It has been an exceptional few weeks for FINE+RARE events. From Hong Kong to London, Milan to the Scottish Highlands, this run of extraordinary occasions – each distinct in character – has been united by the thread that runs through everything we do: bringing people closer to the world's most exceptional wines and spirits in settings that do them justice. Tiberio Dinner Table by Sandy Keung, Hong Kong — Wednesday 21 May The run began with one of the most eye-opening evenings of recent weeks, centred on the wines of Tiberio, the Abruzzo estate whose commitment to a no-oak philosophy — for both fermentation and ageing, with the sole exception of Archivio — continues to challenge assumptions about what Italian wine can achieve without the influence of wood. The evening opened with three vintages of Fonte Canale: 2016, 2018 and 2023. The 2023 drew immediate attention — many guests found it hard to believe that a wine of such depth and power had not seen any oak influence whatsoever. Vibrant acidity and a clear capacity for long-term ageing were immediately apparent. The 2016, with more time in bottle, had moved into more evolved territory, displaying nutty and dried fruit notes while retaining impressive freshness. The 2018 proved a wonderful companion to the mixed clam dish, its texture and salinity enhancing the natural sweetness of the seafood. Among the whites, the standout for many was the Quarmari 2023 — exceptionally aromatic, revealing layers of beeswax, jasmine, caramel, lemon cream, basil and sweet spice. It was universally appreciated around the table, with some guests going so far as to compare its quality and presence to Corton-Charlemagne. The reds were equally compelling. Four vintages of Colle Vota — 2014, 2018, 2019 and 2021 — demonstrated remarkable depth and character across the board. Full-bodied and structured, with pronounced notes of dark fruits, liquorice, cedar, cinnamon and spice, the 2018 and 2021 in particular showed great power and concentration, their style subtly reminiscent, for some guests, of Château de Tours from Rayas. Paired with the lamb neck course, these wines were in their element. What surprised many most was that, despite their weight and complexity, not one had been aged in oak — a testament to the intrinsic power and expression of old vines. The inaugural 2014 vintage of Colle Vota was a particularly memorable moment. Despite showing early tertiary notes, it retained excellent fruit, freshness and structure, offering a compelling demonstration of the outstanding ageing potential these old-vine wines possess. It was an evening that left a very strong impression on everyone present, and a powerful reminder that great winemaking is, above all, about the vine and the land. Update by Jonathan Leung, Sales Manager, Hong Kong Castello di Ama — Vigneto Bellavista Vertical Dinner The River Café, London — Thursday 18 June One of the most memorable evenings of the year so far took place at The River Café, where proprietor Lorenza Sebasti guided a remarkable retrospective of Castello di Ama's Bellavista — the estate's defining wine, drawn from one of the highest and most historic sites in Gaiole in Chianti. Presented across nine vintages spanning more than three decades, from 1990 through to the newly released 2022, the dinner offered a rare opportunity to explore both the evolution and the extraordinary consistency of one of Tuscany's great wines. The oldest vintages were deeply impressive. The 1990, 1995, 2004 and 2006 demonstrated that great Chianti Classico belongs among the world's most ageworthy wines, maintaining freshness, detail and vivacity decades after harvest. For many around the table, however, the greatest surprise came from the 2011 — universally praised and the favourite of numerous guests — which has now entered an ideal drinking window, combining maturity, complexity and harmony in a way that rewards the patience Bellavista has always asked of its admirers. Among the younger vintages, the 2018 impressed for its purity and transparency, while the 2021 and 2022 elevated the conversation further. Both displayed remarkable polish, power and refinement alongside the freshness that has become an increasingly important hallmark of the site. It was the 2022 Bellavista that generated the greatest excitement. Awarded a perfect 100-point score by Antonio Galloni, the wine was the subject of considerable discussion throughout the evening, though the consensus was clear: the score tells only a small part of the story. What made the 2022 so fascinating was what it represents — a convergence of decades of technical progress, viticultural understanding and winemaking refinement in a single wine. It possessed concentration and potency, but delivered these with remarkable elegance, precision and energy. More than any previous vintage tasted, it felt like a blueprint for the future of the estate. Throughout the evening, Lorenza and Arturo offered invaluable personal reflections on the evolution of Castello di Ama, transforming the dinner from a vertical tasting into a living history of one of Italy's great estates. The River Café, with its understated elegance and deep connection to Italian cuisine, proved the perfect setting. The main takeaway was a simple truth: Bellavista is one of Italy's great wines, and only growing in stature and completeness. Across more than thirty years, through changing vintages and shifting climates, it has maintained a consistency of purpose and identity that very few wines anywhere in the world can match. Update by Dara de Lacy, Senior Sales Manager, UK EAWCO Rarities Selection — Bowmore & Springbank Masterclass FINE+RARE HQ, London A masterclass that set the bar high from the very first pour. We were delighted to welcome Christian Leusder, founder and owner of East Asia Whisky Company, to FINE+RARE headquarters for an evening dedicated to some of the rarest independent bottlings in existence. East Asia Whisky Company has been a longstanding and deeply valued partner of FINE+RARE. An exclusive independent bottler built on principles of understatement, exclusivity and meticulous attention to detail, EAWCO's portfolio spans blue-chip distilleries including Macallan, Bowmore, Springbank, Chichibu and Caroni. They remain the only independent bottler to have released multiple successful Mizunara cask bottlings from these houses — releases that have, remarkably, achieved higher prices than the original distillery bottlings of the same vintages. Christian guided guests through the history of the company before leading a tutored exploration of five extraordinarily rare expressions from Bowmore and Springbank: Bowmore PX Mizunara, 31 Year Old Bowmore Japan Edition, 30 Year Old Springbank Lumen Refill Sherry, 30 Year Old Springbank Yokai Series Asanoha Dragon, 24 Year Old Springbank Yokai Series Yurei (Ghost) Cat, 25 Year Old With a few surprises woven in along the way, the evening was a genuine privilege — one of those rare tastings where every bottle opened carries real weight and significance. For those who were unable to attend, a small number of these bottlings remain available, though given how few exist, they are being offered very selectively. All come very highly recommended. Update by Morgan Richards, Senior Account Manager An Extraordinary Journey Through Bordeaux's Greatest Estates Trattoria de La Trebia, Milan — Tuesday 23 June In Milan, an evening of extraordinary ambition brought together a side-by-side exploration of the 2012 and 2014 vintages through Bordeaux's most celebrated First Growth estates and the legendary Petrus. Far more than a tasting, this was a rare opportunity for guests to compare the expression of each château across two very different vintages — discovering how terroir, philosophy and vintage character shape wines that stand among the finest ever produced. The lineup was nothing short of remarkable. Across both vintages, guests tasted Château Margaux, Château Cheval Blanc, Château Haut-Brion, Petrus, Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Mouton Rothschild and Château La Mission Haut-Brion — fourteen wines in all, representing the very pinnacle of Bordeaux winemaking. The tasting was complemented by an exclusive five-course menu designed by the culinary team at Trattoria de La Trebia, crafted to enhance and showcase each wine served throughout the evening. If one wine captured the room above all others, it was the Château Haut-Brion 2012. Explosive from the first moment, with blackcurrant, smoke and herbs, it simply grew in the glass — every passing minute revealing more power, richness and intensity. Full-bodied, multi-layered and framed by wonderfully chewy tannins, this is a wine of real charm: approachable now yet built to last another twenty years with ease. A blend of 65.5% Merlot, 32.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, it offers extraordinary quality for its level — the kind of Haut-Brion that gives joy from the very first sip. Not to be missed. The Château Margaux 2012 also showed beautifully, drawing considerable admiration from guests throughout the evening. Designed for collectors, enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike, the dinner brought together extraordinary wines, great conversation and a shared passion for excellence — everything a FINE+RARE evening in Italy should be. Update by Jonathan Bruni, Sales Director, Continental Europe Visit to Hazelwood House Speyside, Scotland — Thursday 25 to Friday 26 June The series closed with something truly special: a private, two-day visit to Hazelwood House, the Gordon family home in the Scottish Highlands and the inspiration behind the House of Hazelwood collection — one of the world's greatest inventories of aged and rare Scotch whisky. Over two days, a small group of guests were given rare access to a world that very few ever see: private tours of the Balvenie and Glenfiddich distilleries, a whisky tasting drawn from House of Hazelwood's private reserves, a Gordon family archive session led by archivist Andy Fairgrieve, and an evening of wine, whisky and storytelling over a four-course dinner at the house itself — each course paired with exceptional wines from FINE+RARE alongside whiskies of extraordinary age and provenance. It was the kind of experience that simply cannot be replicated — not just rare access, but a genuine connection to the family, the place and the history from which these remarkable whiskies come. These past few weeks have captured everything we love about what we do at FINE+RARE – connecting people with the world's most remarkable wines and spirits, in the most exceptional settings, surrounded by the stories and the people that bring them to life.  We look forward to sharing what lies ahead for the rest of the year. Interested in joining us at future events? We are pleased to announce that it is now possible to browse, book and purchase event tickets directly through our website, with all tickets viewable in your portfolio. Get in touch with your account manager or visit frw.co.uk/events to see what's coming up — we'd love to see you at the next one.

Tiberio in Hong Kong, Castello di Ama and rare whiskies in London, First Growth Bordeaux in Milan and a private Scottish estate — a glimpse of our events programme week to week. Plus, you can now purchase event tickets directly through our website.

From a Tiberio dinner in Hong Kong to rare whiskies in Scotland, a look back at recent FINE+RARE tastings, dinners and experiences.

Looking back at our recent events

Non capita tutti i giorni di poter assaggiare vini prodotti oltre mezzo secolo fa – ma all’inizio di questo mese ho potuto ripercorrere l’Imperial Gran Reserva di punta di CVNE fino all’annata 1947. Victor Urrutia, quinta generazione della sua famiglia alla guida di questo leggendario produttore della Rioja, ha organizzato una degustazione di quella che ha definito “la sporca dozzina” – affiancando 12 annate di Imperial. I vini sono stati scelti per mostrare come il vino si esprima attraverso una gamma di annate – non solo le più celebri, ma le calde, le fredde, le possenti e le mediocri. 
 CVNE produce vino nella Rioja Alta dal 1879, quindi – anche risalendo al 1947 – questa degustazione ha offerto solo un’istantanea della sua storia. Imperial fu creato agli inizi del XX secolo (1917 è l’annata più antica assaggiata dallo stesso Urrutia), concepito come una “super Rioja”, ha spiegato Urrutia. L’idea era di fare il miglior vino possibile, a prescindere dal suo potenziale commerciale, in un’epoca in cui la Rioja non aveva il prestigio di oggi. Si producono circa 50.000 bottiglie, ma – cosa importante – Imperial non viene realizzato in ogni annata, poiché in alcuni anni la qualità dell’uva non soddisfa i rigorosi standard di CVNE (ad esempio non ci sono state le annate 2003, 2006 o 2013, e non ci sarà nemmeno la 2023). 
 Per Urrutia, l’obiettivo con Imperial oggi è riflettere ciascuna annata e mettere a punto il vino piuttosto che cercare rivoluzioni. Le annate più antiche sono il loro punto di riferimento e fonte d’ispirazione. Attraverso le annate, tuttavia, Urrutia indica un naso “da chiesa” – qualcosa che trova distintamente Imperial e che ricorda la cantina. 
 È facile, forse, dimenticare quanto bene invecchi la Rioja – e non solo per un decennio o due, ma per oltre mezzo secolo. L’annata più vecchia di questa degustazione, la 1947, è stata senza dubbio la stella – un vino che ha conservato la sua freschezza, con aromi delicati e un palato magnificamente lungo, puro, risolto. L’intero volo ha impressionato – con la qualità di Imperial a risplendere. Sono comparse alcune delle annate leggendarie della Rioja (la 1970 e la 1959, che siedono accanto a 1982 e 1964 nei libri di storia), ma i miei preferiti personali sono stati la già citata 1947, la 2004 ancora compatta (nominata Wine of the Year da Wine Spectator nel 2013), la cupa 2011 e la graziosa, elegante 2018. I vigneti di Imperial L’uva per l’Imperial Gran Reserva proviene dai migliori vigneti di CVNE, tutti con oltre 40 anni di età e quasi tutti ad alberello, con rese di circa 4.000 kg/ha (equivalenti a circa 25 hl/ha o meno di 1,5 tonnellate/acro). Le parcelle si trovano tutte vicino ai monti Cantabrici, a circa 500–600 metri di altitudine, e su suoli poveri ma freschi (argilla e calcare) – conferendo grande freschezza ai vini, anche negli anni caldi e siccitosi, spiega la storica Direttrice Tecnica María Larrea. 
 Il villaggio di Villalba de Rioja è stato la spina dorsale del vino sin dalla sua concezione. Questo villaggio è il luogo in cui i fratelli Real de Asúa (che fondarono CVNE) acquistarono per primi dei vigneti, quattro chilometri da Haro. I vigneti sono ripidi ed esposti a sud, soggetti ai venti e quindi alcune viti devono essere allevate a cordone speronato (cordón Royat), ma ciò apporta acidità e freschezza al vino – elementi essenziali per il suo potenziale di invecchiamento. Parcelle nei villaggi di Briones e Torremontalbo furono aggiunte in seguito, negli anni ’60. Briones ha suoli più ricchi, pendii dolci e un clima più caldo, conferendo struttura e corpo al vino, mentre Torremontalbo ha pendii ripidi e sassosi con suoli calcarei e una significativa escursione termica, aggiungendo mineralità e finezza al blend. 
 Il blend di Imperial Il blend è cambiato nel corso degli anni, con il vino originariamente attorno al 40% Garnacha e 40% Tempranillo, con il restante 20% Graciano e Mazuelo. I vecchi vigneti erano field blend, con le varietà interfilari e raccolte insieme, implicando livelli di maturazione misti – qualcosa che probabilmente apportava equilibrio e complessità ai vini, anche se parte dell’uva poteva non essere matura. Oggi, ogni varietà è piantata separatamente da CVNE – permettendo maggiore controllo e precisione, vendemmiando ciascuna uva al momento perfetto e componendo il blend in cantina. 
 Negli anni ’70 si è assistito a un allontanamento dalla Garnacha, con sempre più Tempranillo piantato al suo posto. La Garnacha era meno apprezzata, vista come un cavallo da tiro, impressione soltanto rafforzata quando cloni meno pregiati e ad alta resa furono piantati negli anni ’80 e ’90. Come ha anche osservato la Larrea, la Garnacha è molto più soggetta a colatura e acinellatura (scarsa fioritura e allegagione), il che potrebbe essere stato un altro fattore del suo declino. C’è stato anche un periodo, ha spiegato Urrutia, in cui Bordeaux era il punto di riferimento per il vino fine, e si cercava di imitare la regione, privilegiando il Tempranillo per il suo colore più scuro rispetto alla più sottile di buccia e quindi più pallida Grenache. Oggi, il blend è dominato dal Tempranillo (con sia il 2017 sia il 2018 Imperial all’85% Tempranillo), ma la Grenache sta vivendo una rinascita in tutta la Rioja e – a patto di avere il giusto materiale clonale e/o vigneti più vecchi – potrebbe contribuire maggiormente al blend in futuro. 
 La proporzione di Graciano e Mazuelo è stata leggermente ridotta, ma la Larrea sottolinea quanto siano importanti le due uve di fronte al cambiamento climatico. Il Mazuelo (alias Carignan/Cariñena) fornisce struttura e colore, mentre il Graciano apporta acidità e complessità aromatica. La vinificazione Sebbene sia entrata in CVNE nel 1991, María Larrea ha preso in mano la vinificazione di Imperial con l’annata 2005, succedendo a Basilio Izquierdo, che aveva diretto le operazioni per oltre 30 anni (dal 1973). Prima di Izquierdo venne Ezequiel García, noto come “El Brujo” (“Il Mago”), enologo di CVNE per oltre tre decenni (tornò brevemente nel 2014 per ricreare il loro leggendario bianco, Monopole). 
 Attraverso i tre enologi e quasi 70 anni, sorprendentemente è cambiato poco. La vinificazione qui rimane estremamente tradizionale, sebbene la tecnologia abbia permesso al team di monitorare i vini più da vicino e di migliorare l’igiene di cantina, come nella maggior parte delle regioni. La fermentazione rimane indigena, anche se non è più spontanea – i vini vengono inoculati con un ceppo selezionato del loro lievito indigeno dall’inizio degli anni 2010 (con alcuni esperimenti negli anni ’90). Tradizionalmente la fermentazione avveniva in vasche di cemento, ma negli anni ’90 si è passati al rovere, con una sola annata (1994) fermentata in acciaio inox quando le botti non arrivarono in tempo. 
 I vini venivano un tempo conservati in botte e imbottigliati solo al momento della vendita, quindi alcune vecchie annate di Imperial hanno trascorso oltre un decennio in botte, mentre oggi il vino resta normalmente in botte tra due e tre anni. (Le date di imbottigliamento per ciascuna annata sono incluse di seguito – la 1947 non fu imbottigliata fino al 1960!) In origine il rovere era tutto americano, semplicemente perché era quello a cui avevano accesso tramite le loro storiche rotte commerciali, e le botti venivano mantenute per decenni (la Larrea ricorda l’uso di botti di 40 anni quando arrivò negli anni ’90). CVNE ha iniziato gradualmente a introdurre rovere francese negli anni ’80, con circa il 30% di rovere francese negli anni ’90 e circa il 60–70% oggi, con il resto americano. I vini: degustare otto decenni di CVNE Imperial Una nota sulle bottiglie: le annate più vecchie sono in vetro verde, ma si è passati al vetro ambrato circa 10–15 anni fa. 
 2018 Imperial Gran Reserva: Questo è stato un vero highlight della verticale. È ancora molto giovane, fruttato, ma con straordinaria finezza e delicatezza. Il naso è preciso con aggraziati aromi di spezie, grafite e fiori insieme al frutto cristallino. Il palato è succoso e agile, puro, setoso e fresco con tabacco saporito e frutti rossi disidratati che riempiono il finale saporito. Bellissimo e molto aperto, già ora. Fermentato in rovere, 14% alcol e imbottigliato a luglio 2021. 
 2017 Imperial Gran Reserva: Gelate hanno colpito gran parte dell’Europa a fine aprile 2017, sebbene il resto della stagione sia stato relativamente caldo, producendo un raccolto minuscolo di frutta concentrata. È un vino drasticamente diverso dal 2018, ma ancora con grande freschezza e un guizzo floreale accanto a frutta rossa matura e dolce. Il palato è teso, molto meno approcciabile del 2018, con tannini compatti, un morso di acidità croccante e una stretta di tannini fermi, mentre toni affumicati riempiono il finale. Decantare per goderselo ora, ma sarà ancora migliore con un paio d’anni in bottiglia. Fermentato in rovere, 14% alcol e imbottigliato a luglio 2020. 
 2015 Imperial Gran Reserva: Il 2015 Imperial è scuro e intenso, stratificato con ricchi frutti di rovo, cedro, tabacco, spezie e qualcosa di carnoso – forse un accenno di biltong. Il palato riecheggia la concentrazione del naso, con tannini masticabili e una linea di acidità che incide la sua intensità. Potente, quasi severo, con più frutta secca che emerge con l’aria, il finale è lungo e saporito, con un tocco di miso rosso. Fermentato in rovere, 14,5% alcol e imbottigliato a giugno 2018. 
 2011 Imperial Gran Reserva: Un altro spicco della verticale, il 2011 Imperial offre un naso scuro e puro, ancora sorprendentemente primario con frutta di ciliegia nera e cassis, sollevato da un dolce profumo speziato. Il palato è setoso e puro, ancora così giovane, scorre sulla lingua, incorniciato da tannini fermi ma integrati. È concentrato e lungo, con aromi floreali che danzano sul finale succoso. Difficile resistergli, con grande equilibrio. Fermentato in rovere, 13,5% alcol e imbottigliato a luglio 2014. 
 2009 Imperial Gran Reserva: Questo è un Imperial molto serio, ora in una fase di bella maturità – con sottobosco saporito e note speziate accanto al vibrante frutto di bacche scure. Il palato è intenso ma con una morbidezza, nonostante l’impalcatura tannica masticabile. È succoso ed espressivo, con note affumicate, speziate, di tabacco sul finale, e appena un leggerissimo accenno di cuoio che inizia ad apparire. Fermentato in rovere, 13,8% alcol e imbottigliato a gennaio 2013. 
 2004 Imperial Gran Reserva: Da una “annata da manuale”, nelle parole del CEO di CVNE Victor Urrutia, il 2004 brilla. Trucioli di matita e bacon completano frutta matura e scura. Il palato è teso e compatto, ma con una succosità che allunga l’insieme, con un’acidità che guida fino al lungo finale. I tannini sono soffici e morbidi, integrati con il frutto, ma offrono ancora presa sul finale. Luminoso ed equilibrato senza sforzo. Fermentato in rovere, 13,8% alcol e imbottigliato a ottobre 2008. 
 1994 Imperial Gran Reserva: Questa è un’annata intrigante di Imperial, l’unica ad essere stata fermentata in acciaio inox durante il passaggio dal cemento al legno, ma le botti nuove non arrivarono in tempo per l’annata. Fu anche servita al matrimonio del Principe della Corona di Spagna, poi divenuto Re Felipe VI. Dopo il 2004, questo segna uno spostamento verso vini dominati da note terziarie, sebbene qui ci sia ancora molta frutta. Il naso è speziato con fungo e sottobosco accanto a incenso e toni di cuoio. Il palato è carico di umami – con cuoio fresco e frutti di bosco disidratati – oltre a fragole essiccate, tannini morbidi e acidità rinfrescante. Fermentato in acciaio inox, 13,16% alcol e imbottigliato a giugno 1998. 
 1980 Imperial Gran Reserva: Come ha detto il CEO Victor Urrutia, il 1980 è stata “un’annata di merda” – ed è sempre rimasta all’ombra del 1981 e del 1982. Assaggiando il vino oggi, probabilmente è giusto – tuttavia resta un vino impressionante. Il naso ha un accento nettamente erbaceo, mentolato, sulla dolcezza del frutto – fragole macerate, con un accenno balsamico. I tannini offrono ancora mordente, mentre il frutto vira verso toni più scuri e di rovo verso il finale. Fermentato in cemento, 13,4% alcol e imbottigliato a maggio 1985. 
 1970 Imperial Gran Reserva: L’annata 1970 fu calda e produsse vini potenti – guadagnandosi la reputazione di una delle migliori annate della Rioja. Dopo oltre 50 anni, il vino è intensamente saporito – combinando soia, marmite e sentori di stalla con frutto scuro intenso. Con l’aria, il vino offre strati di spezie (quasi reminiscenti della paprika), bacon frazzles e mandorle affumicate, a complemento del concentrato nucleo di frutto. È intenso ma equilibrato, con acidità brillante che mantiene tutto fresco e riempie il lungo finale. Fermentato in cemento, 12,97% alcol e imbottigliato a marzo 1975. 
 1968 Imperial Gran Reserva: Da un’annata più difficile, il 1968 Imperial ha un naso affascinante che combina senza soluzione di continuità il salato e il dolce – con una ricchezza terrosa che siede accanto a frutto di bosco intriso d’incenso e una gradevole nota erbacea. Il palato è elegante e vibrante, con ancora molta frutta che guida attraverso il suo nucleo, mentre note più saporite e affumicate dominano il finale. Fermentato in cemento, 12,7% alcol e imbottigliato ad aprile 1974. 
 1959 Imperial Gran Reserva: L’annata 1959 è un’altra tra le più lodate della Rioja, sebbene sospetto che questa bottiglia non si sia espressa al meglio. C’è una morbidezza e intensità al palato, con una spinta acida affilata, mentre il naso è dominato da cuoio, liquirizia nera e sentori di stalla. Fermentato in cemento, 13% alcol e imbottigliato a febbraio 1968. 
 1947 Imperial Gran Reserva: Un vino straordinario da assaggiare, il 1947 CVNE Imperial ha una reputazione – che questa bottiglia ha più che confermato. Note di caffè e tabacco con frutto brillante – ciliegia rossa matura e lampone, oltre a fiori, incenso, tè nero e salvia, accanto a un profumo affumicato. È lungo e fresco al palato, senza soluzione di continuità e pienamente risolto ma puro e persistente, con un accento di Bovril sul finale che è vibrante e lungo. Splendido ora – bevetelo finché ne avete l’occasione. Fermentato in cemento, 12,4% alcol e imbottigliato ad agosto 1960. 
 Esplora tutte le etichette CVNE, inclusa una gamma di vecchie annate di Imperial Gran Reserva, o leggi altro Editorial

All'inizio di questo mese, CVNE ha ospitato una degustazione irripetibile del suo Imperial Gran Reserva. Sophie Thorpe esplora cosa rende questo vino così speciale e come si è evoluto nel corso di otto decenni.

Exploring CVNE’s flagship Gran Reserva Rioja, Imperial, back to 1947 at a once-in-a-lifetime tasting with CEO Victor Urrutia 

Tasting CVNE’s Imperial Gran Reserva Rioja 2018-1947 

Un'icona attraverso i secoli: Imperial Gran Reserva di CVNE

If you journey to the northernmost prefecture of Japan you will find Hokkaidō. Venture deeper into the Japanese island’s stunning national parks and forests and you’ll find its native quercus crispula – the mystical mizunara. Measuring up to 30 metres in height, with long, curved branches and broad leaves, the Japanese oak tree is undeniably majestic. In recent years, this humble tree, favoured by luxury furniture makers, has become an incredibly highly sought-after commodity in the whisky world for the slightly unusual characteristics of sandalwood, coconut and incense it imparts. It is so desirable, in fact, that a single barrel can easily cost 10 times the amount you’d pay for a standard Sherry cask. If you can get your hands on one at all, that is. Mizunara hasn’t always been as desirable as it is today. In fact, track back 10 to 15 years and very few people had heard of it, let alone deigned to put their beautifully crafted whisky in it. Its popularity neatly coincides with the sudden rise of Japanese whisky and Suntory’s decision to release a whisky that had been aged, albeit fleetingly, in this Japanese oak. What many didn’t realise at the time, and arguably still don’t to this day, is how problematic the mystical mizunara is to cooper, source and use as a maturation vessel. It takes approximately 200 years before a mizunara tree reaches the desired diameter for a cask (70-80cm). It doesn’t grow in a straight line, which makes creating staves a bit of a logistical headache for coopers. It has an extremely high moisture content (mizunara literally translates as water oak), and contains more knots than other woods, which is an issue when trying to make a cask watertight. It is also porous and prone to leakage. It's fair to say that it’s not a natural choice, and historically it wasn’t used in this way. Japanese distillers traditionally used European or American oak to mature their whisky because they were heavily influenced by Scotch traditions. But a shortage of casks during and after World War II forced them to look closer to home, to their native oak tree. Fast forward to today and the number of mizunara-finished whiskies is at an all-time high. As a consequence, mizunara barrels have only become more difficult (and expensive) to source. Andrew Rankin has worked in the whisky industry for 47 years – what he doesn’t know about casks isn’t worth knowing and his connections are enviable. None more so than his relationship with one of the oldest independent cooperages in Japan, from whom he sources a steady supply of mizunara for his new Scottish Highlands distillery Ardross. He describes the Japanese oak as a “fairly recent phenomenon” that was kickstarted by Suntory – a company he knows exceptionally well from his 20-plus years at Morrison Bowmore – where they filled an “absolutely tiny percentage” of Yamazaki into mizunara a decade ago. In the years that have followed, Rankin has been watching the mizunara market closely and is sceptical as to whether there is enough supply to meet demand. “It took me years to persuade Suntory to give us some mizunara casks,” he says. “At that time, I think it was 2010, we got three used mizunara casks and we got three new mizunara casks – and that was it. And it was a one-off. We weren’t getting a regular supply of it.” Even with his connections, Rankin says he doesn’t get a committed volume of mizunara each year because it is dependent on the level of deforestation and the quality of the wood. “We were due to get 20 [barrels] in at the beginning of this year,” he says, “but we still haven’t got them because of selection problems with the wood and shipping problems.” He’s hopeful they’ll arrive before the year is out, but there’s no guarantee. From the people I have spoken to, this lengthy wait is par for the course. East Asia Whisky Company’s Christian Leusder says it takes “approximately three years before you receive a good-quality mizunara barrel”. When you’ve parted with a staggering £8,000 per cask – five times the cost of a standard European or American oak barrel – it can be galling when other producers punt for a mediocre cask, which is only partly made from mizunara or is made from multiple trees, and sell their whisky for a similar price. These, arguably, poorer imitations can be with the buyer within a month or two because they take far less time to cooper and ship. Leusder believes the “massive” difference in cask pricing and considerable delay is worth it to produce something that isn’t just “bandwagon [and] off-the-rack”. Another bone of contention regarding mizunara is the length of time the whisky has spent in barrel, and whether the cask is fully or only partly made from the Japanese oak. Suntory UK Brand Ambassador James Bowker says the Japanese whisky behemoth is “lucky” to have a “relatively consistent, quality supply chain” that has been established over many years. These relationships enable them to fully age whiskies in single casks rather than cask transferring or finishing. “You’ll see this practice across our portfolio where we use mizunara,” he says. “It gives a more rounded, complex, tertiary profile rather than a simple hit of the primary cask notes.” However, Bowker is quick to acknowledge this expensive process which requires a “significant” time investment is not always possible – financially or otherwise – for some producers. Rankin says he really doesn’t know where all these producers are sourcing mizunara casks from because they are, naturally, far more scarce today than they were a decade ago. He is also sceptical about how long some of these whiskies have spent in mizunara and believes it takes at least five years to get any influence from the wood. “At the moment, you could put your whisky in a mizunara cask, roll it about on the floor, and say it is mizunara-cask-finished,” the Master Blender says. “And you probably know, and I probably know, that it is going on.” The people who don’t know, Rankin says, are the end consumers because producers are not currently required to be transparent about this on the label. East Asia Whisky Company’s Leusder picks up the point. “If you look at what Chivas Regal are doing, they are producing a lot of mizunara single malt whiskies which are just finishes and they don’t actually have an age statement so you don’t know how long they’ve been in there,” he says. “And I personally can’t really taste the mizunara out of it.” He continues: “Finishes can be gimmicky. They can go wrong. And they do not always yield the best product.” This is one of the reasons East Asia Whisky Company dips their toe in the mizunara pool but has no intention of fully submerging its feet. Its current Macallan mizunara series stops after the third release. A mizunara-finished Springbank and Bowmore release will follow, and then Leusder says the team might try and get their hands on a younger vintage and decide to age it in mizunara until the 40-to 50-year mark, when it will no longer be a finish. Dr Bill Lumsden, the genius behind Glenmorangie and Ardbeg for the past 26 years, has pioneered experimentation on every aspect of whisky production. It is telling that he has never released a product with mizunara oak in it. He says it is the taste profile, rather than sourcing and porosity, that puts him off the Japanese oak. “If I was to take Glenmorangie new-make spirit – and I’m neither confirming nor denying that I have done this – and mature it in a new heavily-toasted mizunara oak cask for 12 years, at the end of the day, I would have something that would probably taste a little bit bizarre,” he says. Lumsden says he always recalls doing a tasting in conjunction with The Glenlivet Master Distiller Alan Winchester and Suntory Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo in London when Fukuyo presented a fully mizunara-matured whisky. Lumsden struggles to remember if it was Yamazaki but remembers the taste profile with crystal-clear clarity. He describes it in just two words: “bewilderingly strange”. Coming from a man who invented the Russian-oak matured Ardbeg Kelpie, which he says has elements of “the smell of burning rubber when a car has screeched away”, this is quite the review. Casting an eye to the future, there is little doubt producers will continue to release mizunara-finished whiskies – certainly in the short to mid term. Leusder says he thinks it will always be popular simply because it’s so rare, but predicts there will be a larger and widening gap between high and low quality. “There will be less and less of the high and more and more of the low,” he says, “and the market will be more and more confused as to which is which.” When pushed, Suntory’s Bowker says he absolutely thinks the trend will continue and other categories will start using mizunara. But, he adds with trepidation, that he hopes producers will “respect this special wood and ensure that consumers get to experience it at its best rather than being tempted by more affordable shortcuts as you so often see in this industry”. For the time being, at least, it seems like the mystical mizunara is going to continue to enchant producers and drinkers alike. And, unless things drastically change, the onus will be on the whisky drinker to watch out for the sorcery and find the magical liquid that undoubtedly exists. Browse all spirits or read more Editorial 

Mizunara has everybody spellbound. The Japanese oak – once relatively unknown and troublesome – is now desperately sought-after. Holly Motion speaks to some of the biggest names in the cask industry about what they really think of the mystical wood

Exploring why the Japanese oak mizunara – once relatively unknown and troublesome – is now desperately sought-after in the whisky world

Investigating the rare Japanese oak, mizunara

The mystical mizunara

Alongside Macallan, Dalmore is leading the luxury end of the Scotch whisky revival, with its top-designated aged whiskies now reaching astronomical prices. We explore this historic distillery following its refurbishment and highlight F+R’s top picks from the range. The refurbishments were born from a simple problem: the whisky distilleries back home in Scotland can’t keep up with guests’ expectations. Those who have visited some of the many whisky distilleries in Scotland know that the setup is usually very basic, and simple. Men and women from the area work in old sites, mossy warehouses, tight fermentation rooms, and sterile still rooms.  Few sites have visitor centres and those that do keep the experience simple. A Scotch distillery is a piece of Scottish history and the luxurious and high-end image many brands now enjoy in markets across the globe doesn’t match the old, cosy distilleries back in Scotland. However, this is changing. As the value of certain releases skyrockets on the secondary market and huge investors and collectors emerge in Asia and the U.S., these distilleries need to fit the role of a huge, luxury brand. Visitors to Scotland for whisky tours fluctuate each year and, put simply, if a Chinese buyer pays £1 million for a single bottle of Macallan, the distillery needs to be up to par
when said buyer decides to visit. The new, state-of-the-art Macallan distillery came to be for a reason.  Now, the Dalmore has followed suit and upgraded their facilities. Unlike the Macallan, they have held on to some of the old structures and areas that make the Dalmore what it is; the character must remain. However, the team has renovated the visitor's centre, added a kitchen and chef team, a private dining room and bar, all the areas to make guests feel truly welcome. The still room has been opened up for a more ‘majestic’ view of the massive stills and the maturation warehouses have been organized for guests to see some of the rarest Dalmore casks in existence upon entering.  Over a night at the distillery with Richard Paterson, we were taken through the distillery and the renovated areas. The tasting room features bottlings of the famed Dalmore 64 and 62. These were, most likely, replicas but the Dalmore team (with a smile) nor confirmed nor denied this.   Bottles of Sherry, Port, and Bourbon from the producers the brand receives their casks from, were present as were educational materials to study up on the distillery and whisky in general. The secret dining room is perfect for small and mid-sized groups, and the chef does an amazing job of using Scotland’s finest ingredients for a fun and colourful menu.  Dalmore bottlings and casks have been rising steadily, especially in China, Taiwan, and the rest of Asia. Just recently, the brand launched the new Dalmore 51 Year Old. And with Richard Paterson set to retire this year, many other commemorative bottlings are expected to follow. Let’s look at the one-of-a-kind Dalmore 60-Year-Old. According to Paterson, ‘the spirit was distilled on June 7th, 1951, and the two ex-sherry casks used to create this expression are the
last of the Mackenzie era, the family that ran the distillery for over three generations.’ The project was led by Paterson, who carefully married the two casks to create the new 60 year-old.  The new release is close in age to the series of Dalmore 62 Year Old bottles, each one commemorating a milestone in the Dalmore's history, from the start of the distillery in 1839. Most recently, the brand collaborated with famed Italian chef, Massimo Botura, to create the
one-of-a-kind 49 Year Old Dalmore L'Anima, which sold at auction for £108,900. Since the launch, the new Dalmore 60 Year Old has been sent on a journey around the world, to launch in China, the US, Taiwan, and other markets. Once it returns to the UK it will be sold to the highest bidder, but we do not yet know which auction or retailer will be used. As whisky becomes more of a luxury product many distilleries have begun to upgrade their facilities. However, we’re hoping that the traditions, timeless structures, and old practices remain as those are what make Scotch whisky such a loved spirits category steeped in rich history. The Dalmore has managed to maintain both, so if you haven’t yet, now’s a great time
to visit. Dalmore 35 Year Old Released in 2016, the Dalmore 35 Year Old will see 1,000 bottles released a year until 2021. With this in mind, it’s a great time to stock up as a possible discontinuation may be on the horizon. The whisky within has been aged in a combination of casks- a Matusalem sherry, a bourbon barrel and a colheita port pipe. This brings forth an amazing balance in the whisky,
with depth that only over three decades spent in oak could bring. To remain on par with the liquid, a hand-blown crystal decanter crafted by French crystal house Baccarat was produced for the release.  Tasting note: The nose is delightfully bursting with juicy fruit, mangoes, bananas, pineapple, and some passionfruit. Vibrant for a whisky of this age. The tropical fruit continues on to the palate now joined by some spice, gingerbread and some roasted coffee with honey. The finish is long and smooth. Dalmore 45 Year Old As if the 35-year-old wasn’t old and rare enough, the Dalmore brought us a 45-year-old expression in 2018. Unlike the 35, only 500 bottles of the Dalmore 45 Year Old were released worldwide. The liquid matured in ex-Bourbon casks and was then moved into two different Graham’s Port Colheita pipes from the 1961 and 1963. The liquid was finally married together
in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks. Again encased in Barracat crystal decanters, this is one of the most sought-after Dalmores in the world. Tasting note: Incredible complexity here, with soft berries leading to rich honey on the nose. The palate delivers dark chocolate and Manuka honey, followed by toffee-covered apples and roasted chestnuts. A complex yet balanced expression, with a liveliness one wouldn’t expect from a whisky aged for almost half a century.  Browse all current Dalmore listings or read more Editorial 

We were one of just eight lucky guests invited to visit The Dalmore’s refurbished distillery as the team launched its 60-year-old bottling commemorating the distillery’s 180th anniversary.

Notes from our visit to The Dalmore’s refurbished distillery as the team launched its 60-year-old bottling commemorating the distillery’s 180th anniversary.

Notes from our Dalmore Distillery visit

The release price of the latest Yamazaki 55 Year Old, announced last week, is the last thing collectors are concerned about since it will be immediately dwarfed by secondary market pricing. In the spirit of fairness, Suntory is selling the limited 100 bottles through a ballot that started on February 5th and will end on the 14th. The bottles will come in the standard
700ml size, at 46% ABV and will be distributed via a ballot only to Japanese citizens. 
 Released in the year of the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics, this release will go down in history as the oldest Japanese whisky ever made. Each bottle of 55 will be engraved with the owner's name, simply to limit selling on the secondary market. Why? Well, because there are astronomical profits to be made immediately after release. 
 The Yamazaki distillery’s oldest whiskies to date are the three versions of the Yamazaki 50-Year-Old. The 2005 edition came first, followed by another in 2007 and the last one in 2011. Watching the auction world closely, we see that, as expected, the first edition commands the highest price surpassing US$430,000 at a recent live auction in Asia. The 2007 comes second, with the 2011 third, now trading for approximately US$300,000 and steadily rising. This is extraordinary, when the retail prices were between US$15,000-30,000 six to
seven years before.

In previous years, new releases under a certain range often drove up prices of the pre-existing, often more aged bottles. For example, Hibiki Blender's Choice drove up the 17, 21, and 30 Year Old bottlings. Therefore it is likely the new 55-year-old release will drive up the prices of the previously released 50-year-old while rapidly appreciating in value, too. The most interesting point will be the extra 5 years of maturation and if this will send the new
release skyrocketing in value, eventually even surpassing the Yamazaki 50.  Japanese whisky makers in general work strategically in discontinuing popular aged ranges and replacing them with non-age statement expressions. This helps them better manage the scarcity of aged stock and thus sending brand value soaring. The Japanese whisky market works slowly and carefully, and this new Yamazaki release is yet another strategy for long-term gains.

The Yamazaki 55 ballot is currently running. The release is only available for Japan residents, so sadly it will be out of reach for the rest of the world. However, we do have access to other releases.   Explore all current Yamazaki listings and read more Editorial 

We look at how the 100 bottles of Yamazaki 55 Year Old are to be distributed in Japan and the potential knock-on effect this release will have on other Yamazaki releases and the Japanese whisky market more generally.

Exploring the potential knock-on effect Suntory's limited release of Yamazaki 55 Year Old will have on the wider Japanese whisky market.

Examining the Yamazaki 55 Year Old

Exploring the limited release of Yamazaki 55 Year Old

After speaking with some of the foremost fine tea experts in the western world, a few things are immediately apparent. Fine tea is complex. There are undoubtedly parallels with the world of fine wine. And, almost without exception, the best examples are incredibly hard to source this side of Asia. It is also an incredibly tricky subject to learn more about if you, like me, don’t speak Chinese or Japanese. A quick stroke of the key will yield information on fine tea and where to find it. But your best bet is either boarding a plane to Asia (which is currently not without its difficulties) or finding somebody who has spent years immersing themselves in the fine tea world – they’ll likely speak the local dialect. “People are very literate when it comes to fine wine and whisky,” Jameel Lalani is quick to tell me, “not so literate when it comes to tea, although it is completely applicable.” When he set up his specialist single-batch tea business, Lalani & Co, 11 years ago, Lalani was very deliberate in borrowing the language of fine wine. “Tea is much like wine,” he explains, “it’s a drink of the terroir. Everything you do from when you choose the land and the seeds and the people you are going to work with is going to affect the flavour.” The choice of varietal, distance above sea level and picking season are also of the utmost importance. Lalani says tea is his drink, and has been since the age of four. He hasn’t looked back since tasting green tea for the first time while holidaying in North Africa as a child. One of the magical things about fine tea, I’m learning, is the paths people have taken into it. Burgundy expert and Master of Wine Jasper Morris, for example, was introduced to the world of fine tea in New Zealand, of all places, by a blind Taiwanese winemaker. From that day onwards, Morris attended Chinese tea ceremonies and swotted up on all things fine tea whenever the opportunity arose on wine trips to China and Japan. “I absolutely love it and drink it all day – from first getting up through to after dinner,” he enthuses. Fine tea is now a real passion of his, frequently hosting tasting and writing on the subject. Timothy d’Offay’s induction began while studying Japanese in Kyoto in the early 1990s. He’s been a disciple ever since – writing numerous fine tea books (in English and Japanese) and establishing one of the most highly regarded fine tea shops, Postcard Teas, in the process. Many years later, d’Offay says he is still learning, and it’s one of the things he loves most about the fine tea world. “It’s so disconnected,” d’Offay says. “Whereas specialty coffee is a world industry now and you can drink a similar product with a similar style in Sydney, Seoul, London or San Francisco, tea isn’t like that. Tea is very, very regional and very local. The predominant sales of the fine teas are local, in China in particular. “And the Chinese tea world is so different from even other countries like Japan that get their tea culture originally from China. It’s so vast.” Morris says things we have learned from wine – soil, subsoil, drainage etc – matter a great deal in fine tea. “In the Wuyi Mountains, for example, each individual mountain has its own character,” he explains, “so the underlying rock is crucial. Then also, instead of the grape variety, the cultivar of tea can make a difference as well. How and when you pick it – again a parallel – and how and when you process it.” D’Offay says wine and tea are both at the pinnacles – wine in the west, tea in the east – and despite the groundswell of appreciation for fine tea, many still struggle to shake misconceptions and get their heads around the complexities. “You’re always learning,” he says. “Probably the biggest barrier people have is a concept of what tea is,” Morris adds. “If somebody says black tea to you, they probably mean they don’t want milk in it, but there is a style of tea which we loosely call black. In fact, in China it’s more likely to be called red tea than black tea – that sort of dark tea – but there are white teas, yellow teas (which are pretty rare), red teas, green teas, and a lot depends on the season things are picked. “So, if, for example, we switch from China to India to Darjeeling. Darjeeling is in fact a type of tea which is much much more similar to Chinese tea than it is to the rest of Indian tea. If you get a first flush Darjeeling, it’s almost almost not quite a green tea, and that’s a tea that I adore and buy in big quantities.” Another hangover from old is the misconception surrounding price and what one should pay for quality. “One of the challenges in the tea world is that the mass market has demanded tea at a very low price,” Lalani says. “Some of these terroirs are phenomenal but the market says we want our tea cheap and quick. And that’s kind of like if you went to Bordeaux and you said I’d like your wine for €3.60 a bottle. What are you going to do? It doesn’t give you enough room. So what happens is the quality just goes down because you have to produce in quantity.” When purchasing fine tea, there are good resources online but d’Offay cautions: “Buyer beware.” Some enthusiasts, he explains, have a vested interest and commercial gains tied to your purchase. “The more you pay doesn’t mean that you’ll like the tea more. It’s very important to find out what you like first, before spending a lot of money online.” He says there is no right thing, just like with wine. “It’s a wide field and often your taste will not coincide with somebody else’s, so it’s really important to taste a lot of tea and find out what you like.” On this, Morris says it’s the same as when buying wine. “You just need to be buying it from somebody you trust – both for their taste and their integrity. Then let them guide you down the learning curve. And as with wine, there are some brilliant teas which may just not suit your palate.” If you are interested in getting into tea, d’Offay advises spending more money on tea and less money on the tea-making equipment. “You really need very basic tea equipment,” he explains. For Chinese teas, d’Offay says a Gaiwan – lidded cup – or a simple brewer is a good starting point. Porcelain, he says, is quite robust and glass is ok. You don’t, for example, need Yixing (the exquisite teapot pronounced yee-shing) to start with. He says he did a tasting with some “pretty good teas” with two mugs and a strainer recently. But is quick to add: “I’m not recommending that everyone brews in one mug and strains in another mug, but it is better than wasting a lot of money on really fancy stuff.” It’s always a good idea to ask questions and look for certain things when purchasing fine tea, Lalani says. “Most of the tea that gets produced gets blended – it will be picked, it will be sold to a brand, they will blend it up and it will sit on a shelf somewhere with their brand on it and that’s it. You may know where it’s from, for example, you might know what you’re buying is a Darjeeling, you may know the season – they might tell you it’s a first flush or a second flush. But it could be a blend of any number of different batches. It could be a blend of any number of different producers. It could be a blend of any number of different vintages. So the less information they give you, the less you know what’s in it.” Taking the time to make an educated purchase is a vital step, so too is the time spent learning how to prepare tea correctly. For this, Lalani has the shorthand: leaf, dose, temperature, time, decant. “Like with any of your passions, it’s going to take a bit longer,” he explains. “If you want to get a suit made, you can’t walk out with it the same day – you’ve got to wait six to eight weeks but it’s worth it. If you want to get into fine wine, you’re going to need some better glassware, you’re going to need temperature-controlled storage and you’re going to need to invest your time in a bit of knowledge.” He continues: “When you get into chocolate, you can’t buy it for 50 pence a bar, you’ve got to pay £5 to £10 a bar for a craft-made chocolate – another one of my passions – and it’s worth it.  "So, with tea, you can’t brew the bag – excuse my language – in hot water for 10 seconds, but it only takes three to five minutes to do it well – less time than it takes to make a cocktail. But it’s worth it and the rewards are enormous.” We second that. Everything you need to know about purchasing and preparing fine tea Location, location, location: When it comes to buying tea, you need to know where it was grown – particular regions have particular styles. It’s also important to know the producer and the name of the garden. Seasons matter: Tea is grown pretty much all year round. A leaf picked in the premium spring season is going to be better than a leaf picked in the rainy season. As a quick rule of thumb, look for things like first flush, second flush or spring season. It’s usually the early part of the year when you get the better quality. This is true of Japan, Taiwan and India. Vintage picks: Look for the vintage. This will give you some indication if you should be drinking it young and fresh or aged. Some teas, like the first flush season Darjeeling, are best when young and fresh –drink them as quickly as you can. Some teas, like certain white teas or oolongs from Taiwan, are great if aged. If you buy them young, you’d expect to buy them at a young price, but then if they’ve been intentionally aged, then their value – and price – will increase. So you might buy something from 2015 or 2000 or 1998, for example, where you’ll be paying a premium, but it has been aged and likely improved in flavour. Brewing to perfection: A useful shorthand for how to prepare your tea is leaf, dose, temperature, time, decant. It’s important you follow the instructions regarding the volume of leaves and temperature of water the particular tea you have purchased requires (on many modern kettles you can set the temperature, making this element very simple). There should be ample information about this on the packaging. Lalani wholeheartedly recommends purchasing precision scales to ensure you have the precise quantity of leaves every time. Balance scales cost circa £10. Essential kit: While d’Offay says a temperature-controlled kettle isn’t a must to start with, Lalani suggests it’s a worthwhile purchase at approximately £40. Both say you should be mindful with lower-temperature teas and ensure it’s the desired strength and taste. Lalani also thinks a single-pour tea pot is a wise investment. The Alethea, sold at Lalani & Co, is a beautiful and practical single-serving vessel.  Read more Editorial

The fine tea world is a treasure trove of discovery. As beguiling and complex as any wine or spirit, this enchanting liquid steeped in history can be incredibly confusing to master. Holly Motion talks to a handful of fine tea aficionados about why it's well worth investing the time.

Exploring the world of fine tea: beguiling and complex as any wine or spirit, and why it's well worth investing the time

Exploring the world of fine tea

The time for tea: next-level brews

The Glenfarclas distillery is one of Scotland’s most successful. What sets the distillery apart is the family that owns it and has done so for six generations. While most large distilleries in Scotland are nowadays owned and run by large drinks companies and corporations, the Grant family continues to take pride in owning Glenfarclas, seen fully through their timeless slogan: The spirit of independence.  The Glenfarclas Distillery's history The Glenfarclas story began in 1836 when farmer Robert Hay received a license to distill spirit on Rechlerich farm, Ballindaloch. In 1865, after Hay’s passing, John Grant bought the farm and the distillery along with it and it has been owned by Grant’s descendants ever since. Grant was a successful farmer, and while he continued to operate his Blairfindy farm, he
left the new site in the care of his cousin, John Smith, and his son, George Grant. Smith left Glenfarclas and John Grant died in 1889, leaving the site in the hands of his son. Sadly, he also passed soon after leaving the distillery to his widow, Elsie, and his two sons, John and George. The 1890s brought with them a whisky boom which led to an unfortunate partnership with Pattisons Ltd. While expansion was in mind, this partnership led to many hard years for Glenfarclas. Luckily, the Grants retained full ownership of the distillery after the whisky crash, and in 1913 George took full control. John retired due to ill health.  George Scott Grant followed, and led the distillery for 52 great years, until his death in 2002. Under his leadership Glenfarclas built up its name and brand image. Glenfarclas is known to have a large number of very old and rare casks in its warehouses, and this is due to
George S. Grant’s decision to supply less stock to blenders, decades before.  John L.S Grant, the current chairman, has been with the company since 1973 and succeeded his father after his passing in 2002. The sixth generation comes in the form of George S. Grant who joined Glenfarclas in 2000 and works as the global brand ambassador, introducing the world to the amazing story and liquid behind the Glenfarclas brand.  Glenfarclas single malt whisky Glenfarclas has come to be known for its old and rare releases, with huge popularity in unique markets like China and Russia, and a cult-like following across the globe. As a family-owned company, the expansion speed and budget aren’t huge, therefore, they cannot reach the global popularity of The Macallan or Glenlivet. Yet, with an amazing story and even more impressive casks, the team has managed to cement Glenfarclas as both a loved brand for
drinkers and collectors.  Glenfarclas whisky is known for its full-bodied, Sherry matured expressions. The team only releases expressions at natural colour, often at cask strength, aged for long periods. The unique still shapes and sizes, alongside the traditional ingredients and distillation techniques
add to the distinct Glenfarclas character which has led to a very strong and loyal fan base for the brand.  Perhaps, the most famous releases by Glenfarclas come under the Family Cask range, single cask releases from each year between 1952 and 2008. The ongoing series has made Glenfarclas hugely collectable as fans attempt to hunt down each and every bottle. These are bottled at cask strength, natural colour, and retail for thousands of pounds.  Beyond special releases, the core portfolio includes the 10-, 12-, 15-, 17-, 21-, 25- and 30-year-old, and 105 Cask Strength. Most of these are available at very affordable prices for such well-aged whiskies, again showing the team’s amazing warehouse management skills, unlike many brands that have low reserves of well-aged stock.  Glenfarclas's collectability Glenfarclas is becoming increasingly collectable thanks to the Family Cask range, the well-aged Glenfarclas 60 Year Old, 50 Year Old, 40 Year Old, and the famed Glenfarclas Pagoda series.  Beyond this, the distillery has a strict policy about cask trading – almost no Glenfarclas full casks make it onto the market for trading and most do not allow naming of the distillery on the labels. This practice has helped properly control how the distillery’s name is used and given the brand a more “limited” image. Glenfarclas is widely traded in auctions across Asia with strong markets including Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan. Some of the brand’s awards include: Distiller of the Year by Whisky Magazine in 2006 Glenfarclas 40 Year-Old: Scotch Whisky Single Malt of the Year in the 17th Annual Malt Advocate Whisky Awards 2011 Glenfarclas 12 Years Old: Best Sherried Whisky in the Single Malt World Cup 2006 Glenfarclas 30 Year-Old: Overall winner at the Australian Malt Whisky Awards in 2004 Glenfarclas LE 1968: Best Imported Whisky in the USA by the Malt Advocate Magazine in 2004 Our Glenfarclas recommendations: Glenfarclas 105  At 60% cask strength this expression brings forth the rich, fruity, spicy character of Glenfarclas at full force. Toffee and apples on the nose, spice and rich sherry on the palate, and a long,
warming finish delivers a well-rounded experience, at a very affordable price.  Glenfarclas 25 Year Old A Glenfarclas fan favourite, at a very reasonable price, the 25-year-old brings dark chocolate, fruit cake, dried fruit, and a delightful hint of nutmeg to the palate.  Glenfarclas Family Casks If aiming to collect Glenfarclas, the Family Casks are a fun and adventurous way to start. With over 40 releases you can slowly work your way up and build up your shelves with the
story of Glenfarclas through decades of struggle and success.  Explore all Glenfarclas listings or browse more Editorial 

Glenfarclas has come to be known for its old and rare releases, with huge popularity in unique markets like China and Russia, and a cult-like following across the globe. We explore the profile of the distillery to find out what makes it so special.

Glenfarclas has come to be known for its old, rare single malt whisky releases. We explore the profile of the distillery to find out what makes it so special.

The Glenfarclas team on putting family first

Glenfarclas Distillery: Family first

Dalmore, Mortlach and Macallan fetch tens of thousands of pounds at auction today – but they likely wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for an independent bottler. In times of great economic hardship, Gordon & MacPhail provided cash-strapped distilleries with much-needed capital when they secured new-make spirit to mature and bottle as a single malt, rather than a blend. “The world was so focused on blends in the 1970s that to get the financial return on the malts was really challenging,” Gordon & MacPhail’s Director of Prestige Stephen Rankin says. To put that into perspective, a bottle of 35-year-old Macallan from 1937 that would fetch approximately £32,000 in today’s market would sell for a mere £4.54 then. A top-end blend might sell for £2. Rankin says if it wasn’t for his forebears’ patience and foresight, 50-, 60-, and 70-year-old bottlings wouldn’t be available today. “It’s not just matching spirit with oak,” he explains. “It’s actually matching the spirit with the oak and then time and the patience.”   The Gordon & MacPhail name has endured where countless others have not. Today, the fourth generation can pull out samples dating back nine decades from more than 100 distilleries. “It’s that lineage that stands us apart,” Rankin says. “As a company we have had this incredible respect for whisky and depth of relationships forged from 1895.”   “Business was done on the strength of a handshake when my father started the company in the 1940s,” Fred Hamilton Laing – Douglas Laing & Co Chairman and second-generation family member – says. “And so many of our filling programmes still continue today because there was a trust given and a confidence that there would be no abuse of the stock.” If it wasn’t for the “fairly substantial” stocks Laing’s father had built up since the 1950s then the Scottish independent blenders and bottlers might not have survived the 1990s financial crash in Asia Pacific. “All of a sudden our blended business was made very difficult to continue. We were constantly adding to our stocks of grain and malt whisky for these blends, so it was a survival instinct that took us into the single cask business in the year 2000.” This business proved to be “very good” and steadied the ship. Laing says it was with great delight the company was able to come back into the blending business with Big Peat in 2009, much to the dismay of the “crusty old men in the industry”. This launch, looking at younger, slightly more rebellious whisky consumers heralded a new era for the company and brought them full circle. It was the filling programme’s breadth of stock and the relationships with the distilleries that allowed Douglas Laing to carry out the same process for Big Peat and Scallywag into the Scottish Highlands for Timorous Beastie, into the Lowlands with the Epicurean, into the Campbeltown area with the Gauldrons, onto the Island distilleries with Rock Island and introduce the Remarkable Regional Malts. “It’s a busy game,” Laing adds.  Fledgling in comparison, That Boutique-y Whisky Company stormed onto the independent bottling scene in 2012 with their 50cl illustrated bottles. “We are all about throwing fun back into whisky,” Head of Whisky Sam Simmons says. “We take the whisky very seriously, but we don’t take ourselves seriously.” The goal here is simple: curate delicious whiskies you would never see from an official bottling. This disruptive attitude has led to a cult-like following which Simmons readily acknowledges “doesn’t speak to everybody”. The Boutique-y whiskies might originate from around the world, but they are all bottled in the Scottish tradition – bought direct from the distiller or from brokers and other independent bottlers. The retail price is always calculated from the cost of the liquid rather than market value or cost. “The kind of whiskies we want to bottle may not be delicious to everybody, but they are the kind of whiskies that make you say: you got to try this,” Simmons adds. When it comes to bottling exquisite liquids, few ventures are as compelling as “curators of the most remarkable spirits”, The Last Drop Distillers. “I really love the word remarkable,” Managing Director Rebecca Jago says with a smile. “Because it is not saying it is the oldest or the best even, but that it is intrinsically delicious. If I gave you a glass of something from The Last Drop, I would want you to find it as delightful as someone who has been nosing spirits for 50 years.” The company started by Rebecca’s father Tom and his long-term friend James Espey OBE in 2008 is somewhat unique in that it crosses category. The two drinks industry icons initially set out to bottle single malts, but that all changed when they tasted a certain 47-year-old blended Scotch. From that day onwards, the two men – who had previously developed the likes of Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Chivas 18 – broadened their brief to seek out exceptional old parcels of any amazing spirit. By the time the company was sold to Sazerac in 2016, The Last Drop had released seven remarkable liquids and both Espey and Jago’s daughters (Beanie Geraedts-Espey and Rebecca Jago) had joined the business. In addition to being a source of great pride for the two founders, the acquisition also brought new freedoms and opportunities for the team. The US drinks group backing enabled The Last Drop to source stock for immediate release, granted them a greater ability to lay down stock and create their own libraries of future stock, and gave them the opportunity to venture into liquid creation. “I think finding treasure is not just about uncovering it,” Jago says. “It would be disingenuous to suggest that we’re Indiana Jones in Scotland, going and hunting out that barrel that is hidden at the back of the cellar because it is not,” Jago says. As romantic as the image might be, every single barrel of Scotch whisky of any age, of any sort, is known about by HMRC.  “We can talk about some of the lovely discoveries that we have genuinely been party to,” Jago adds. “Going back to the very first release of three unassuming barrels of an old blend. The treasure in that was the liquid inside. It had perhaps been discounted or forgotten about.” Or the “genuine discovery” of a Cognac barrel that had been lying untouched in an outhouse for over 70 years that was happened upon by a family member doing renovation work at the distillery. “I think that is the sort of ultimate Indiana Jones story,” Jago adds, “not by us, but we were fortunate enough to be there and I suppose our story of making the liquid the hero is sufficiently compelling that they are prepared to let us put it in a bottle.” All four bottlers, whether in their infancy or maturity, are bound by a sense of honour and wanting to do right by the liquid. And everyone benefits.   Browse all Scotch whisky or read more Editorial 

From traditional single malt Scotch to the weird-and-wonderful and everything in between, there’s every chance an independent bottler had a hand in bringing this liquid to your lips. Holly Motion spoke to four bottlers about the important role they play in the spirits world

Exploring the history of independent bottling with Gordon & MacPhail, Last Drop Distillers, That Boutique-y Whisky Company and Douglas Laing & Co,

Exploring the world of independent bottling 

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