The Pursuit of Pleasure

From House of Hazelwood and Hedonism

House of Hazelwood and Hedonism Wines have come together to create the ultimate expression of indulgence: *The Pursuit of Pleasure*, a 52-year-old Blended Scotch Whisky

Regular readers will know I’m a longtime admirer of House of Hazelwood, but what you might not realise is that I’m also a fan of shopping for whisky and Armagnac at Hedonism Wines, just off Berkeley Square in London. So, when I heard these two were collaborating to create a whisky, I was immediately intrigued.

In their literal ‘pursuit of pleasure,’ the team from Hedonism travelled to House of Hazelwood’s Speyside home in search of the perfect blend. With access to whisky from the Gordon family’s exclusive private reserves, Hedonism’s experts worked closely with the House of Hazelwood’s whisky makers, tasting through numerous whiskies to find the components that would shape this exceptional blend. The result is *The Pursuit of Pleasure*, a 52-year-old matured in a combination of American White Oak and European Sherry casks.

During their visit, the Hedonism team was fully immersed in the process, visiting the private dunnage warehouses to sample straight from the cask, a rare and incredible experience. Having had the privilege to visit the same warehouse myself, I can only imagine their excitement. It’s a traditional dunnage warehouse, where barrels are stacked just 2-3 high, each one marked with its age and contents. Unlike most warehouses, where finding the occasional high-age statement barrel is a challenge, at House of Hazelwood, these rare treasures are far more common.

This abundance of aged whisky is the result of nearly a century of careful stewardship by the Gordon family, who also own Glenfiddich and The Balvenie. They’ve set aside barrels for special moments over the years, building an unrivalled collection of rare and precious whisky.

The team’s involvement didn’t end in the warehouse. They also took part in blending sessions, giving them the chance to contribute directly to the final recipe. It’s this hands-on approach that truly makes this collaboration special.

“To be invited to sample whisky from the family’s private collection is every whisky connoisseur’s dream”, said Tom Olive, Assistant Spirit Buyer from Hedonism. “Our aim was simple: to produce a blend of pure indulgence. The result is a whisky that can be described as “decadence decanted”. This whisky is dense on the nose, with sticky jam sweetness,

offset against leathery tannins and orange zest. The smoking charcoal balances the sweetness, with a barley sugar character making its way through.”

House of Hazelwood Director Jonathan Gibson, said: “Making a truly exceptional whisky takes decades of patience but thanks to our extensive aged stocks the journey from cask to bottle can be navigated within a matter of months. Given the breadth and depth of our stocks which spans every corner of Scotland, our bespoke blend offering allows us to work closely with partners and private individuals to uncover whisky stocks and flavours to create something truly special that matches their creative vision.”

I recently had the pleasure of tasting The Pursuit of Pleasure alongside a few familiar bottles from the House of Hazelwood Collection during a dinner at Hide. Now, any dinner at Hide is special, but when you add whisky of this calibre, it becomes something truly extraordinary. The youngest whisky I tasted that evening was the 33-year-old The Transatlantic, a blended grain whisky that I adore. It’s packed with so much flavour, it almost defies what’s on the label - a truly astonishing dram.

Another standout of the evening, besides The Pursuit of Pleasure, was The Old Way, distilled in 1972, my birth year. This was a particularly emotional experience for me, as it’s the only whisky I’ve ever tasted from that year. It’s moments like these when whisky transcends being just a drink and becomes something deeply personal. There’s something magical about sipping on a bottle from the year you were born, it takes everything up a notch and stirs memories and connections in ways you don’t expect.

So, what does the 52-year-old Pursuit of Pleasure add to this already exceptional collection? In my opinion, quite a lot. As someone who was born in 1972, this whisky marks an exciting milestone for me, so my anticipation was high.

On the nose, The Pursuit of Pleasure delivers a rich concentration of confectionary and marmalade aromas, balanced with cereal notes, think glazed apricot pastries, brioche, and hazelnut gelato. The palate is wonderfully balanced, with warming spice notes complemented by cedar, vanilla, burnt orange, and buttery pastry filled with cream, and topped with apricot coulis. The finish is breathtakingly long, stretching well into minutes, lingering far beyond what you might expect. 

This whisky not only deserves its place in the House of Hazelwood Collection but also in Hedonism’s esteemed lineup. It’s decadent yet refined, rich yet perfectly balanced, a truly wonderful dram.

Just 72 bottles of The Pursuit of Pleasure are available exclusively from Hedonism.