Campbeltown distillery Glen Scotia has released a 48-year-old single malt whisky priced at £11,000 (US$13,960) per bottle.
Glen Scotia 48 Years Old sits at 40.8% ABV and only 250 bottles are available worldwide.
The whisky spent 43 years in a mix of refill and first-fill Bourbon barrels, before being transferred into a first-fill oloroso Sherry hogshead for another five years. It was finished for six months in a second-fill Pedro Ximénez hogshead.
Iain McAlister, master distiller and distillery manager at Glen Scotia, said: “It is so intriguing to me to think that different generations of distillery managers and their teams, who would have been testing their casks over time, opted to hold this particular liquid back time and time again, allowing it to continue its journey.
“What we have inherited today is therefore a real journey through time and a celebration of Glen Scotia’s rich heritage and craftsmanship, which continues to thrive.
“This is a collector’s must-have, a chance to reflect upon a time in history and be transported to a bygone era of one of Scotland’s most enduring distilleries.”
Tasting notes include Seville orange, green herbal notes and delicate spice flavours, such as nutmeg and cinnamon. The palate brings additional notes of treacle, orange marmalade, red apple, raisin, and a long finish of melted brown sugar, apricot and peach.
The Scotch whisky is presented in a handmade oak case, inspired by the Spanish ‘Azulejo’ tile designs once found in the bodegas of Seville.
Michael Henry, master blender for Glen Scotia, added: “It is the first time Glen Scotia has used a combination of oloroso and PX Sherry casks on a liquid of such a remarkable age, which has resulted in a Spanish symphony of flavour married with Glen Scotia’s coastal nuances.
“The result is a whisky quite unlike anything we’ve had the pleasure of crafting to date – it is one that exemplifies luxury and rarity for a very fortunate few and is a true window into the distillery’s past. I have no doubt it will leave an impression that will be as enduring as the distillery itself has been.”
In May this year, Glasgow-based whisky bottler and blender Brave New Spirits submitted a planning application to build a single malt whisky distillery in Campbeltown.
In February 2022, the owner of the Isle of Raasay Distillery revealed plans to build a sustainable single malt whisky distillery in Campbeltown after acquiring Dhurrie Farm in Machrihanish.