Bacardi Global Travel Retail has unveiled the travel retail-exclusive Glen Deveron 40 Year Old Highland Single Malt.
The limited-edition expression is the latest addition to the brand’s Exceptional Cask Series, a special collection of rare single malts. It launches in selected travel retail locations this month.
The Glen Deveron 40 Year Old Highland Single Malt was selected from the distillery’s private reserve by Malt Master Stephanie Macleod.
Each individually numbered bottle comes with a striking glass stopper engraved with the Glen Deveron insignia. The bottle is presented in a wooden box complete with brand booklet. It is available at an RRP of US$4,900.
The whisky was distilled on 28 November 1980 and is the oldest expression from the distillery so far. The whisky spent its final year maturing in a rare Oloroso Sherry Spanish Oak Butt.
Commenting on the rare expression, Macleod said: “Having spent many hours nosing and sampling several whiskies in the Glen Deveron inventory, I found myself drawn to the impeccable quality of the whisky in this particular cask.
The 43% ABV liquid opens with cinnamon spice, creamy vanilla and sweet baked apples on the nose, before revealing herbal notes and dark chocolate raisin aromas with a citrus zing. On the palate, it offers toasted cereal notes with fruity flavours and hints of bitter coffee before closing with a sweet but dry finish.
Macleod said: “Spanish oak is beautiful to work with; it bestows intense colour and spice and is perfect for finishing. Casks of this high standard and age are few and far between and, when you consider oak’s profound effect on the taste of whisky, it is not surprising that the details count. As a result, The Glen Deveron 40 Year Old is a stunning example of an older Scotch with the dry spicy notes of the Oloroso, complementing the apple and cereal notes that are the signature of the Glen Devon style.”
Owners of the rare bottling are given the exclusive opportunity to visit the Glen Deveron Distillery via an immersive digital multi-sensory experience that combines augmented reality, CGI and audio.
The digital journey takes audiences to the rugged landscapes of the coastal town of Macduff and the River Deveron, the home of Glen Deveron, before taking them on a tour inside the distillery. The virtual experience is narrated by Stephanie Macleod.
Bacardi Global Travel Retail Global Head of Marketing Ignacio Vazquez commented: “With its beautiful balance of notes from the final year of ageing in Spanish Oak, the Glen Deveron 40 Year Old is a tremendous addition to our portfolio, supporting our mission to delight and inspire whisky shoppers with very rare, aged whisky discoveries that they will only find here in GTR.
“The immersive digital journey adds distinctive layering to their purchase experience, combining education and entertainment with a personal shared tasting voiced by Stephanie herself.”
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