Two ulta-rare whiskies have hit the market but, at £35,000 and £5,700 a bottle, anyone wanting to buy one of the limited edition drams will need deep pockets.
The more expensive one, a 74-year-old expression of The Glenlivet single malt from the vaults of Elgin-based Gordon & MacPhail (G&M) has been described by whisky writer Dave Broom as “extraordinary”.
It was laid down in a refill sherry butt selected by G&M on New Year’s Day 1949 and bottled on March 6 2023. Only 192 bottles of the whisky are available for sale.
Last from The Glenlivet’s ‘class of 49’
G&M said it was one of the oldest expressions of The Glenlivet it had ever released.
Adding an extra layer of rarity, the single malt is the company’s last ever 1949 cask from The Glenlivet Distillery.
G&M managing director Ewen Mackintosh said: “Patience, knowledge, skill and a commitment to quality are all principles exemplified in this greatly aged single malt.
“Gordon & MacPhail 1949 from The Glenlivet Distillery is extremely scarce – our very last cask.”
Mr Broom said: “To find a whisky of this age is absolutely extraordinary. What comes across immediately is the fruit – there’s richness and there’s depth.
“The concentration of fruits, the layers and the complexity are off the scale.”
Dubai Airport was granted an exlusivity period to sell the whisky for a few weeks before it became available worldwide.
Not to be outdone, though at a cheaper price point just a few hundred pound shy of £6,000, Huntly-based Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky is today announcing the release of 209 bottles of a “cult” whisky from Islay.
The Port Ellen 40-year-old single malt dates from March 16 1983.
It was among the last batches produced by Port Ellen Distillery before it shut two months later.
As global demand for smoky and peated malts has surged, Port Ellen’s rare drams are now regarded as among the rarest, most iconic and sought after around the world.
Founded by Alexander Kerr Mackay in 1825 on Islay’s southern coast, Port Ellen was named after the nearby town.
It quickly became an innovator in the whisky industry, with great success exporting to the US.
But, impacted by Prohibition, the distillery fell silent for 37 years from 1930. It was resurrected in 1967, due to demand for peated whisky, expanding from two to four stills. Distillers Company, which had owned Port Ellen since 1925, halted production 16 years later.
Diageo plans to reopen the distillery next year as part of a multi-million-pound investment.
According to Duncan Taylor, the 40-year-old single malt is “a veritable time capsule of Port Ellen’s early 1980s releases”.
It was initially stored on Islay but moved to Duncan Taylor’s headquarters in Aberdeenshire in 2010.
Each hand-finished decanter is sequentially numbered with a signed certificate of authenticity.
It’s one of the finest whiskies we’ve launched this year.”
Euan Shand, Duncan Taylor
Duncan Taylor owner Euan Shand said: “When I bought the company from Abe Rosenberg’s family back in 2001, the inventory was incredible, with some amazing rare and old whiskies.
“The casks of Port Ellen were ones that really stood out for me as something special and we’ve patiently waited for them to mature, bringing that rich, dark colour to the liquid.
“It’s one of the finest whiskies we’ve launched this year.”
Port Ellen 1983 will make its public debut at Whisky Show: Old & Rare in London this weekend. It is available for purchase through retailers including BlockBar and The Spirits Embassy.
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