House of Hazelwood : The Silk Traveller 44 Year Old

Tasting Notes and Serving Suggestions for The Silk Traveller 44 Years Old by House of Hazelwood

Tasting

Appearance
The Silk Traveller 44 Years Old appears in a pale gold hue. This relatively light colour for a whisky of this age reflects maturation in casks with limited colour-extracting activity, consistent with a profile far removed from heavily sherry-influenced whiskies.

Nose
The nose immediately conjures up bazaars and souks, with notes of dried herbs and star anise. It then unfolds into spiced, nutty oil, fresh ginger, lime leaves, Thai basil, dried mint and salted butter. Touches of lightly fermenting apple, damp walnut shells, dried pineapple, banana chips and a hint of dried lemon zest enrich this remarkably aromatic bouquet, reminiscent of a stroll through a spice market.

Palate
The palate, silky and generous, opens on wholemeal flour and bran notes, followed by honey and butter spread over lightly charred toast. Compressed apples, plum jam and dates bring a fruity, stewed dimension, while very bitter yet milky coffee blends with notes of fresh leather, warm toffee sauce and liquorice root, both astringent and sweet. A discreet thread of vanilla underpins the whole. The long finish carries through with toasted grain, plum stone and soft woody spices.

Food Pairings and Serving Occasions

The Silk Traveller 44 Years Old is presented by the brand as the ideal companion to an indulgent dessert, its fragrant sweetness and gentle spicy dryness harmonising beautifully with rich preparations. It pairs wonderfully with a tarte tatin, an apple and date crumble, a lightly spiced crème brûlée or a chocolate dessert topped with salted caramel. Given its rarity and complexity, it is best enjoyed neat, perhaps with a small amount of water to fully reveal its bouquet, in a calm setting conducive to contemplation, at the end of a meal.

Other Characteristics

The Silk Traveller 44 Years Old is a single grain whisky, meaning it is produced from grain whiskies sourced from a single distillery, the name of which is not disclosed by the brand. It is bottled at 47.6% ABV, in 70cl bottles.

A Rare Scottish Single Grain Infused with the Spices of the Silk Road

House of Hazelwood, a Scotch Whisky Collection Rooted in a Century-Old Family Heritage

House of Hazelwood is a Scotch whisky brand built on private stocks accumulated over nearly a century by the Gordon family, owners of William Grant & Sons, the company that today controls the brand as a wholly owned subsidiary. Its story dates back to the 19th century, to a meeting between William Grant and a member of the Gordon family in the Cabrach, a remote area of Moray once known as a hotbed of illicit distilling. The brand's name, officially launched in 2022, refers to Hazelwood House, the family residence near Dufftown in Speyside. The whiskies, generally aged between 33 and 58 years, come from casks laid down by successive generations of the family and selected according to their optimal maturity rather than a fixed schedule. House of Hazelwood notably celebrates the legacy of Charles Gordon, founder of the Girvan grain distillery, and offers narrative-driven collections such as the Charles Gordon Collection and the Legacy Collection.

The Silk Traveller 44 Years Old, an Exceptional Single Grain with a Confidential Release

The Silk Traveller 44 Years Old belongs to House of Hazelwood's Legacy Collection, alongside The Hazelwood Highlander, Queen of the Hebrides and The Transatlantic. It is a single grain Scotch Whisky, produced from grain whiskies sourced from a single distillery whose identity remains undisclosed, in keeping with the brand's tradition of discretion regarding the exact origin of its distillates. After 44 years of maturation, this whisky was bottled at 47.6% ABV, in 70cl bottles, in an extremely limited release, making it a highly sought-after piece among collectors.

The product's packaging and storytelling are built around the theme of the Silk Road and Oriental markets, an evocation that echoes the journeys undertaken by the Gordon family across the world to promote the House's whiskies. This single grain thus illustrates House of Hazelwood's aim to demonstrate the aromatic depth that grain whiskies can achieve when carefully selected and long matured, far removed from their image as a mere blending component. Through its rarity, age and storytelling, The Silk Traveller 44 Years Old holds a singular place within the Legacy Collection.