Simon Wittenberg sits down with Loch Lomond Group’s Master Blender Michael Henry, and Prestige Portfolio manager Nick Bradley, at the five-star Connaught Hotel in London’s Mayfair, to uncover the secrets behind Glen Scotia’s newly released 50-year-old expression ‘The Elements of Campbeltown Release Number One: Air’, and to be amongst the first in the world to sample this extraordinary whisky.
Since being founded in 1832 by Steward Galbraith & Co, Glen Scotia has had its fair share of ups and downs in its near 200-year history, and has changed hands a number of times over the last couple of centuries.
Amongst the 400,000 casks that the Loch Lomond Group holds, is a select secretive number that were laid down in the 1970s, and these will form the foundation for the release of five new annual 50-year-old single malts, starting this year, and culminating with a crescendo in 2029.
It is an important milestone for Glen Scotia, as these are the oldest expressions ever released by the distillery in Scotland’s Campbeltown, which has an Atlantic coastal location on the picturesque peninsula of Kintyre.
This series, which made its formal debut on 08th May 2025, has been named The Elements of Campbeltown Collection, which draws inspiration from the Celtic five-fold knot. This iconic insignia features five interconnected circles, depicting the four elements of air, water, fire, and earth, around a central sphere that denotes the spirit.
These aforementioned elements have been used to guide the intrinsic DNA of the collection, which highlights their influence on the shaping of these special whiskies.
Marking the debut chapter of this Glen Scotia portfolio is The Elements of Campbeltown Release Number One: Air, using precious liquid distilled on 23rd December 1973. With the salty maritime note being a signature feature of Glen Scotia whisky, Michael Henry’s ambition with this whisky was to transport those who sample it, straight to Campbeltown, once known as the ‘Victorian whisky capital of the world’, where the wind with a salty edge, rolls off the sea to great those standing by the water.
From its inception, the spirit was laid down in refill American oak hogshead casks up until 2011, which have been under the watchful eye of Michael since joining the distillery in 2007. He then took the decision 14 years ago to vat i.e. marry several of the casks together, where the liquid was then matured in first fill bourbon barrels.
One of these combined casks was then taken For The Elements of Campbeltown Release Number One: Air whisky, where the whisky was subsequently bottled in 2024 at 42.3% ABV at natural cask strength, meaning this expression has had an all-American oak maturation journey, without the addition of any influence from Port or Sherry casks, for example, to complete the finish.
The use of refill wood for the maturation process for such a significant period of time, has also imparted some pertinent lessons for future high age releases, in that has delivered a fresh and vibrant whisky that maintains the distinct characteristics of Glen Scotia, and does not allow the spirit to become “overly wooded”, according to the Master Blender.
The thinking behind using the aforementioned bourbon casks for this single malt was to bring some sweet vanilla notes to complement the saltiness of the spirit.
Having sampled this spectacular whisky first-hand, this single malt brings an array of aromas, from flaked almonds, vanilla fudge and salt crystals, to sweet edible seaweed and fresh glazed apple tart. There is a medley of flavours with a creamy, sweet, and salty texture, and notes of white pepper and powdered ginger, culminating with a lingering coconut finish.
This Glen Scotia 50-year-old is encased in a beautiful bespoke Glencairn crystal decanter housing the precious whisky. Created exclusively for the new collection, it comes complete with a delicate band around the base to represent ‘air’, whilst a Celtic knot crowns a heavy brass stopper and is presented alongside a hardback book, revealing the story of this precious single malt.
Campbeltown has been a source of inspiration for many creative works, which has driven the collaboration with artists to bring the individual elements in this collection to life. For “Air”, Glen Scotia enlisted the task to Devon’s Gina Parr – a contemporary painter with an abstract style, to create a unique piece of art capturing the atmosphere of the distillery’s historic dunnage warehouse, where the fresh sea breeze intertwines with the heavy spirit vapours to create a distinctive scent.
A solid ash and birch display cabinet, boasting a luxurious white leather interior, houses the new Glen Scotia release, on which the stunning artwork painted by Gina has been affixed. The adorning artwork draws inspiration from an easel in an art gallery, and features deep coastal tones and an amber hue on the exterior, selected by Gina to reflect the surroundings, and pays tribute to whisky itself.
Only 100 numbered bottles of Glen Scotia’s Elements of Campbeltown Release Number One: Air are available, priced at £35,000 each, with Nick Bradley highlighting that some of them have already found a home, whilst other bottles are destined for the UK, the US, Singapore, as well as some European markets.
Although there has not been a focus within the Loch Lomond Group on creating a “library” of releases like you would see with other distilleries, number 1 is set to be held back by Glen Scotia for the historical archives. The other four releases, which will form the remainder of this particular collection, will come from the 1970s spirit held at the distillery and will use different liquid for each, but plans are still yet to be finalised by Michael and the team.
However, once this inventory has been used for the five chapters, and due to this distillery’s start-stop history, Glen Scotia’s oldest casks will then date back to the 1990s, which means that it will be a matter of waiting until the 2040s for the next 50-year-old to emerge from the brand.
However, in the meantime, whisky connoisseurs get to enjoy The Elements of Campbeltown Release Number One: Air, a true masterpiece which casts Glen Scotia into the spotlight in the top-end category of whisky. Those fortunate enough to own one of the 100 bottles will be treated to a spectacular spirit, and this is only the beginning of what is set to be a highly sought-after collection.
Glen Scotia – The Elements of Campbeltown Collection Release Number One: Air – Where and How?
For more information about Glen Scotia and the Glen Scotia Elements of Campbeltown Release Number One: Air, visit www.glenscotia.com.
See highlights of our tasting session with Michael Henry and Nick Bradley on the Luxurious Magazine Instagram page.
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