This October sees the inaugural release of The Glenlivet Winchester Collection: the world’s first series of rare 50 year old single malt Scotch whiskies.

 

Anticipated to become one of the most sought after whisky collections on the market, the first release will be ‘Vintage 1964’ of which only 11 of a total of 100 bottles will be sold in travel retail across Europe and Asia Pacific from mid-October.

 

Nikki Burgess, Global Brand Director for The Glenlivet, comments, “The allocation of these bottles of hand-crafted Vintage 1964 to Pernod Ricard Travel Retail is a statement that reflects the growing appetite of high net worth passengers for extraordinary unique expressions. Travel retail is an increasingly critical channel for luxury products and offers huge potential for growth as customers search for the latest premium products in airport.”

 

Heathrow WDF to reveal first bottles

Of the hand-crafted bottles available specifically to travel retail, Pernod Ricard’s European allocation of just two skus will be unveiled at the World Duty Free stores in Heathrow Terminal 2 and Terminal 5 on 24 October.

 

Eight bottles will also go on sale through Pernod Ricard Travel Retail Asia at Singapore’s Changi Airport, while a further bottle will be delivered by Pernod Ricard Travel Retail Pacific to the Connoisseur’s Wall at Sydney Airport.

 

The Glenlivet Winchester Collection is the product of a specially selected cask laid down in 1964 by war hero Captain Bill Smith-Grant – the last descendent of The Glenlivet distillery’s founder, George Smith – and has reached maturation under the care and guidance of current Master Distiller Alan Winchester, from whom the collection takes its name.

 

Says Winchester, “This release marks a milestone for The Glenlivet. Casks of this age and quality are such a rare thing these days that I’m immensely proud to introduce the first of these rare vintages of preserved stocks from the distillery’s rich past. They’re a testament to our legacy of quality and to those who have nurtured this whisky over the years, including Captain Bill Smith-Grant, who played such a pivotal role introducing our single malt to the world.”

 

An undisclosed number of future releases from The Winchester Collection are slated to follow the ‘64, with the Vintage 1966 confirmed by The Glenlivet as next in line.