A 40-year-old legacy
As we head towards the end of our 40th anniversary celebrations, we’re preparing to release one of our oldest whiskies. Cask. No: 12.79 was laid down to mature in 1983, the year the Society began. You can register interest in buying this exceptional bottling from 9-22 October, ahead of a ballot on 23 October to randomly select members who can purchase one of the 130 bottles available. From 24 October, bottles will then be available to buy.
This year we’re celebrating 40 years of creating exceptional flavour experiences as the original pioneers in single cask, limited edition cask strength whisky. On Tuesday, 24 October, we will release Cask No. 12.79 from our birth year 1983.
This whisky has been nurtured by our Spirits Team over the years, destined to express the epitome of our legacy while highlighting our expertise in maturation.
Always one to go our own way, we have kept this exceptionally aged bottling true to our origins with a focus on the whisky – the bottle deliberately minimalistic. Chris Wilson, creative director of design agency Stckmn, led the design process. “I was inspired by the liquid and in particular, ripple formations,” he says. “Much like ripples created from a single droplet, the Society was formed from a single epiphany moment, growing into the global whisky club it is today. To embody this idea of the ripple effect, a single green droplet with emanating lines adorns the front of each bottle.”
There is no paper label on this bottle, to ensure the liquid can be fully viewed. A hand-dipped green wax seal sits at the top of each bottling as a crowning nod to our iconic green bottles.
“The wax then produces a different coating every time, meaning each of the bottles is truly unique,” says Chris. The design of the bottle has been a collaboration of individual craftspeople creating something unique – a nod to how the Society began.
The whisky began its life in an ex-bourbon barrel where it spent 35 years. After this, the whisky was moved into a refill Spanish oak oloroso hogshead for an additional five years.
“The key to it being refill was that it would be quite relaxed and complementary, adding another layer of complexity without being too intense for such an old, fragile whisky,” says Euan Campbell, head of whisky creation.
There are just 130 bottles of this 40-year-old whisky, and members looking to purchase the bottling can register their interest from Monday 9 October. Our lines will be open to register interest from then until 22 October, and then on 23 October we'll hold a ballot to randomly select members who can purchase this remarkable bottling – which will then be available to all on 24 October.