Compagnie des Indes 10 years Trinidad Rum 61,7% Ping 15
Compagnie des Indes - Ping 15
10 years Trinidad Rum 61.7%
It must be said with some reverence. "Ping"… a word shrouded in mystery, the mere sound of which can make the teeth water and wallets spontaneously jump out of the pockets of spirits geeks the world over, but what is the Ping range and why does it deserve a place in your already swelling barbarity? In this article you get the whole story behind our beloved "prestige" bottlings.
In the old days, Juuls bottled many casks, and although of course the ambition has always been to tap only the best, it happened that once in a while we came across a cask that was truly exceptional. One of those dishes where rarity and quality go into a higher unity. And when you find one, it deserves a little extra fanfare.
In 2005, our director's 30th anniversary in the wine and spirits business coincided with an almost miraculous find: we were given the opportunity to purchase a bourbon hogshead with Ardbeg 1972. It is almost superfluous to mention how powerful a whiskey this is. Expensive, of course, but definitely not a chance you let slip. It was decided that this extraordinary Ardbeg should be bottled to celebrate director Michael Madsen's milestone. The name became Ping No. 1, because Ping was Michael's nickname among friends. The Ardbeg was accompanied by 3 other very special whiskies, all released in 2005 to celebrate the anniversary – one for each of the year's seasons. Ping No. 2 became a 1977 Highland Park, No. 3 a Macallan from 1972 and No. 4 a Ledaig from the legendary 1973 vintage. With this quartet of superb malt whiskeys, the Ping series was born, and the style was laid out, clear and distinct: only the best of the best.
Since then, new spirits have occasionally qualified to carry the name. In 2007, Ping No. 5: a Mortlach from 1957, bottled after exactly 50 years of aging in connection with Michael's 50th birthday. In 2011, when he was able to celebrate 25 years of business at Juul's Vin og Spiritus, he again dug deep for 4 special casks, this time not only in Scotland, but also in the damp cellars of Armagnac. Of these 4 bottlings, a Jamaica rum from 1977 in particular has become legendary.
The Ping series are our absolute best bottlings. The crème de la crème.