Nobody would eat diamonds, right? Aside from being metallic and foul, it’d be really agonizing to throw such a priceless item down one’s gullet. But what if the shockingly expensive item was smooth, smokey, 50-year old whisky? Then perhaps you could justify ingesting the luxurious item in question?
If you answered yes, then get excited. The Glenlivet just introduced the The Winchester Collection: the company’s celebration of—and introduction to—its first series of 50-year old single malt Scotch whiskies. The first bottle of the series, Vintage 1964 was just released yesterday. Single-malt Scotch is luxury in itself, so the word isn’t even befitting of these coveted spirits. At $25,000 a pop, the words “priceless” or “investment” are more appropriate. But hurry: There are only 100 bottles available, with some limited distribution to follow. The first bottles can be purchased at none other than Harrods, London’s epicenter of luxury.
“The release of The Winchester Collection sets a new standard in the single malt category of Scotch whiskies. We are excited to share this unparalleled spirit with whisky lovers and collectors alike,” said Wayne Hartunian, Vice President, Scotches and Cognac at Pernod Ricard USA. “Vintage 1964, the product of 50 years of craftsmanship, allows us to tell a new chapter in The Glenlivet’s rich history.”
$25,000 is steep, and the only way to really justify the price tag is for the whisky to be superior, of course, but collectors and whisky lovers alike enjoy some folklore with their spirits. A story behind the booze, if you will. And Vintage 1964 delivers. Decorated War Hero, Captain Bill Smith-Grant, the last remaining descendent of The Glenlivet’s founder George Grant, laid down a specially-selected cask in 1964. The cask was quickly identified by The Glenlivet distillers as special, and held onto for greater things. Artisans from the British Isles hand-crafted every element in the batch, from blown glass to precious metals. And now, the cask’s time has arrived and it presents itself to the world in the form of Vintage 1964. Whether you are a collector and want to own a piece of history, or you are a whisky lover and want to taste history, Vintage 1964 pulls all stops to justify its monumental price tag.
The next bottle will be the Vintage 1966 collection. According to a representative, pricing for upcoming bottles remains unavailable. The Winchester Collection is available for private purchase, click here to find out more information.
Haute Scene
September 22, 2014Thirty Seconds to Mars in Vegas
