House of Hazelwood – The Pursuit of Pleasure

I think it’s more than fair to say that life has not exactly been easy for the last several years. In fact, it feels like it’s been crisis after crises ever since 2020.

With life as testing as it is, it’s more important than ever to have fun and seek enjoyment and pleasure wherever we can find it. Whether this comes from a brisk walk in the countryside, a nice meal, a good book, or a wee dram of your favourite whisky, it’s important to have fun.

As you know, whisky brings me a great deal of pleasure and I’m certainly not alone in that respect. In fact, I’d wager you’re all the same, which is why you’re reading my ramblings today. I keep talking about whisky and pleasure, but there’s a reason for that. The reason is an exquisite new 52-year-old blended Scotch whisky from a beautiful partnership between House of Hazelwood and Hedonism Wines.

When Wine Meets Whisky

Wine and whisky are, arguably, the two most complex alcoholic beverages in the world. When they come together, magic tends to happen, and that is most certainly the case when Hedonism Wines met and partnered up with House of Hazelwood.

Now, if you’re a regular reader of the Great Drams blogs, you’ll know I’m a big fan of House of Hazelwood. They’re doing some amazing things over in Speyside and have released some truly special drams. When I heard that they’d teamed up with London’s Hedonism Wines, I had a feeling we’d be in for a fantastic dram.

The team over at Hedonism made the hours-long journey from Mayfair to Speyside, in a, in their own words “literal pursuit of pleasure”. In what must surely have been an arduous task, and one which I’m definitely not jealous of, nope, not at all, honest, experts were granted access to the Gordon family’s private reserves and sampled cask after cask, in search of “The One”.

Simply visiting the warehouse is a privilege in itself. It’s a traditional dunnage featuring barrels of rare, high-age statements stacked 2 -3 high. They sampled 20, 30, even 40-year-old drams until finally, they happened upon a spirit that had slumbered for more than half a century. Finally, Hedonism Wines’ pursuit of pleasure came to an end. They’d found it!

House of Hazelwood: The Pursuit of Pleasure

Earlier in October, and available exclusively for pre-order from Hedonism, lucky whisky connoisseurs were able to pick up a truly special blended Scotch whisky.

Limited to just 72 bottles, The Pursuit of Pleasure just screams opulence and decadence. In fact, in their own words, it is ‘decadence decanted’ and I’d certainly agree with that. It’s a complex whisky that’s full of charm and character, and I’d go so far as to say, it’s like no other dram out there.

Just one look at this whisky lets you know that you’re looking at something special. The walnut brown colour of the liquid inside the bottle contrasts perfectly with the gold cap and lettering on the bottle. The bottle’s design is sleek and streamlined. If it were a car, it would be a Rolls Royce or Aston Martin.

Matured in a combination of White American Oak and European Sherry Casks for 52 years, a lot has changed since this blended Scotch whisky was first tucked up for its slumber in 1972.

On the nose, there are no harsh alcohol notes at all, despite this whisky’s 45% ABV. It provides sweet and sticky apricot jam aromas, creamy porridge, warm apricot pastries, and zesty orange peel. These scents gradually disappear, giving way to freshly polished leather, beeswax furniture polish, and burnt lemon peel. A lot to take in here, and that’s before your first sip.

On the palate is where things really spice up. There’s a distinct fruity sweetness, akin to a summer fruit compote, with a sprinkling of barley sugar. The fruity notes are mellowed out with creamy vanilla flavours, tied together with buttery shortbread, orange zest, apricot marmalade, sweet oak, toffee, and barbequed charcoal.

The finish is incredibly lengthy, like, ridiculously long, and I love that! It’s smooth, leaves amazing mouthfeel, and provides subtle fruity notes with a touch of baking spice, bonfire toffee, and charred oak. Wow, just, wow.

If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a wee dram or two at the same time, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at what we have to offer.

With an impressive selection of limited-edition, rare, and award-winning whisky, as well as heaps of whisky info on our blog, it’s the perfect spot for all you whisky lovers out there.

Tags: House of HazelwoodThe Pursuit of Pleasure

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.