Berry Bros & Rudd's single malt whisky brand, The Glenrothes, is releasing the first in what will be a series of single cask bottlings going back to the late 1960s.

The Extraordinary Cask Collection has been made possible by the discovery of vintage casks of The Glenrothes from a private collector in Scotland, by Ronnie Cox, brands heritage director at Berry Bros. After extensive authentication checks a small number of the discovered casks were selected to make up the Glenrothes Extraordinary Cask Collection.

The first of which from 1970 is being released now on allocation only, with prices starting at £3,000.

It comes in specially designed new bottle and packaging from design company, Brandhouse. The bottle takes its inspiration not only from the existing classic, clear brand credentials of The Glenrothes bottle, but also from luxury perfume and fragrance bottles all presented in a light brown hand-crafter leather travel case that would not have looked out of place in the hands of Cary Grant in a classic Hitchcock film.

Cox explained the thinking behind the new range: "Extraordinary is a term associated with the heritage of the wines sourced and endorsed by Berry Bros. & Rudd. It applies equally to these casks selected for their personality and excellence, allowing them to stand alone as examples of the supremacy of The Glenrothes bloodline.

"The first of these is a whisky distilled in 1970 which, in keeping with The Glenrothes' philosophy to bottle at peak maturity, is now ready to be committed to glass. The anticipation for this release is such that the first Extraordinary Cask is on allocation only."

The Extraordinary range will also help meet the growing demand from Glenrothes drinkers for older vintages. The Glenrothes Single Cask 1970 #10573, with 40.6 abv, was distilled on July 61970. Cask #10573, an ex-bourbon hogshead, produced only 179 bottles at a natural strength of 40.6% alcohol by volume.

The 1970 is described as being "clear and bright with rich golden hues; distinctly earthy and autumnal",  it has touches of "windfall apples and cider cellar". On the palate it has "toffee apples with icing sugar, sponge fingers with custard, puff pastry with apple". It is "lightly peppery and fresh with citrus and eucalyptus".

All in all a "beguiling" whisky for the connoisseur.

Each decanter has been individually created by a master craftsman at Atlantis Crystal in Alcobaca, Portugal, using pure crystal.

A plaque made of polished brass is applied to just one front facet: engraved with the year of distillation and the bottle number to ensure the uniqueness and authenticity of each individual decanter. Brass has also been used for the hand-engraved collar on the neck of the decanter, supplied by Charles Stott, of the Edinburgh-based Scottish Silversmiths.

The head of the stopper is made from the wood of the very cask # 10573 in which the whisky has matured.

The Glenrothes 1970 Extraordinary Cask #10573 will initially be available from Berry Bros. & Rudd and its representatives in key markets.

Future releases include a 1969, sometime in 2013 and a 1968 further down the line.