On Tuesday 5th March Chivas Brothers are set to reveal The Vault, their ultimate luxury tour and tasting experience for guests interested in purchasing a cask. The bespoke experience is set to take place at Strathisla, the spiritual home of the Chivas brand.
Founded in 1786, Strathisla is the oldest working distillery in Speyside. Guests will receive a private tour of the distillery as well as a walk-through of Chivas Brothers’ rich history with one of their archivists.
It’s at the tasting stage of the experience that The Vault elevates itself from a typical distillery tour. Guided by one of Chivas Brothers’ whisky experts, visitors will receive a personalised tasting in The Vault’s whisky library. With over 240 exclusive samples to choose from - a selection that includes new make spirit, well-aged whiskies and one-off curiosities -, there’s bound to be a dram for every palate.
The experience will conclude with a final dram in The Vault itself. The Vault houses 14 utterly unique casks that have never been available to purchase before. These casks come from the legendary names in Chivas Brothers’ impressive portfolio of brands. From the iconic The Glenlivet to the now-closed Caperdonich, via the lesser seen Scapa and a cask of the world renowned Royal Salute blend, the variety on offer is staggering.
Each cask showcases an impressive age statement, ranging from 19 to over 30 years old. Chosen by Sandy Hyslop and Kevin Balmforth, Chivas Director of Blending and Cask Expert respectively, these casks represent some of the most remarkable and rare whiskies to be made available.
Chivas are also keen to highlight that prospective buyers will also be able to purchase that most precious of resources: time. Casks bought will also be permitted to be safeguarded and continue their maturation within The Vault for an additional four years.
Jacques-Henri Brive, Head of Luxury Development at Chivas Brothers, said of the experience: “The Vault is a unique place where we invite whisky aficionados to discover our exceptional cask programme through a tasting experience like no other. Every journey into The Vault is entirely bespoke, paired with the potential to own one of Chivas Brothers’ most desired whiskies and maturing it in the optimal conditions for up to four more years - which makes this offering a very special one.”
Many distilleries are offering cask ownership schemes, but the offering from Chivas appears a cut above the rest. Having a one of a kind tasting experience alongside your own hand picked cask will be a tempting offer to many (indeed, if my pockets were deep enough I’d be there in a beat!).
Tickets for The Vault experience start at £1,200 and will be available through Chivas’s website.