House of Hazelwood : Queen of the Hebrides 36 Year Old

Characteristics and tasting tips for House of Hazelwood Queen of the Hebrides 36 Years Old

Tasting

Colour
A clear, luminous gold with delicate pale honey highlights, a testament to long, carefully managed maturation in oak casks.

Nose
The bouquet opens with intense, structured campfire smoke, blending phenolic notes of charcoal and creosote with savoury aromas of bacon. This power is elegantly softened by lively citrus, notably yuzu and orange, along with hints of apple, grilled fruit and sweet spices.

Palate
The palate reveals a rich, satisfying texture supported by light tannins. The smoky character intensifies, evoking cigar smoke and toasted oak, perfectly balanced by flavours of lemon zest, toffee, milk chocolate and smoked meat. The finish is exceptionally long, evolving and dense, with lingering notes of fresh tobacco leaves, burnt wood and a subtle honeyed sweetness.

Pairings and tasting occasions
This is a spirit for quiet contemplation, ideally savoured at the end of a meal or late in the evening. Its aromatic complexity pairs beautifully with smoked or cured meats such as aged Iberian ham, or with a lightly salted hard cheese. For a sweet touch, salted butter caramels or a smoked milk chocolate dessert will highlight its nuances. It is also an excellent companion to a medium- to full-bodied cigar. Enjoy it neat, or perhaps with a few drops of water to release its full aromatic range.

Mixology
Given its venerable age, extreme rarity and exceptional aromatic profile, this whisky is not intended for mixing. It is highly recommended to enjoy it unadorned in order to appreciate its full depth.

A heavily peated Islay Blended Malt of great elegance from House of Hazelwood

House of Hazelwood: the legacy of the Gordon family
Officially launched in 2022, House of Hazelwood opens to the public the doors of the vast private reserve built up over nearly a century by the Gordon family. Owners of the independent company William Grant & Sons, of which Glenn Gordon is the current chairman, the family has preserved exceptional casks from every region of Scotland. This singular project in the world of Scotch Whisky stands out for its complete creative freedom, with no obligation to produce standard age statements. House of Hazelwood focuses on ultra-aged blends and blended malts, released as unique, unrepeatable micro-batches. Each bottling tells a chapter of the family's history and celebrates a heritage craftsmanship of rare authenticity, historically rooted in Speyside around the family residence in Dufftown.

The excellence of Queen of the Hebrides 36 Years Old
Part of the prestigious Legacy Collection and showcased in the 2024 release, Queen of the Hebrides 36 Years Old is an exceptional Scotch Whisky. This blended malt pays vibrant tribute to the island of Islay, traditionally nicknamed the “Queen of the Hebrides”. It is a blend of extremely rare Islay malts, acquired by the Gordon family through cask exchanges and carefully preserved for several decades.

The making of this spirit relies on a very long, meticulously monitored maturation in American oak casks. This extended ageing of more than three decades has tamed the raw power of the island's peat, lending it rare complexity and elegance without masking its resolutely maritime identity.

Of the utmost rarity, this limited edition reflects both the rigorous selection of casks and the natural angels' share over 36 years of ageing. It is intended for collectors and connoisseurs seeking a sophisticated, historic interpretation of peated Scotch malts.