Life in Luxury’s guide to: The Glenlivet Winchester Collection Vintage 1964

Published on Life in Luxury on 25th December 2014:

Single malt whisky aficionados, and particularly those who are fans of The Glenlivet, should take note as the first of the Winchester Collection finally makes it onto the shelves.

The new collection, named after The Glenlivet’s Master Distiller Alan Winchester, will be a series of exclusive 50 year old single malt whiskies for the true connoisseur. The first release, Vintage 1964 is limited to just 100 individually numbered bottles.

“Bottle No. 1”, priced at £17,995, has been on sale in Harrods since October but the exquisite whisky is also due to be made available elsewhere.

So just what should you expect from a whisky as old as this? Well influence from American oak that previously held bourbon is certainly at the top of the list. But pears, oranges, and black cherries are the sorts of fruit notes you’ll soon uncover in the enduring profile of this remarkably youthful blend.

Of course the whisky is presented in an equally beguilling bottle. The decanter is designed by Scottish glass artists Nichola Burns and Brodie Nairn while the stopper is designed by silversmith Richard Fox using rose gold. And to keep it all safe is a presentation cabinet designed by John Galvin.

This is one for keeps.

A beginner’s guide to Scotch whisky

Published on Yahoo Lifestyle UK & Ireland on 25th January 2014:

Scotch is undoubtedly some of the best whisky in the world. A bottle of Macallan “M” was recently sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong for a staggering $628,205, making it the world’s most expensive single malt sold at auction.

What made this particular whisky so in demand was the fact that it was a blend of whiskies from seven different casks, out of a possible 200,000 at Macallan, that’s aged between 25 to 75 years old. Added to the rarity of the whisky was the six litre crystal decanter made by luxury glass designer Lalique which held the spirit.

That was a whisk for the record books but thankfully, most whiskies are not quite so expensive.

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Cask finished whiskies that you must try

Published on Yahoo Lifestyle UK & Ireland on 10th May 2013:

A recent trip to the Isle of Skye revealed a whole new side of whiskies for me – the cask finished whiskies.

By law, all whiskies are aged in oak barrels for a minimum of three years. A select few also go on to be “finished” in special casks, which would impart additional flavours to the whisky. Majority of the casks were from sweet or fortified wines, giving the finished whisky a sweeter and fruitier note. Some, like Auchentoshan Three Wood, are even aged in three different types of casks.

I was in Skye for the unveiling of the Talisker Port Ruighe – the latest and permanent addition to the Talisker portfolio. Port Ruighe is the classic Talisker 10 finished in a port cask, a process which gave it a caramel hue, softened smoke and fruitier notes. Some might say, Talisker for the ladies.

Read more at Yahoo!