What a night it was. Beneath a moonlit Singapore sky, Raffles Sentosa, its private villas glowing like rare jewels amid lush tropical gardens—played host to a gathering of the world’s most discerning whisky collectors and connoisseurs. Silk gowns swept over marble floors as crystal flutes caught the light; the air was a soft symphony of clinking glasses, whispered toasts, and the promise of history in a glass.
It was here, within this enclave of serenity and spectacle, that The Twelve by Casks of Distinction staged its annual revelation: the unveiling of twelve one-of-a-kind casks drawn from Diageo’s legendary reserve of more than ten million casks resting in Scotland. This year, Singapore joined New York, London, and Scotland as a global stage for this unparalleled celebration of provenance and craft. At its radiant heart stood the much-anticipated Twelfth Cask—Mortlach 1984, cask number 4155—the oldest Mortlach cask ever offered. Matured for forty-one patient years in American oak, it is the final surviving cask from Mortlach’s 1984 production, a creation of Diageo’s fabled 2.81 times distillation known as The Way.
Dr. Craig Wilson, Diageo’s Master Blender, described this singular masterpiece with poetic precision: “Despite its age, a fresh maltiness still comes through and as black pepper and clove build on the palate, the unmistakable Mortlach meatiness and a dry woodiness carry through to an exceptionally long finish. It is a bold and complex expression that captures the very essence of Mortlach.” Around him, the privileged circle of guests savoured the first, golden drops of this once-in-a-lifetime spirit—liquid history that may never be equalled.
The evening unfolded as a grand journey across Scotland’s distilling heritage. Guests tasted an unpeated Caol Ila 1997, alive with rare herbaceous grace; a ghost Speyside Pittyvaich 1989, celebrated for its delicate fruit-forward elegance; and an extraordinary Talisker 1979, carrying the windswept soul of the Isle of Skye to Sentosa’s balmy shores. Each cask stood as a singular work of art, never to be replicated, each bottle an heirloom for generations to come.
As Cavaliere Giovanni Viterale, Cluster General Manager of Raffles Sentosa Singapore and Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa, reflected, “Set amidst Sentosa’s natural sanctuary, this moment redefines the standard of ultra-luxury whisky experiences in the region, establishes Singapore as a global destination for whisky connoisseurs, and reflects the shared values of heritage, rarity, and refinement that connect our brand with Diageo’s most exclusive liquid collection.”
Behind this exquisite showcase lies one of the world’s most rarefied whisky journeys. Casks of Distinction, among the longest running private cask ownership programmes, invites a select few into Scotch whisky’s inner sanctum. Diageo’s master whisky makers devote more than 4,200 hours each year to identifying and nurturing such irreplaceable casks. Owners enjoy the privilege of continuing maturation for up to five more years, bespoke personalisation of every bottle, and a decorative cask end— becoming not just collectors, but custodians of a living tradition.
This September evening at Raffles Sentosa confirmed what true aficionados already know: The Twelve is not merely a tasting, but an encounter with time itself. The unveiling of Mortlach 1984 was more than a toast to Scotch whisky’s golden heritage, it was a promise that beauty, patience, and craftsmanship can be captured, one cask at a time, and savoured for eternity.
