Having recently turned 40, I can say with great certainty that some things most definitely get better with age. Now, we won’t talk about my knees, or the fact that something as simple as sneezing too hard can leave me bed-ridden for a week, but for the most part I stand by that sentiment. Especially when it comes to whisky.

Aged whisky, as you know, is in huge demand and generally demands a higher price tag. Should one find themselves fortunate enough to be sitting on a large stock of the stuff, this would certainly present a number of exciting opportunities to create some amazing whisky. As it turns out, that’s precisely what the Gordon family, owners of William Grant & Sons, have been doing for close to one century now.

For nearly 100 years, the Gordon family have been laying down stocks of aged whisky in warehouses across Scotland. This collection of whisky is known as the House of Hazelwood, named after Hazelwood House, their Dufftown family home, and has become the largest inventory of aged Scotch whisky on the planet!

I’m a big fan of a House of Hazelwood release, so when I heard about their Warehouse Reserve Series, kicking off with a 36-year-old, I had to find out more.

Rare, Exclusive, and Limited!

Whenever a House of Hazelwood release drops, you just know that it’s going to be something special. There’s a lot to love about this brand, but what I really love is the fact that their whisky is simply ready when it’s ready.

With such a vast stock of whisky available across Scotland, each expression is completely unique to the last. They simply release each batch when the time is right. This could be after 18 years, it could be after 51 years, it could be after 47 years, or in this instance, it could be after 36 years.

Sourced from the Gordon family’s private dunnage warehouse in Dufftown, this 36-year-old blended malt is limited to just 150 bottles and is only available via invitation. This new Warehouse Reserve series is generating a lot of buzz in the industry at the moment and is dedicated to the drams sourced from the Gordon family’s private warehouses across Scotland’s many whisky regions.

The whisky itself is only exclusively available to friends of the House of Hazelwood. This includes visitors to the house, as well as guests who have enjoyed warehouse experiences and private tastings. Talk about exclusive!

House of Hazelwood 36-Year-Old Warehouse Reserve Blended Malt (Batch 1)

As you can see, this is not your ordinarily run-of-the-mill blended malt whisky. This is a special drop, but that’s always to be expected with the House of Hazelwood. Ever since William Grant & Sons launched the House of Hazelwood label back in 2022, each expression has been more decadent than the last.

Now, William Grant & Sons haven’t given much away regarding how this whisky was produced. We know that it is a 36-year-old blended Scotch matured in Dufftown, but we don’t know the precise number of casks used, or the exact cask types used. What we do know however, is that this is the epitome of a sherry monster as it was matured in European oak sherry casks. In the words of Eilidh Muir, House of Hazelwood blender, this is a ‘celebration of sherry cask maturation’.

Bottled at 51.4% ABV, there’s plenty of warmth here. It also has an amazing chestnut brown colour to it. It just looks luxurious and decadent, especially with their branding, which I’m a big fan of.

As it is so limited, official tasting notes are lacking somewhat, but there’s still more than enough info out there for me to give you a detailed preview.

On the nose, this dram is said to feature prominent sherry cask notes. There’s dried fruits, tart and sweet maraschino cherries, black treacle and molasses, freshly roasted coffee beans, and floral undertones with a hint of rosewater.

On the palate, you can expect a sweet and fruity tasting experience, again heavily influenced by the sherry cask maturation. It’s rich, fruity, and complex, with plenty of dried fruits, winter baking spices, lightly toasted oak, and orange blossom honey.

For those who enjoy a lengthy, drawn-out finish, this is said to be exceptionally long and warming. Again, you can expect dried fruits, red grapes, lightly spiced oak, as well as a slightly nutty, dark chocolate influence which you sometimes find with heavily sherried drams.

I wish I could give you a more detailed set of tasting notes, but that’s what happens when you’re dealing with something so rare and exclusive. I have to say, just writing this review has got my mouth watering. As you know, I love a sherry monster so this is right up my street.

For those fortunate enough to be in a position to pick up a bottle, they retail for the princely sum of £1,650 as of this writing. To me, for something this special and unique, I don’t think that’s too bad at all.

If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a dram or two in the process, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at the diverse selection of unique whiskies we currently have in stock.

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 any whisky lovers out there.