When it comes to expensive, ultra-aged Scotch whisky, Speyside distilleries like The Macallan—which just released an 82-year-old single malt that costs (not a typo) nearly $200,000—are usually the first that spring to mind.
But there are many other distilleries with stocks of whisky that have been aging for decades—sometimes close to a century. High among our favorite lesser-knowns is Benromach. While the brand may not be as familiar to American Scotch drinkers, this revered distillery located in the town of Forres just launched a pricey 50-year-old expression that stands with the best.
Benromach has been around since 1898, operating under various ownership before closing in 1983. Ten years later, independent bottler Gordon & Macphail revived the brand, and started releasing whiskies again in 2004. Clearly, this 50-year-old expression is from before that time, which makes it even more valuable and rare.
The whisky comes from a single cask and was bottled at 54.6 percent ABV, which is pretty high for a Scotch whisky aged for that long. According to the distillery, Benromach is one of only a few Scotch makers that malt barley with just a “whisper” of peat smoke—as opposed to going for a higher phenol parts per million (PPM, the metric that measures peat content). As a result, you can expect a more subtle hint of campfire notes at first sip.
This is a very complex aged whisky, with notes of tropical fruit leading the palate, followed by a range of flavor, including leather, tobacco, cocoa, fruit leather, and a dash of licorice on the finish.
Of course, a rare and expensive whisky like this has to come in a pretty bottle, and this one is made by UK glass studio Glasstorm. The decanter was created using a technique called battuto, a traditional way of blowing glass by hand.
“There is great synergy between the craftsmanship of glass blowing and whisky making,” said Glasstorm owner Brodie Nairn in a statement. “It takes years to harness the skills, passing down from master to apprentice. I first learned the battuto technique from a master glassblower in Italy 25 years ago, and in turn I’ve trained my team. It has taken me a long time to find a project special enough to use it on—but, at last, I found the perfect one.”
There are only 248 decanters of Benromach 50 available globally, each priced at a hefty $25,000. This release is likely to be a future collector’s item, so buy two if you're able. One to drink, and one to hold onto.
Related: I've Tasted Hundreds of Whiskies. This Classic Luxury Scotch Is the Best You Can Buy
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