Legendary Scotch Maker Just Opened a Vault Containing the Rarest Casks of The Glenlivet and Longmorn Ever Made

Going to Scotland is a whisky lover’s dream—and to some a rite of passage. Of all the 150-ish Scotch distilleries, Strathisla in Speyside may be the crown jewel, as it’s the oldest continuously operating distillery in the Scottish Highlands. Now, its owners, Chivas Brothers, have made visiting those hallowed grounds even more desirable with the opening of The Vault, a £1,200 (about $1,500) per guest tasting experience.

Chivas Brothers owns some of the world’s most-beloved distilleries, including The Glenlivet, Aberlour, Royal Salute, and Longmorn. In The Vault, visitors try 14 previously unreleased single cask whiskies from those distilleries and more.

It all begins with a private tour of Strathisla, founded in 1786, led by a Chivas Brothers archivist. Next, guests head over to the Scotch library, where they enjoy a personalized tasting of samples selected from 240 available whiskies, including distillates, high-aged whiskies, and rarities. Finally, visitors will enter The Vault itself, where they will have the opportunity to enjoy a final dram that is yet to be made available to the public.

The Vault houses 14 unique casks hand-picked by Chivas Brothers’ blending expert Sandy Hyslop and cask expert Kevin Balmforth. The sample guests get to enjoy is based on the flavor profile created in the whisky library.

“Every cask safeguarded inside The Vault demonstrates Chivas Brothers’ unrivaled quality, heritage, and craftsmanship,” says Hyslop. “By opening the doors of The Vault, we are providing a one-of-a-kind opportunity for those visiting Speyside—bringing some of the world’s rarest and most remarkable whiskies into the spotlight for whisky connoisseurs and collectors to enjoy, savor, and purchase.”

For those not satisfied with a single tasting, there’s also the opportunity to purchase an exclusive cask. Prospective buyers will be led through a series of tastings “best suited to their individual palate, before discovering their perfect cask match to purchase,” the brand explains in a press release. If you’re wondering where you’ll store an entire cask, the distillery safeguards it for four years within The Vault, adding additional maturation before bottling and sending to you.

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