Diageo Luxury Group unveils Rare Series — a collection of remarkable Scotch whiskies that time nearly forgot
Rushing from Camden Town tube station towards Regent’s Park, I realised to my horror that I was running late to one of the year’s most exclusive, most top-secret spirits events. Distracted by the self-recrimination in my head, I would have run past the venue altogether had I not noticed the security guard: straight from central casting, wearing a black suit, black tie, and black sunglasses, complete with discreet earpiece, standing in front of a small door over-arched in ivy.
Ducking inside, I found myself in a blessedly cool, almost Spanish-style atrium, its stucco walls covered in portraits of stars from sport, stage, and screen, including a few iconic shots of The Rolling Stones.
This was Park Village, the famed historic photo studio well-known to anyone who has ever pursued a coffee table book of rock ‘n’ roll legends.
I was here for an event that, while not rock ‘n’ roll exactly, would certainly make Mick Jagger’s ample and famously discerning mouth water.
Ushered into the studio itself, I found myself – somehow – in the Scottish Highlands. An immersive projection of a sweeping Highland vista, complete with waving purple heather, enveloped the cavernous space. In front of me, a long dining table sagged under the weight of Highland fauna and assorted Caledonian delicacies.
The occasion was the unveiling of Rare Series, Diageo Luxury Group’s new prestige whisky collection.
Too often these “unveilings” turn out to be little more than marketing exercises so you can imagine my relief at the first mind-blowing sip. These bottles are genuinely old, genuinely finite, and in at least one case, from a distillery that no longer exists.
The inaugural release brings together five single malts from five distilleries and five distinct corners of Scotland. The headline bottling is the Glenury Royal 1970, distilled at a now-silent Highland distillery near Stonehaven and aged for 55 years, it is the oldest single malt Diageo has ever released. Only 232 bottles exist. Poured at 62.4% ABV, it opens slowly: dry apple and pear, a faint smokiness, then a creamy sweetness that sharpens toward gooseberry. A whisky that wears its age with striking composure.
The other four expressions are equally singular. The Talisker 1992, finished for over two decades in Amoroso-seasoned casks, carries the raw maritime power of Skye rendered in extraordinary depth, smoke and pepper riding a wave of oily sweetness. The Caol Ila 1983, at 42 years old the oldest the Islay distillery has ever released, balances peaty intensity with an almost lyrical elegance.
The Clynelish 1983, my favorite bottle of the day, is from the coastal Highlands, is a study in restraint: lavender, rose petal and the distillery’s signature candlewax character, all immaculately intact after four decades. The Blair Athol 1991, matured in ex-Sherry casks and finished in Pedro Ximenez-seasoned American oak, rounds out the collection with espresso, dark chocolate and a long, spiced finish.
Future editions will be released only when Diageo’s master blenders judge a whisky ready – no fixed schedule, no guaranteed age statements. Access is through Diageo’s Private Client network, including Justerini & Brooks, with registration open now at rare-series.com. Prices range from £800 for the Blair Athol to £5,700 for the Glenury Royal.
What Rare Series understands, and what the evening made viscerally clear, is that the most compelling luxury is time – and the patience to let it work.
Available exclusively via Diageo Private Client teams, Justerini & Brooks and www.rare-series.com. Prices range from £800 (Blair Athol 1991) to £5,700 (Glenury Royal 1970).
