How do you measure historical past? In years previous? In worldwide occasions? In well-liked tradition? For whisky makers, the reply is straightforward: in scotch whisky. Home of Hazelwood isn’t any stranger to uncommon and aged whiskies. Its stock charts the many years gone previous in years slumbered in cask, with a lot of its whiskies having laid witness to a number of the twentieth century’s largest moments.
On this function, we observe the flip of the mid-century and discover the many years documented and decanted by way of these liquid scotch time capsules.
The Gordon Household & Home of Hazelwood
The personal assortment of the Gordon household has been in curation for nearly 70 years. Initially spearheaded by one in every of whisky’s biggest pioneers of the twentieth century, Charles Gordon – the creator of Girvan Distillery – it ought to come as no shock that the gathering is unmatched in its variety. Blends, malts, grains – the gathering has all of it – from distilleries cherished right this moment, misplaced to time, and every little thing in between.
At present, Home of Hazelwood is the overarching custodian of those treasured casks, and in 2022 opened the gathering to the general public to pattern for the primary time. In spite of everything, there’s solely a lot scotch whisky a household can devour in a lifetime. Because the world advanced quickly by way of the latter half of the twentieth century, these whiskies lay in cask, witnessing the change unfold round them –influenced by the zeitgeists of the time.
The Swinging Scotch of the Sixties
Take a step again in time with us to the swinging sixties. The world had lastly begun to recuperate from the financial and social devastation of World Struggle Two. Confidence was excessive – and ambitions even larger: the primary man on the moon. Hemlines rose too – with the rise in recognition of the mini skirt. Musical flavors modified due to the Mods and Rockers motion. This decade noticed the rise of applied sciences we proceed to make use of right this moment – resembling the pc mouse, and, sure, even the unique Smiley Face emoji.
This newfound confidence trickled down into industrial endeavors, and manufacturing in Scotch Whisky was at a peak. New applied sciences and strategies had been trialed – a brand new demand fuelled by appetites distant in Japan and america. Blenders and distillers started to cater for various palates, new distilleries had been constructed at tempo – and those who had been already constructed, expanded within the pursuit of creating extra whisky.
Blended scotch continued to be the connoisseur’s alternative – and in a single nook of Scotland, a distillery would throughout this time create a whisky unprecedented in provenance.
In 1963, A Singular Mix was born. A blended scotch that may finally discover its residence amongst the casks of Home of Hazelwood, this distinctive mix has malt and grain elements distilled throughout the similar 12 months, on the similar distillery no much less. A scotch whisky to problem the perceptions of even probably the most purist of drinkers. Its time in cask yielded an experimental, but optimistic whisky – a mirrored image of its period – proffering up butterscotch, saddlery workshops and waxy fruit after over half a century in cask.
The Golden Ticket of Seventies Scotch
Skip ahead a decade, and we discover ourselves squarely within the Seventies. One may argue that is when grain misplaced its “groove”, and Single Malt rose in recognition.
Well-liked tradition continued to evolve at a fast tempo: funk, soul, disco, and punk rock dominated the charts. Impressed by the area race, basic sci-fi took off in type – from Star Wars to Alien – and creature options resembling Jaws…and Assault of the Killer Tomatoes. Creativity led the way in which – a vivid, vibrant tonic to the political undercurrents of the Vietnam and Chilly Struggle.
Spurred on by the arrogance of the earlier period, the scotch trade entered a interval sometimes called the “golden period”. Throughout this time, overproduction started to creep in, with ambitions spurred on by innovation and a want to increase bodily belongings. Distillery capacities had been at their absolute most, and distillers labored laborious to improve their gear. The workforce grew quickly.
This time of abundance would come to be remembered fondly for its nostalgia – a nostalgia which has been captured in The Previous Confectioner’s, a 44 12 months Previous Blended Malt Scotch Whisky. Quite than bottling the sense of technological development of the time, this launch sought to seize one thing nearer to residence: the counter tops of native candy outlets – a becoming expression for this was the last decade through which Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka took to the display.
It ought to be becoming that this launch, matured in refill sherry butts, with notes of candied fruit, toffee, and treacle, met with liquorice, in opposition to a backdrop of well-worn leather-based and picket counter tops.
The Glittering Gold of the Eighties
Enter the Nineteen Eighties – a interval of neon lights, tropical tastes, and electro-pop. It was a interval of outward expression. This unapologetic, vibrant way of life might be discovered past TV, movie, and music – it might be discovered in every single place from foods and drinks to Adam Ant-style make-up.
The last decade ushered in new conservatism throughout the Western world, while communism crumbled – and with such large adjustments culturally and politically, industries started to collectively undergo – scotch whisky included.
The overproduction of the Nineteen Seventies would quickly meet up with whisky makers unable to maintain the tempo they’d set whereas remaining worthwhile. Demand trended in the direction of lighter spirits, and this together with different components led to the Whisky Loch, and the lack of many cherished distilleries, with some being fairly actually bulldozed to the bottom. Those that weathered the storm scaled again their manufacturing – a consequence felt right this moment with significantly rarer availability of classic whisky from this time.
However this adopted perspective of warning and frugality didn’t cease whisky makers from producing whisky – and within the occasion of Sunshine on Speyside, a 39 12 months Previous Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, it acted as a time capsule, capturing the extra fondly remembered components of the period.
Rambunctious in nature, this expression retells the tales of flamboyant tropical flavors discovered within the cocktails that may have been loved at its time of creation – a tribute to pineapple, mango, barbecue smoke, and citrus.
The A long time of the twentieth Century, Decanted.
For a lot of, scotch whisky is a lot greater than only a drink. For some, it’s a spirit that gathers collectively family and friends, for others it’s a means to toast an event – however for the Home of Hazelwood, it’s the liquid library that holds the tales of the previous, able to be uncorked to get pleasure from one final time, earlier than disappearing into historical past endlessly. Each drop ought to be cherished – particularly when the previous tastes pretty much as good as this.
