The Gentleman Magazine Issue 14 | April 2019 | Page 55

Bethan’s grandfather lived and worked as a forester in
Cairngorms, home of The Glenlivet, and she was inspired by the
landscape while exploring the area with Master Distiller Alan
Winchester. The layers of mist that gather in the surrounding
valleys became inspiration for the unique reinterpretation of
her Dhow pattern that surrounds the bottle.
The Scotch whisky making process itself was inspirational
for Bethan. The bottle is glass blown by master glassblower
Brodie Nairn to precisely the right size and thickness and
then hand-cut, creating an ombré colour effect that mimics
the ageing process of the liquid inside. It is then engraved and
hand-painted, making each one unique. It is such a meticulous
process that eight bottles are hand-crafted for every one that
is used.
The collection was launched at an exclusive dinner at The
Glenlivet Distillery, which Bethan Gray transformed for the
occasion and which was catered by Michelin-starred chef Clare
Smyth of CORE
The Glenlivet Winchester Collection 1967 brings together
malts from a number of rare oak casks, the youngest of which
was filled in December 1967. When whisky is slowly maturing
in its cask, a small amount of whisky evaporates through the
wood and into the atmosphere, known as the Angel’s Share.
Each year, roughly 2% of the liquid leaves the cask this way,
which means that 50 Year Old whisky casks will generally
have lost 60-80% of their liquid. As a result, only a very small
amount of precious whisky was left for bottling in June 2018.
The whisky is non-chill filtered at cask strength, and boasts
a rich and fruity nose, notes of apricot jam and sweet ripe
peaches, and a hint of toasted almonds. It has an incredibly
smooth taste with fondant orange and milk chocolate flavours,
an amazing velvety texture and a long, and luxuriously sweet
finish.
The Winchester Collection Vintage 1967 is an example of The
Glenlivet’s pioneering excellence in the Single Malt Scotch
Whiskey category.
The hand-stained maple case is made using solid copper
overlays that reflect The Glenlivet’s charred barrels and copper
stills. Created by hand by artisans, the technique used to
overlay the delicate copper was invented specifically for this
case in its curved form. The mother-of-pearl inlaid into the
case reflects the local freshwater pearl mussel shells indigenous
to the Spey River.
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