The whisky industry continues its deluge of premium, limited edition releases with a 1966 cask offering from Speyside-based distillery Benriach. It will set the collector back a neat £25,000 ($31,000) and represents, as you might expect, a serious milestone for a distillery consolidating a long history.
The 50 year old statement is an important symbol for Benriach, which under its current owners, has now accumulated almost a decade’s worth of positive momentum. Known for rich, multi-layered Speyside whiskies, this is their oldest and most exclusive expression to date, and with just 37 bottles on the market, this is likely to excite collectors world wide.
Dr Rachel Barrie, who has held the position of master blender since 2017, notes that, “I am proud to present the Benriach 1966 Cask Aged 50 Years as our ultimate treasure. Here we have fifty years of opulent refinement, with notes of sublime honeyed dates and delicate oak spices, all in harmony with the lingering finesse of apple, pear and traces of grapefruit.”
The release is in part a response to the growing interest in small batch, special edition whiskies, but also a celebration of the company’s heritage. Founded in 1898, but closed two years later due the Patterson crash, it didn’t produce whisky again until 1965. Throughout that period however the floor maltings remained in constant production. The first single malt was released in 1994. In 2016 the distillery became part of the Brown Forman portfolio.
In an increasingly crowded landscape, with startup brands increasingly prevalent though, the ability to showcase something with this level of provenance sends a strong commercial message. Barrie says, “I don’t think I’ve tasted a whisky that had such beauty. The perfect whisky has to have character, balance, complexity. When I dipped my nose in this particular cask I was really surprised. It was such a wonderful expression, undoubtedly the fruit laden signature of Speyside. Just from experience, I decided not to leave it. I didn’t want to risk losing it.”
The whisky has spent its whole life in warehouse 13, surrounded by different cask types that over the years have come and gone. It was discovered in the heart of the distillery, close to the mashing area and the stills. First filled with unpeated Benriach spirit on the September 21, 1966, Bourbon cask 2383 has spent decades slowly maturing and has now become what Barrie describes as “our art—a testament to the expertise in, and commitment to, extraordinary cask maturation at Benriach Distillery.” Barrie goes on to describe the contents as “a fountain of fruit, but honeyed and rich.”
Needless to say, the liquid is packaged appropriately. The whisky is held within a bespoke crystal decanter, made in Scotland by Glasstorm. Each decanter is displayed in a presentation box made by master craftsman John Galvin, its design inspired by the colorful array of eclectic casks which fill Benriach’s warehouses.
Joe Wilson of Whisky Auctioneer, a global broker of rare and collectable whiskies in Perth, says, “The ability to leverage yourself into the luxury category is attractive for any distillery and there is something about that number 50. It has a psychological impact.” Wilson believes that the arms race in the luxury whisky space is a new element to the market—one we are seeing in Scotland, Ireland and America—but feels the market is growing as new collectors engage with the subject.
“My educated guess is that it should sell out fairly quickly. That low bottle count will be a pull for collectors, in addition to the age statement.” Wilson feels that the Whisky Auctioneer is likely to see these come through the business at some point in the future, but appreciates the scarcity of it. “I’m always surprised at how many bottles can come out of these old whiskies. There’s a forward planning strategy involved where the casks have been managed accordingly to retain as much as possible.” With something like this though, he agrees there wouldn’t have been a plan to retain casks for that long. “They didn’t get a single malt blend until the 90s. The fact they’ve found a 50 year old means they’ve stumbled across this and decided it is good enough to represent the distillery at this level.”
Under the ownership of Brown Forman there is now a steady hand. Without knee jerk reactions, a portfolio of old whiskies can be put away for the next generation. Barrie notes that her first job at the distillery was to sort through the inventory. “I decided to dive into old and rare stock, to work out what we’ve got lying around. After all, we are custodians of the whisky. Like anyone making a work of art, I want to release it at its optimum, for it to be the most beautiful expression of what could be created.”
For more information please visit https://www.benriachdistillery.com/