Is this whisky worth $650 — per sip?
![[Image: MW-CU983_pfglen_20140925163050_ZH.jpg?uu...de369198aa]](http://ei.marketwatch.com//Multimedia/2014/09/25/Photos/ZH/MW-CU983_pfglen_20140925163050_ZH.jpg?uuid=f4d1b19c-44f2-11e4-bff3-6fde369198aa)
The back story: Forget Johnnie Walker Blue. If you’re looking for a bottle of high-end Scotch, here’s one that comes with a five-digit price tag and a promise that it will “set a new standard in the single-malt category.†Apparently, the folks at The Glenlivet distillery are aiming for the super-yacht set with their Winchester Collection.
But what possibly justifies the high price tag? Begin with the fact it’s a 50-year-old whisky — meaning it’s twice as old as anything in Glenlivet’s regular portfolio. Plus, it’s sourced from a single cask, dating from 1964, which makes the supply very limited — as in just 100 bottles — and the flavor profile truly one-of-a-kind. (A lot of well-aged single malts are actually blends from different casks, with the age statement referring to the youngest whisky in the mix.)
Finally, there’s the packaging: “No expense of attention to craftsmanship has been spared in creating the perfect vessel to house†the whisky, the Glenlivet team says. Meaning the glass is hand-blown and the wooden box, courtesy of “furniture artist†John Galvin, takes up to 60 hours to craft.
How to enjoy it: Sip it aboard your super-yacht, we say. (And don’t mix it in a cocktail, but even the finest whisky can always benefit from a drop or two of water.) But if you can’t afford this Glenlivet, the brand suggests trying some of its more “affordable†whiskies – say, the 18-year-old ($95) or the 25 ($360). “Our master distiller brings the same care to the 18 and 25,†says Laurent Cutier, director of the Scotch portfolio at Pernod Ricard, Glenlivet’s parent company.
The back story: Forget Johnnie Walker Blue. If you’re looking for a bottle of high-end Scotch, here’s one that comes with a five-digit price tag and a promise that it will “set a new standard in the single-malt category.†Apparently, the folks at The Glenlivet distillery are aiming for the super-yacht set with their Winchester Collection.
But what possibly justifies the high price tag? Begin with the fact it’s a 50-year-old whisky — meaning it’s twice as old as anything in Glenlivet’s regular portfolio. Plus, it’s sourced from a single cask, dating from 1964, which makes the supply very limited — as in just 100 bottles — and the flavor profile truly one-of-a-kind. (A lot of well-aged single malts are actually blends from different casks, with the age statement referring to the youngest whisky in the mix.)
Finally, there’s the packaging: “No expense of attention to craftsmanship has been spared in creating the perfect vessel to house†the whisky, the Glenlivet team says. Meaning the glass is hand-blown and the wooden box, courtesy of “furniture artist†John Galvin, takes up to 60 hours to craft.
How to enjoy it: Sip it aboard your super-yacht, we say. (And don’t mix it in a cocktail, but even the finest whisky can always benefit from a drop or two of water.) But if you can’t afford this Glenlivet, the brand suggests trying some of its more “affordable†whiskies – say, the 18-year-old ($95) or the 25 ($360). “Our master distiller brings the same care to the 18 and 25,†says Laurent Cutier, director of the Scotch portfolio at Pernod Ricard, Glenlivet’s parent company.
