Macallan’s newly launched 81-year-old whiskey retails for almost P6.5 million.
Macallan just released the world’s oldest whiskey to date, an 81-year-old single malt. Named “The Reach,” the whiskey was distilled beginning in 1940, during World War II. There are only 288 bottles for sale and retails for $125,000 or almost P6.5 million.
READ ALSO: The Dalmore 35 Earns The Title Of The World’s Best Scotch Whiskey
In 2018, the Scottish distillery released a 60-year-old bottle, which would be sold for almost $2 million in the auction a year later. With that amount, you might wonder why is whiskey more valuable the longer it’s aged.
According to Glenlivet’s, another top Scottish distillery, brand ambassador Craig Bridger, the longer the scotch is in the barrel, the more of it evaporates. He explains to Insider that by the 21-year mark, 30 to 40 percent of what’s in the barrel is gone. The natural part of the process is called the “Angel’s Share,” when the liquid evaporates into the atmosphere within the years.
So not only is aged whiskey pricey because it’s old, but because it’s rare. Although you can drink whiskey fresh, it won’t be as good. The wood that makes up the barrels where they’ve stored “breaks down rougher flavors in the alcohol.
Over time, you get a smoother taste, and leveled flavors are one of the things that make great whiskey. As Macallan launches their eight decades-old bottles, we’ve listed the other ultra-aged fine whiskies that are smoother with age but also just as pricey.
The Last Drop 50-Year-Old Double Matured
Last Drop Distillers is a small company compared to other Scottish distilleries like Glenlivet and Macallan. However, they’re dedicated to bottling rare and exclusive spirits. When first bottled and sold, it was aged 50. Now, it would be 57 years old. One bottle costs $5,369 or P276,000.
Dalmore 64 Trinitas
The Dalmore 64 Trinitas was distilled in 1946, making it 76 years old. The bottles were sold initially at 64 years in 2010; the single malt whiskey’s blend includes spirits dating from 1868 to 1939.
Only three bottles were ever made, hence the name “trintas.”
One was sold to a private collector, the second to The Whiskey Exchange, and the last bottle was sold for 100,000 euros or almost P6 million.
Mortlach 70-Year-Old Speyside
Distilled in 1938, the Mortlach Speyside was considered one of the oldest of its kind when it went on sale in 2010. There were 54 bottles produced, each sold at 10,000 euros or almost P6 million. Currently, the whiskey aged in Spanish oak would be 84 years old.
Baker’s Pure Rye 1847
The Guinness World Record holder of the oldest whiskey in the world hails from America. It’s recorded as the only existing American whiskey distilled and bottled before the Civil War. The source of the rye whiskey is from Somerset County in Pennsylvania. In 2022, the bottle will be 175 years old.
Banner photo from macallan.com
