A new year awaits, and with it, new flavours. Embark upon a journey of discovery with our expert recommendations on limited edition and rare whisky to savour throughout 2025.
A new year’s resolution: to drink less, but to drink better. Rare bottles of whisky aged for many decades are hard to come by but savouring a glass of this liquid gold is a moment that is unlikely to be forgotten – and one to embrace in the coming year.
Embarking upon a journey of exploration through these rare whiskies can seem like an overwhelming task – after all, the financial investment – be it by glass or by bottle – can be costly. So, where does one begin in their curation of rare whisky?
Look Beyond Single Malt Whisky
Begin with an open mind – and broaden your horizons to the stories found beyond the Single Malt style. Single Malts are not without their merits, but to enjoy a Blended Grain made from lost distilleries, or better yet, a Blended Scotch Whisky made by techniques no longer allowed by law really is a remarkable experience.
There’s no finer example of a true “limited edition” than that of The Last Trace, a 58-Year-Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, with just 65 bottles available. Blends are rarely found at this age – especially when historically the components of a such a whisky were often destined for mainstream commercial purposes. But, for the Gordon Family behind House of Hazelwood, a personal interest in laying down whisky for future generations has seen such spirit find its final resting place in whiskies such as this.
For this 58-Year-Old Blended Scotch, this rarity was deemed too good to share by mother nature, and when the casks of The Last Trace were decanted, it was found that much of the spirit had been stolen by “The Angel’s Share” – a phenomenon in which whisky evaporates through the cask.
However, all was not lost – thanks to this process the resulting spirit took on deeply complex characteristics of toasted coconut and buttery menthol - underpinned by flavours of leather, parchment paper and a tangy tart finish.
Blends were once the apex of the whisky world – and with rarities such as The Last Trace making themselves known, it is easy to see how it could rise again. For 2025, challenge your palate and preconceptions – and see beyond the Single Malt for your next whisky.
Appreciate the Grandeur of Grain
Grain whisky is perhaps not the first style that would spring to mind when considering your next rare whisky investment, but this category represents Scotland’s vibrant and illustrious history of whisky making. Without grain, the industry would not exist and thrive as it is today.
It is easy to dismiss grain – after all, changing tastes in the turn of the 20th mid-century have led to its decline in popularity, and for some a perception that it offers less complexity and depth compared to its malt counterpart. But this could not be further from the truth – especially in the case of well-aged and highly limited-edition Single Grains.
Take The Cask Trials, a 1968 Vintage Single Grain Scotch Whisky, as an outstanding example. Hailing from Girvan Distillery, this Single Grain has spent over half a century in a sherry butt. This whisky was overseen by none other than Charles Gordon himself – the man behind many of the House of Hazelwood whiskies, as well as the creation of Girvan Distillery itself. His vision saw the benefits which Girvan grain could bring – both when bottled for mainstream purposes, but also its potential when left to slumber for decades.
The resulting spirit is almost resinous in quality – rich, decadent, and utterly irresistible in its presentation of dried fruits, roasted coffee, and Muscovado toffee – a character reminiscent of many greatly aged malt whiskies.
A contrast to The Cask Trials, the diversity of flavour that grain can bring is no better demonstrated than in The Old Ways, a 1972 Vintage Single Grain, also hailing from Girvan Distillery. This expression, founded on whisky making techniques and equipment no longer in use represents Girvan’s past – beginning as a more aromatic new make spirit than is produced today. However, the biggest distinction in flavour comes from its maturation, which was spent in American Oak – a different path from The Cask Trials sherried seasoning.
The presentation in the nose and palate is remarkable – camping stove burners, wax jackets, Muscovado sugar sweetness, stewed rhubarb, and gooseberries.
Whichever of these two exceptional examples appeal, one thing is clear: grain deserves to be appreciated for all the depth and complexity is can offer, so in 2025, take the chance to appreciate the grandeur of grain.
Embrace the Beauty of Blended
Blended Scotch need not be your only stop in the world of blending rare whisky. Indeed, a world of discovery awaits in the lesser-known categories of Blended Malt Scotch Whisky and Blended Grain Scotch Whisky.
Lovers of peated whisky need not agonise over their favourite Islay distilleries, but instead sample the very finest that the entire island has to offer within Queen of the Hebrides. This 36-Year-Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky from Islay represents some of the rarest whiskies from the House of Hazelwood inventory, brought together in a masterful balance to celebrate its regional origins.
With an outturn of just 274, these rare bottles are typical of this period in being notoriously difficult to obtain. However, this pursuit for Islay whisky is well worth the venture – with the palate promising smouldering bonfires, cigar smoke, charcoal and tobacco leaves spritzed with yuzu citrus.
Blended Grains are as equally compelling and rare in their nature. For aficionados of Grain Whisky, The Lost Estate, a 43-Year-Old Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, offers rarity that is hard to resist. The contents within this limited edition is likely to keep the enthusiast musing as they sample their way through the bottle with not just one, but two late, closed grain distilleries having been revived for one last time.
Capturing all the merits of a creamy, rich grain character at an impressive age, this blending of two distilleries gives way to a very rich, highly estery release redolent of pear drops, mandarin orange and hard-boiled barley sugar sweets.
A Year of Rare Whisky Exploration
Scotch Whisky as a category is huge in its ability to offer diversity and flavour. For the discerning palate, 2025 presents an opportunity to explore luxury and rare whiskies that are lesser known. The opportunity that lies ahead is limitless in its potential – the only step left is to choose which House of Hazelwood whisky you’ll open first.
