Whisky Advocate Blog

The new Highland Park 1964 vintage and 1968 vintage debuted last night at a special event in London, but they’re already on their way to New York to be featured at a sold-out WhiskyFest New York this coming Tuesday.

I first mentioned these two Highland Park whiskies here on WDJK a few months back. Only the 1968 vintage is being imported to the U.S. and it won’t begin showing up until the end of the year. But both whiskies will be poured at the WhiskyFest Charity Table, where, for a small donation, you will be able to taste a wee dram of either whisky.

A $20 donation to charity will buy attendees a half ounce pour of one of these special whiskies, and 100% of the proceeds will go to City-Meals-on-Wheels.

Here is the remainder of the special charity whiskies:

First, there are the six unique whiskies that were poured at WhiskyFest San Francisco. There are small amounts of each remaining, and they will be available at WhiskyFest New York while supplies last:

Isle of Jura – Willie Tait: “I put a hogs head of Jura down on the 23rd Nov 1989, on my daughter’s 13th birthday. This was my legacy for my children, as they have already taken all my money.”

Bruichladdich – Jim McEwan: “The title of my whisky will be “Working on a Dream” it will be a vatting of 46 years of Bruichladdich as that is the time I have been in the business. A single malt made by humble men on the west coast of Islay whereby you can feel and taste their personality, honesty and passion in every sip you take.”

The Dalmore – Richard Paterson: As Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface for the very first time at 02.56 GMT on 21st July 1969, the new spirit of Dalmore down on Earth on this very same day was being transported onto the circular surface of American White Oak to begin its epic journey too.

The Balvenie – David Stewart: David now has an intimate knowledge of where his personal favorites are within the Balvenie warehouses, many of which he has been carefully nurturing for several years. David’s unique bottling will be a single cask sampling drawn directly from one of this highly personal selections.

Glenfiddich – Brian Kinsman: Cask samples are retained long after the cask has been bottled and savored. They form a historical archive of Glenfiddich’s greatest and best. Brian will be selecting from these precious remnants to craft a unique and unrepeatable one-bottle “vatting” of Glenfiddich.

Buffalo Trace: Our charity Buffalo Trace bottle contains the very first sample ever drawn from our “Millennium Barrel.” This barrel was filled on December 31, 1999, that’s why we call it our “Millennium Barrel.” It was the very last barrel that we filled on the last day of the last century.

In addition to the bottles above, we have also received a number of rare and expensive bottles donated by many of our exhibitors. Here they are:

Donated by Moet USA:
Ardbeg Supernova
Glenmorangie Malaga Wood 30 year old
Glenmorangie Fino Sherry finish

Donated by Pernod-Ricard:
The Glenlivet 1969
Scapa 25 year old
Chivas Royal Salute 38 year old “Stone of Destiny”

Donated by Heaven Hill Distilleries
Rittenhouse 25 year old Small Batch rye (A vatting, not a single barrel. This is not being sold to the public.)

Donated by Gordon & MacPhail
Gordon & MacPhail Glen Grant 1965 (A cask not being sold to the public.)

Donated by Preiss Imports
BenRiach 1976 Port Pipe Cask #4469

Donated by Mackmyra Distillery
Mackmyra Special: 02  – The Anniversary Edition

Donated by Four Roses Distillery
Mariage 2009

Donated by SKYY Spirits
Wild Turkey Tradition
The Glenrothes 1975

Donated by Isle of Arran
Icons of Arran #1 The Peacock 1996 Vintage

Donated by Malt Advocate publisher John Hansell
The Macallan “Era” bottlings:
’20s
’30s
’40s
’50s
Glen Breton “Ice”
Scott’s Selection “North of Scotland” 1964 vintage
Arran “First” 1995 Distillation
Forty Creek John K. Hall Port Wood Reserve
Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection 17 year old Rum Marriage
Santa Theresa Bodega Privada (Barrel #5) Rum
Cadenhead’s 1964 Port Morant Pot Still Demerara Rum