Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/566135
68 / the tasting panel / september 2015 TOP SHELF Kinsman, only the sixth-ever Master Blender at William Grant & Sons, spoke with me about the background to the program. "With remarkable foresight, the Grant family has built an unrivalled collection of Scotch whiskies," he explained. "Some of the single malt that has been used to create Rare Cask Reserves The Annasach 25 Year Old is extremely rare and this is an incredibly exciting release from our archives." Just how rare is rare, though? Well, limited batches of 66 nine-liter cases (40% ABV) of The Rare Cask Reserves Annasach 25 Year Old were produced for each of the four stores. That's fewer than 800 bottles, now available exclusively to customers of Binny's, BevMo!, Total Wine and Spec's Liquors at $299 retail. The opportunity to create a bespoke batch of The Annasach 25 Year Old is offered to all customers with four offerings being rolled out this year. But that's not all. Kinsman has been digging deep into the warehouses to create his own Rare Cask Ghosted Reserve 26 Year Old, an unusual blended malt (i.e., malt whiskies only with no grain component). This con- tains exclusive whisky produced by the "ghosted" distilleries Inverleven (opera- tional from 1938 to 1991) and Ladyburn (operational from 1963 to 1975). The marriage of spirits from Ladyburn and Inverleven has resulted in just 4,100 exquisite individually numbered bottles globally, with 2,000 bottles available in the U.S. Rare Cask Reserves Ghosted Reserve has an ABV of 42% (SRP is $400). Neither will work again, and accord- ingly, this whisky is not just rare, it is truly unrepeatable. "Rare Cask Reserves Ghosted Reserve bears testament to the vision and skills of the five Master Blenders who came before me," Kinsman noted. "This exceptional release is a whisky that gives me enormous personal pride. I see it as a spirit that would win the deepest respect of our founder, William Grant." As well as spending time with this quietly spoken crafts- man in his Blending Room (a highpoint of the visit), guests have the opportunity to see all of the Glenfiddich estate. You'll find it just outside Dufftown, a little Speyside town that is widely known as the "whisky capital of the world" (sorry, Louisville). This holy ground is home to the Glenfiddich and Balvenie Distilleries, their world-class visitor centers, the family archive, luxurious guest accommodation for VIP visi- tors, a bottling operation and the company's own cooperage. Few guests ever see the full extent of the prop- erty, and even fewer cross the doors of the third distillery on the site, the little-known Kininvie. The exceptionally limited releases so far made available from Kininvie have sold out in record time, though more are planned to meet the demands of connoisseurs who, worldwide, are clamouring for more. On my visit, I was able to spend time in the Kininvie stillhouse— truly a Rare privilege which I plan to share with you in the next issue. Master Distiller Brian Kinsman noses during a blending session. In the background: Kevin Abrook, Global Whisky Specialist, Innovation, for William Grant & Sons. Rare Casks Ghosted Reserve contains whiskies produced at "ghosted" distilleries Inverleven and Ladyburn.