Casks of Distinction
Casks of Distinction offers the purchase of individual casks from Diageo’s extensive stocks in Scotland, exclusively via Diageo’s Private Client service. Hand selected by by four master blenders, each cask is entirely unique and incredibly rare. Each Cask of Distinction is chosen on the basis of their quality, representing the most exceptional and singular expression of the distillery’s character.
Diageo possesses the world’s widest range of great Scotch Whisky distilleries, with whisky maturing in around nine million casks from 28 operating and around 15 closed malt distilleries. Single casks that have an extraordinary quality and character are set aside as ‘Casks of Distinction’ and made available for purchase by invited private clients, before bottling and while the cask continues to mature in Scotland. Once the cask has been bottled, each bottle is serialised and hallmarked with the patron’s signature, including maturation and date of bottling details.
The Master Blenders
Casks of Distinction summons the combined judgement and expertise of Diageo's Master Blenders in Scotland. This group is led by four experts with over a lifetime's experience between them, each with extensive knowledge of Scotch Whisky from years of service to the industry: Dr Craig Wilson, Dr Emma Walker, Maureen Robinson and Dr Jim Beveridge. Together, these individuals embody Diageo's shared passion, experience and dedication as whisky makers. Their understanding of the casks in their care is unmatched, as is their command of the nuances of a distillery's liquid character. It is this judgement and knowledge that is highly regarded by whisky connoisseurs across the globe. These experts are the ones tasked to gather the most exceptional liquids from Diageo's treasured stocks across Scotland.
Together they seek out casks from more than 50 warehouses, that are special, old and very rare; entirely unique and individual in character. Only very occasionally do these casks present themselves, and their selection requires careful assessment, over many years, to ensure they are sought out at the right moment.
The Selection Process
Once a year, at the liquid library at Diageo's Archives in Scotland, the Casks of Distinction selection team gathers. The group of experts discuss which casks, out of the millions resting across Scotland, should be considered for the Cask of Distinction List for the coming year. The experts employ their collective understanding to identify the rarest and most exceptional casks to be put forward for evaluation.
The Master Blenders then lead a team of experts in seeking out, tasting and assessing individual casks from more than fifty warehouses across Scotland. Many of these casks have been watched closely for years, with the experts waiting until they reveal a distinctive quality that sets them apart. Others are chance findings of a rare gem from warehouses filled with thousands of casks, but one that makes a lasting impact on the finder. Each is entirely unique.
Through repeated tastings, each cask is held to the utmost scrutiny by the experts in their analysis of the specific nuances and character of each whisky. No cask reaches the final list without unanimous agreement by all four Master Blenders. The final Cask of Distinction List is a collection of incomparable casks. Curated annually over more than 2,400 hours by industry leading experts, the List represents the pinnacle of Diageo's cask collection, and receives an approval signature of each of the four master blenders dedicated to its creation.
Enquiries
For additional information on Cask Of Distinction, please contact our Diageo Rare & Exceptional Singapore Private Client team.
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