Auld Alliance Obelisks

Produced in the year of the Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. A pair of single vintage, single cask expressions from Hine & Glenfarclas beautifully adorned with hand-made obelisks from the Royal Warrant holding Cabinet maker Neil Stevenson. These magnificent limited edition pairs of 125 classically inspired obelisks have been commissioned from, and hand-made by, skilled craftsmen at N.E. J. Stevenson, Cabinet Makers by Royal Appointment to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, at their workshops just outside Rugby, England. Made from English oak (Quercus robur) , the tall, tapering shafts can be detached from the square pedestal bases, decorated with brown oak discs representing the sun, to reveal a rare numbered bottle of Hine 1953 and a rare numbered bottle of Glenfarclas 1953 both the product of a single family cask. Each obelisk features a secret drawer, the front of the Hine drawer is faced with oak from the Hine 1953 cask and the front of the Glenfarclas drawer is faced with oak from the Glenfarclas 1953 cask. This unique 1953 Glenfarclas is the oldest cask of whisky owned by the distillery, the contents of a single Spanish oak sherry cask. It has a gleaming rich sandy oak colour. Initially, a rich sherried nose which develops to reveal lovely toffee notes, followed by delicate oak with crisp fresh fruit at the bottom of the glass. A little air truly opens up this special Speyside malt whisky. Once it has had time to breathe, a warm taste of spices, stewed fruits and liquorice develops into an incredibly long finish of toffee apples and cinnamon sticks. Cask: Sherry Hogshead ABV: 43.9% Bottle size: 70cl For 250 years Thomas Hine & Co has specialised in selecting, ageing and selling the finest Grande Champagne cognacs from single vintages. The vintage is the year the grapes were harvested, so the quality is very closely linked to the conditions of the soil and climate prevailing during that particular year in the Charente region of France. In great years, Hine set aside a few casks of their most exceptional Grande Champagne Cognacs to be matured as vintages. Normally Hine Vintage Cognacs reach maturity after several decades. Exceptionally, this single family cask of 1953 has spent 60 years maturing in the same French oak barrel and has been bottled at natural cask strength to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1962 Hine was greatly honoured to be the first and, to this day, the only Cognac House to be granted The Royal Warrant by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. This is a perfect example of an elegant Grande Champagne Cognac from one of the greatest vintages of the 20th century. A shimmering delicate amber in colour, a cognac which exhibits both body and distinction, aromas of spice, honey and walnuts from the French oak cask and the high humidity of the Hine cellars. This fine old Grande Champagne cognac seduces the palate with its velvety roundness, mellowness and taste of spices and passion fruit which harmoniously linger together, leaving a delicious long aftertaste. Cask: French oak ABV: 41.9% Bottle Size: 70cl