House of Hazelwood: Art Deco inspired Scotch

William Grant & Sons is to launch a range of whiskies inspired by the Art Deco era and presented in Art Deco style packaging exclusively in global travel retail.

House of Hazelwood, a new blended Scotch whisky, was inspired by family luminary Janet Sheed Roberts (1901 to 2012) who lived in Hazelwood House, close to the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland. It was from Hazelwood House that she reveled in learning and progress, spending considerable time after her studies traveling the world, attending shows, parties and company ceremonies. In fact, inside Hazelwood House you can still find the beautiful art deco artifacts, pictures and stories from those days.

The packaging takes its inspiration from three of the most mesmeric cities at the forefront of the Art Deco movement: Paris, Mumbai and Shanghai. The design focuses on the creation of a distinctive visual leitmotif associated with the luminosity of each city.

“Janet Sheed Roberts was an elegant woman, and I wanted to create a whisky that would celebrate her extraordinary spirit,” says master blender Brian Kinsman. “The journey of creativity which led me to this unique whisky was one of distinction, challenge and utter delight. I am deeply proud of House of Hazelwood

25 year old. It has allowed me to create an exquisitely rare blended whisky, rich in Scotch tradition, combined with all of the inventive artistry which Shanghai in the 1920s inspires.”

House of Hazelwood is composed of three expressions inspired by the 1920s. The most distinguished is the 25 year old, followed by the 21 year old inspired by Mumbai, and the Paris-inspired 18 year old.

The range will launch exclusively in global travel retail from February 2016 until September 2016. From then, it will be rolled out in a few select markets around the world.

4 November 2015 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor