This year we’re celebrating 40 years of creating exceptional flavour experiences as the original pioneers in single cask, limited edition cask strength whisky. On Tuesday, 24 October, we will release Cask No. 12.79 from our birth year 1983.
This whisky has been nurtured by our Spirits Team over the years, destined to express the epitome of our legacy while highlighting our expertise in maturation.
Always one to go our own way, we have kept this exceptionally aged bottling true to our origins with a focus on the whisky – the bottle deliberately minimalistic. Chris Wilson, creative director of design agency Stckmn, led the design process. “I was inspired by the liquid and in particular, ripple formations,” he says. “Much like ripples created from a single droplet, the Society was formed from a single epiphany moment, growing into the global whisky club it is today. To embody this idea of the ripple effect, a single green droplet with emanating lines adorns the front of each bottle.”
There is no paper label on this bottle, to ensure the liquid can be fully viewed. A hand-dipped green wax seal sits at the top of each bottling as a crowning nod to our iconic green bottles.
“The wax then produces a different coating every time, meaning each of the bottles is truly unique,” says Chris. The design of the bottle has been a collaboration of individual craftspeople creating something unique – a nod to how the Society began.
The whisky began its life in an ex-bourbon barrel where it spent 35 years. After this, the whisky was moved into a refill Spanish oak oloroso hogshead for an additional five years.
“The key to it being refill was that it would be quite relaxed and complementary, adding another layer of complexity without being too intense for such an old, fragile whisky,” says Euan Campbell, head of whisky creation.
Like many highways converging at a single place, ripe apples, pears, sweet sandalwood and fragrant pipe tobacco gathered at the intersection of perception. As minty dark chocolate and ginger nut biscuits merged with cherry fondant and exotic fruits, our journey so far had become clear. With a customary drop of water, we embarked on a voyage into camphor and rum cream cakes with a few salt crystals on top. Flakes of toasted coconut now stuck to sticky caramel biscuits before arriving at what seemed like a destination of peach ice cream on stewed apple tart. However, it was only just the beginning. After spending 35 years in an ex-bourbon barrel this was transferred to a Spanish oak sherry hogshead for the remainder of its maturation.
ABV: 43.7%
AGE: 40 years
DISTILLED DATE: 6/4/1983
CASK TYPE: Refill ex-sherry hogshead
PROFILE:
Old & Dignified
REGION:
Speyside
RETAIL PRICE: £3000/€3,480
Limited to 1 Bottle per Member
