Waldhaus am See
A Whisky Record Breaker
At 1800 meters above sea level, in a beautiful setting in Saint Moritz, Switzerland, stands a picturesque hotel called Waldhaus am See. It has 100 beds in 50 rooms, and offers an un-rivalled view of mountains and lake. On the surface, it is the perfect place for a relaxing vacation or for skiing in the Winter. And it is! But it is so much more to the world of whisky. It is a record breaker of a place. Home to the largest whisky collection in the world, and a thriving whisky import and distribution business.
A Whisky Giant
The hotel is family owned. It dates back to 1885, when it was called Waldschlössli from the Rocca. In 1983 it was bought by Claudio Bernasconi and re-named Waldhaus am See. Claudio invested heavily. In 1993, he invested 9M Swiss Francs to virtually rebuild the hotel. Since then he has invested a further 5.8M Swiss Francs to enlarge and to refine the hotel, including a spa make-over in 2019. But what about the whisky?
Claudio has quite a name and reputation in the world of whisky. He was appointed a Keeper of the Quaich in 2009. An exclusive international society to recognise, reward and celebrate those who have shown outstanding commitment to the Scotch Whisky Industry.
The Devil's Place
Claudio added a business to the hotel - a whisky import and distribution business for Switzerland. Called World of Whisky, this part of the business is now run by son, Nico. The hotel is run by his other son, Sandro. But the two businesses remain connected via The Devil's Place. A whisky bar in the hotel that holds a place in the Guinness Book of Records for the single largest collection of whiskies. The plaque states 2500 but I did not count them. And after a few hours in that bar, I am sure there were double that number!
The collection includes this extraordinary range of Port Ellen originals.
The first worldwide private cask bottling of Royal Salute
Last year, Claudio celebrated his 70th birthday. The highlight of the evening was the tasting of the 25-year-old Royal Salute bottling, made possible by spirits giant Pernod Ricard in collaboration with Chivas Brothers for Claudio Bernasconi's 70th birthday. A special bottling usually reserved for royalty, it gives some indication of the esteem in which Claudio is held in Scotland for his many years of service to whisky. The whisky is available now in the World of Whisky shop.
But I was lucky enough to get to try a dram of this very fine whisky.
NOSE: On the nose, rich notes of sweet stewed fruit and blueberry jam are complemented by soft liquorice, a dusting of cinnamon and aromatic marzipan.
PALATE: Intensely sweet with flavours of juicy prunes, treacle toffee and dark chocolate rounded off perfectly with caramelised figs.
FINISH: Long, dry and slightly spicy.
A bottle will set you back 690 Swiss Francs. If you want one, they are a few bottles left at Waldhaus am See. But my suggestion is to go and visit the Devil's Place and enjoy a dram at the bar. If you have to ask the price - you cannot afford it! :)