch whisky community.

• The Tops, 33 Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky. Every blender has malt whiskies in their inventory that are considered to be ‘tops’ – the best of the best available from the inventory, typically used sparingly and eked out over time. This rare blend of malts is an indulgent combination of the very best of our ‘tops’, married together to create something truly precious – richly decadent with a sherried character and layers of complexity.  
• The Spirit of Scotland, 46 Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky. This exceptional blend was first created in 1994 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the oldest recorded reference to Scotch Whisky within the1494 Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. Since first being blended, the spirit has lain in cask for a further 28 years, developing further with every year and building into a truly exceptional, fully-unified Blended Scotch Whisky.
• Sunshine on Speyside, 39 Year-Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky. Distilled in the early ‘80s in the era of brightly coloured, tropical flavoured cocktails it is perhaps only natural that this Speyside Blended Malt has taken on notes of pineapple and mango throughout its time in cask. The emergence of flavours such as this is unusual, inexplicable and reminds us of the magical process that takes place between cask and spirit over time.
• The Lost Estate, 43 Year-Old Blended Grain Scotch Whisky. Grain whisky distilleries in Scotland are rare enough but a blend of grain whiskies created from now-silent distilleries is rarer still. This unique blend brings together the individual distillery characters of two of Scotland’s closed grain whisky distilleries to create a style of whisky that reflects a past era of production.

The Autumn Collection (Second collection)

The Charles Gordon Collection

• A Singular Blend, 1963 Blended Scotch Whisky, 74 bottles worldwide, RRSP£4,900

Unprecedented at this age, the most singular of blends is 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. 

• The Old Confectioner’s, 44 Year-Old Blended Malt, 256 bottles worldwide, RRSP£3,000

Certain whiskies have the ability to transport the drinker back to lost places that cannot be revisited any other way. Such is the case with this remarkable aged malt, rich with the treacle toffee, liquorice and candied fruit notes found in old sweet shops. Warming, enormously satisfying and lightly drying on the finish, years of marrying in refill sherry butts have created a fully unified wonderfully evocative malt whisky. 

• The Next Chapter, 50 Year-Old Blended Scotch, 157 bottles worldwide, RRSP £4,000

Distilled in 1972 and initially aged to near perfection in a combination of European and American Oak this blend embarked upon a brave new chapter through a ten-year secondary finishing period in active ex-bourbon barrels. Such a process is unusual but has added fresh vigour to the already weighty blend – a testament to the power of new beginnings and a reminder that it is never too late to embark on the next chapter. 

• The Unknown, 44 Year-Old Blended Scotch, 143 bottles worldwide, RRSP£3,000

Some blends are so compelling that a little mystery only adds to their allure – and such is the case with this gloriously mature scotch whisky. While the precise provenance of its component parts were lost, we can say that the elements were distilled in 1978 and blended in 1989. An exclusive secondary maturation for a further 33 years in a single refill butt has created a blend of exceptional quality. 

The Legacy Collection

• A Breath of Fresh Air, 37 Year-Old Blended Grain, 417 bottles worldwide, RRSP£1,450

This exceptional blend of aged grain whiskies from across Scotland possesses a character that is stunningly clean, fresh almost minty on the palate. A showcase for the diverse, beguiling identities that old grain whisky can take on, its invigorating, reviving and entirely unique character offers something new for even the most experienced of palates.   

• A Trail of Smoke, 42 Year-Old Blended Malt, 385 bottles worldwide, RRSP£1,900

This beautifully balanced malt whisky takes us on a meandering journey through Scotland’s Islands – from dry and herbal to luscious and fruity with a delicate trail of woodsmoke always present in the background. An astonishingly complex, wonderfully evocative release redolent of the remarkable islands from which it hails. 

• The Eight Grain, 40 Year-Old Blended Grain, 384 bottles worldwide, RRSP£1,200

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. Combining the rich and unctuous decadence and bright citrus notes characteristic of the component distilleries, this release is rare, unrepeatable, and utterly delicious. 

• The Lowlander, 36 Year-Old Blended Scotch, 432 bottles worldwide, RRSP£950 

Bringing together the strengths of a number of Scotland’s Lowland distilleries this unusual release celebrates what is often an overlooked region within the world of Scotch whisky. Bright and crisp in character with notes of granite and spun sugar this is a showcase for the merits of Lowland distillation and maturation. 

Renowned whisky expert Charles Maclean, on sampling the second collection, said:  

‘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.’ 

The 2024 Collection (Third collection)

The Charles Gordon Collection

• The Garden at Hazelwood, 47-Year-Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, 45.8% ABV, 137 bottles worldwide, UK RRSP £4,500

Reminiscent of the garden at Hazelwood House, this release is redolent of the natural haven that has played host to generations of the Gordon family. Wonderfully welcoming with an abundance of lavender and orchard fruits. 

• The Last Trace, 58-Year-Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, 43.1% ABV, 65 bottles worldwide, UK RRSP £6,000

The final swan song of two casks ravaged by theft committed by the Angel’s Share. The resulting whisky offers a remarkable depth, balancing the sweet and savoury masterfully. 

• A Minute to Midnight, 45-Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky, 58.6% ABV, 154 bottles worldwide, UK RRSP £4,000

Unashamed decadence in its depth, this outstanding sherry bomb is one to keep under lock and key until the house falls quiet in the latest hours of the night. Only then is it safe to savour, as an indulgence such as this always disappears all too soon. 

• The Old Ways, 1972 Vintage Single Grain Scotch Whisky, 50.1% ABV, 123 bottles worldwide, UK RRSP £3,500

A true champion of a time gone past, this sensational single grain embodies the booming entrepreneurial spirit and ambition of the Scotch whisky industry in the 1970s. A hero grain of remarkable character. 

The Legacy Collection

• The Hazelwood Highlander, 33-Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky, 45.8% ABV, 203 bottles worldwide, UK RRSP £1,200

One intake of breath after uncorking this Blended Scotch Whisky and you could find yourself transported to the rich, luscious rolling hills of the Scottish countryside in summer. Meet the spiritual sibling of The Lowlander. 

• Queen of the Hebrides, 36-Year-Old Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, 43.4% ABV, 274 bottles worldwide, UK RRSP £2,000

Heave away on the gulf of the Corryvreckan and discover a marvellous maelstrom character within this smoked sensation. A heavily peated partner worthy of such a royal title. 

• The Silk Traveller, 44-Year-Old Single Grain Scotch Whisky, 47.6% ABV, 212 bottles worldwide, UK RRSP £1,500

An unexpected immersion of the senses – and extremely pleasurable in every nuanced note. Generous, warm and sweetly spiced – a journey down this road of silk will yield boons in flavour. 

• The Transatlantic, 33-Year-Old Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, 57.3% ABV, 291 bottles worldwide, UK RRSP £1,300

A rare, delicious Scotch Blended Grain that could easily be twinned if sampled blind, with the finest of American Bourbon. Sweet and woody, this drop will reward on every aspect of taste. 

In addition to the above 24 bottles – we also have two special bottles released in 2023. The Accelerator & The Brake was launched in partnership with world renowned whisky expert, Dave Broom.  The Huntsman Blend was created in partnership with Huntsman Tailors of Savile Row, who were celebrating their 75^th anniversary and kicked it off by creating a bespoke House of Hazelwood tweed cloth and a Huntsman Blended Whisky. 

• The Huntsman Blend, 50-Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky, 75 bottles worldwide, RRSP £5,900
• The Accelerator & The Brake, 33-Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky, 209 bottles worldwide, RRSP £1,700.