Whisky is a true luxury, luxury of time, place and company. Good whisky can be a grand experience, with the right partners and ambience. If you have the right money, here are some luxury expressions. Enjoy and share!
The Macallan 1926
Dry, complex, very rich and concentrated, was how this magnificent dram was described. In 2005, a South Korean businessman paid $70,000 for a bottle of The Macallan’s 1926, the finest and rarest of the ‘Fine and Rare’. At present, the price could be over $80,000. Another prized offering from the Macallan’s is the 55-year-old Lalique. Exotic, with hints of peat smoke, the taste is smooth with lingering citrus overtones. The Macallan’s 1939, a 40-year-old, was first bottled in 1979. In 2002, it was added to the distillery’s Fine and Rare line and re-bottled. It can be found today for around $20,000.
The Dalmore 40 YO
The Legacy of The Dalmore 40 YO is so strong that we need to visit its “ancestors” to actually understand the product. An older variant, The Dalmore 62 YO single malt had only a dozen bottles. One night in 2005, a man bought a bottle for $58,000, and downed it with five of his buddies. Only 60 crystal-cut bottles of this Highland single malt were produced. Filled in 1978, this dark sherry-aged Dalmore has a reputation for being intense and deeply flavoured and is considered by many aficionados among the best 50-year-olds in the world.
The Dalmore ages perhaps better than many other Highland distillery and these long-aged Dalmores are increasingly sought-after by collectors. The casks used for this 40 YO were a mixture of American oak and sherry casks from the world-beating Gonzalez Byass. This is a rare and magnificent expression of our Master Distiller’s art.
Royal Salute
This whisky was special enough to be packaged for the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The Royal Salute is a 50-year-old, a Scotch with a smoky anise and raisin flavours. Only 255 bottles were made, 10 of which were destined for America, where collectors eagerly poured out $10,000 each. The Royal Salute Stone of Destiny is a supreme 38-year-old Scotch whisky, with rich notes of cedar wood and almond, and sherriedoakiness. Dried fruits linger with an assertive spiciness, making it the ultimate experience for the connoisseur.
Chivas Regal 25 YO
When Chivas Regal was first launched in 1909, it was the world’s first luxury whisky. It was a 25-year-old blend. Blended in the style of the original 1909 masterpiece, Chivas Regal 25-year-old is carefully crafted by Master Blender Colin Scott who has used the same traditions and techniques as the legendary Charles Howard used for the original. The final blend includes many whiskies from distilleries that would have contributed to the original
1909 blend .
Most of these luxury expressions are beyond money; they are more towards a sensory experience, which conjures up images of life as it was 100 years back. These are best enjoyed with meaningful company, in exceptional glassware and above all with small amount of water or ice, to bring out the finest in the spirit.
The writer is a whisky connoisseur and director of
Spiritual Luxury Living India