From the House of Hazelwood’s impressive stocks comes a new release: The Pursuit of Pleasure – a 52 Year Old blended Scotch whisky, released in collaboration with London-based fine wine and spirits merchants, Hedonism Wines.
To create this exclusive whisky, the Hedonism team headed up to Speyside, Scotland, to explore the Gordon family’s – AKA the founding family behind House of Hazelwood and one of the biggest names in Scotch whisky – century-old supplies.
“To be invited to sample whisky from the family’s private collection is every whisky connoisseur’s dream”, said Tom Olive, assistant spirit buyer at Hedonism. “Our aim was simple: to produce a blend of pure indulgence. The result is a whisky that can be described as ‘decadence decanted.’”
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Guided by House of Hazelwood’s whisky blender Eilidh Muir, the Hedonism team delved into what is regarded as one of the world’s greatest Scotch collections, trying samples direct from cask in pursuit of the perfect blend.
Billed as House of Hazelwood’s rarest release yet, the Hedonism panel selected a combination of liquids aged for a minimum of 52 years in American White Oak and European Sherry Casks, with a focus on harnessing rich, decadent flavors – the embodiment of hedonism.
An intentionally non-polarizing, crowd-pleasing whisky, The Pursuit of Pleasure leads with a dense sweetness, rich with dark fruits, on the nose. A first sip reveals more sweetness but this time with a distinctly vanilla profile. A very gentle lick of smoke rounds off a long finish.
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“Making a truly exceptional whisky takes decades of patience but thanks to our extensive aged stocks the journey from cask to bottle can be navigated within a matter of months,” added House of Hazelwood director, Jonathan Gibson.
“Given the breadth and depth of our stocks which spans every corner of Scotland, our bespoke blend offering allows us to work closely with partners and private individuals to uncover whisky stocks and flavors to create something truly special that matches their creative vision.”
Just 72 bottles of The Pursuit of Pleasure are available, and exclusively from Hedonism Wines’ Mayfair store and online for an RRP of £4,000 (approx. $5,200).
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