Tag Archives: Pernod Ricard

Ultra Exclusive, the Never to Be Seen Again whiskies of The Secret Speyside

Créateurs de convivialité Pernod Ricard owners of Chivas Brothers, the makers of Royal Salute and other fine whiskeys has just released its biggest single malt collection to date. Dubbed The Secret Speyside, it is the gathering of fifteen age statement single malt whiskies from four of Speyside’s rarest yet most sought after Scottish distilleries.

For knowledgeable collectors, The Secret Speyside Collection is a carefully curated selection of 18-30 year old whiskies from four of Speyside’s most elusive distilleries, each with its own rich histories and unique characters.

With centuries of rich whisky heritage against a jaw-dropping Scottish landscape, Speyside is the treasure chest of Scotch and brimming with untold stories. Curating the Collection has been a labour of love for the Chivas Brothers team; its contents have been hand-selected to help shine a light on some seldom-seen distilleries, their rare malts, and unique histories. Any whisky connoisseur will find something new in this world-class selection, which demonstrates the breadth of flavour and character that Speyside distilleries can achieve.” – Alan Winchester, veteran Speyside distiller of over 30 years

Ultra Exclusive, the Never to Be Seen Again whiskies of The Secret Speyside

Never to be seen again, these exclusive single malts hail from the vanished distillery of Caperdonich which operated between 1898 and 1902, and then again between 1965 and 2002, supplying one of the core whiskies in the blended Chivas Regal; the pioneering Longmorn distillery designed by founder John Duff in 1894, utilising the tech of the era and incorporating a railway station next to the distillery for supply logistics and then sending finished bottles up to the North for distribution to whisky lovers; the landmark Glen Keith distillery, built by and owned by Chivas and the first new distillery to open in Speyside since the great whisky crash of 1898, whose production today is used almost exclusively across Chivas Brother’s blended whiskey; and finally the Braes of Glenlivet, established in the early 1970s at the southern end of Speyside, the Braeval distillery was mothballed by the Brothers between 2001 and 2008 with the bulk of its spirits used in blends.

Secret Speysdie Rare Malt image.

The desirable fifteen-bottle collection which comprise The Secret Speyside consists of three rare Single Malts from each of Glen Keith, Longmorn and Braes of Glenlivet, together with three peated and three unpeated expressions from Caperdonich, which distilled its final Single Malt in 2002, before closing its doors and finally being taken down brick by brick in 2011.

Caperdonich

A secret of Speyside, the whiskies released from this ‘vanished distillery’ offer a rare opportunity to discover and compare peated and unpeated expressions of the same age (21 and 25 year old), once found as foundational spirits in blended malts in their truest Caperdonich expressions.

Caperdonich Distillery

The unpeated spirit is full of ripe orchard fruits that give Caperdonich’s sweet single malt a complex body and long smooth finish. When gently peated, an untraditional process for a Speyside Single Malt, a sophisticated smokiness adds an extra element and depth of flavour.

There will be six whiskies released from Caperdonich, with half being peated whiskies and the other half unpeated. The peated selection includes an 18 year old (48% ABV), a 21 year old (48% ABV) and a cask strength 25 year old whisky. The unpeated whiskies are a 21 year old (48% ABV), 25 year old (48% ABV), and a cask strength 30 year old.

LUXUO’s favourite Caperdonich: 25 year old Caperdonich’s Unpeated (48% ABV) is a rich malt full of complex flavours, most notably the pear and chocolate notes backed by notes of blackcurrant, and a hint of Acinnamon spice leads to a long and succulent finish. Retails $480

Longmorn

One of Scotland’s best kept secrets, Longmorn has often referred to as ‘every distiller’s favourite apart from their own.’ Long been considered world class by distillers and connoisseurs, Longmorn single malts  lie at the core of many of the Chivas blends

The three whiskies from Longmorn in this collection are an 18 year old (48% ABV), 23 year old (48% ABV) and a cask strength 25 year old, with each bringing a more intense take on the soft, creamy toffee and rich flavour profile that is highly regarded by distillers and industry experts worldwide.

LUXUO’s favourite Longmorn: The Longmorn 25 year old (cask strength, 52.2% ABV) which starts fruit-driven particularly of red apple and mandarin orange before giving way to dark honey notes with a finish of dark chocolate. Retails $450

Glen Keith

Glen Keith was the first Speyside distillery built in the 20th century. The distillery rose from the ruins of an old mill on the banks of the River Isla, famed for its pure water and leaping wild salmon. This collection marks the first official* age-statement release this century from the landmark distillery.

The three whiskies from Glen Keith in this collection are a 21 year old, 25 year old and a 28 year old (all 43% ABV). Each is exceptionally smooth as Glen Keith’s pot stills are taller than most, giving an extra ‘copper kiss’ to the single malt and resulting in a complex, intensely smooth example of the classic Speyside style, bursting with juicy summer fruit notes.

LUXUO’s favourite Glen Keith: Easy to drink and not overly complex, the Glen Keith 21 year old is a perfect balance of fruit and sweetness. A little water brings out a syrupy sweetness, accompanied by the smooth tones of lightly waxed wood and then followed by notes of soft peach and citrusy pineapple, with a dry toasted almond finish. Retails $180

Braes of Glenlivet

This is the first official bottling from one of the highest distilleries in Speyside. The remote distillery is watched over by a lone keeper at night and is truly at the mercy of the uncompromising Scottish elements.

The three whiskies from Braes of Glenlivet in this collection are a 25 year old (48% ABV), 27 year old (48% ABV) and a cask strength 30 year old. Made using the purest water from the Preenie Well, 2 miles deep in the Braes hills, the resulting whisky is smooth, balanced and packed with tropical fruits.

LUXUO’s favourite Braes of Glenlivet: Velvety, opulent, and then easing into blackberry, orange and light vanilla, the 30 year old Braes of Glenlivet (cask strength, 50.3% ABV) builds into a long-lasting, sweet finish. Retails $600

The Secret Speyside Collection is available now exclusively in Global Travel Retail, before rolling out into selected markets globally from summer 2020. The first ever collection of ultra exclusive, never to be seen again whiskies of its kind will offer Single Malt connoisseurs the chance to uncover, sample and collect some of the hidden malts which comprise some of the blended variations of their better known brothers, giving you exquisite flavour profiles and the chance to experience the true terroir of the iconic Speyside region.

 

Royal Salute unveils its latest 21-year-old Snow Polo Whiskey

The kings of whiskey are back, with ties to the British Royal Family, Royal Salute is revered internationally for its ultra-luxurious whiskey offerings. Launched in June 1953, the Pernod Ricard-owned brand was established in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.

While all its whiskies are aged for a minimum of 21 years, Royal Salute introduced its latest: the 21-year-old Snow Polo Edition this past November, in celebration of the exhilarating sport.

Royal Salute unveils its latest 21-year-old Snow Polo Whiskey

The first-ever blended grain to emerge from the Strathisla distillery in Scotland, Speyside, follows a long lineup of other limited edition 21-year-old polo blended scotch whiskies, some of which were released in turquoise and green-coloured ceramic flagons throughout 2018.

Master Blender, Sandy Hyslop

Developed by master blender, Sandy Hyslop, in collaboration with Royal Salute’s World Polo Ambassador, Malcolm Borwick, the latest Snow Polo edition is expected to incorporate markedly sweet flavours complemented by the creamy indulgence of rich texture, plus toffee, honey and vanilla overtones.

Royal Salute’s World Polo Ambassador, Malcolm Borwick

As one of the world’s best polo athletes and an accustomed whiskey connoisseur, Malcolm Borwick’s involvement in the creation of the whiskey is more than in name, spending innumerable hours in the distilleries, his hands-on knowledge of the business and its products is highly extensive.

With Borwick’s signature prominently featured on the bottle, the 21-year-old Snow Polo Edition aims to reflect the atmosphere and altitude of the game, through subtle hints such as the 46.5% alcohol by volume content which reference the latitude coordinates of St. Moritz (where the fast-paced sport originates from) and in the design of a hand-crafted, pure white ceramic flagon, which represent a snowy climate.

The Royal Salute 21-year-old Snow Polo Edition is currently available worldwide online and at select luxury boutiques for estimated £120 for 70cl (or 700ml).

By Julia Roxan

 

Roger Dubuis, Banjaran Resort and more to join PGRV 2019

We are just a month away from our second ever Penang RendesVous, which is set to take place at Straits Quay in Penang this 11th to 13th October 2019.

And for Penang RendezVous 2019, things are no short of luxury compared to our inaugural event in 2018.

Endorsed by the Penang State Exco For Tourism Development, Arts & Culture (PETACH), Penang RendezVous 2019 is heading for a bigger and better experience for all luxury connoisseurs.

To start, we have luxury watchmaker Roger Dubuis joining our list of exhibitors at the 3-day luxury lifestyle event, where they will be showcasing some of their greatest masterpieces of 2019 including the Excalibur Spider Carbon3 and Excalibur Blacklight Trilogy.

Timepieces aside, we also have The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat and Eastern & Oriental Group as our returning exhibitors from 2018, who are set to show us their latest offerings from 2019 including new dining experience at Banjaran and new luxury properties from Eastern & Oriental Group.

On the note of dining, Pernod Ricard Malaysia will also be making a comeback with its array of alcohol labels, which are set to tantalise your palates with its unique tasting sessions and workshops.

As for a more philanthropic note, we also invited the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to join us this year to allow our esteemed guests and visitors be educated and enlightened with the latest wildlife-preserving projects and various environment-friendly initiatives.

In the coming weeks, we will also unveil more exciting partners joining Penang RendezVous 2019. So stay to the latest updates right here.

For more information on the event, please contact [email protected].