Hey, want to spend $8,000 on a bottle of whiskey? Revered distillery The Macallan is giving you the chance, at least in theory, with a new limited edition blended Scotch from its own Sherry Oak line, only 70 bottles of which have been sent to markets in the United States.
It's The Macallan 40, so named for its 40 years of aging before being bottled. And even though eight grand may seem like a lot to pay for a bottle of Scotch, unlike most other things you're likely to spend that kind of money on, The Macallan 40 will only go up in value – or so says the brand's manager of brand education and prestige whisky Charlie Whitfield in the Robb Report story on the special edition release:
"In terms of what makes the Macallan unique, the most important factor is the exceptional oak casks we use. We control the entire process from acorn to cask. Unlike a car that depreciates when you drive it off the lot, a whisky of this quality will rise at auction. Right now, it's retailing for $8,000, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it much higher on the block."
All in all, 500 bottles The Macallan 40 were produced, and even if you don't get to taste the elusive nectar you can still enjoy the story of its making, also courtesy of Charlie Whitfield:
"Back in 2006, our distillery team was looking to create a 30-year-old expression for the Sherry Oak line. After looking at a number of casks, they selected nine to make that 30-year-old. But [Bob Dalgarno, The Macallan's master whisky maker] had an instinct. He kept one cask behind and watched it. He found that at the age of 40, it was at perfect, peak maturity."
Be that as it may, The Macallan 40 isn't even the rarest, or most valuable, product released by The Macallan as of late – they also recently came out with a 65-year-old Scotch that went for $65,000! So in a way, dropping eight G's on The Macallan 40 is a pretty sensible choice, relatively speaking.
Even more sensible would be to track down a bar that's selling The Macallan 40 by the glass rather than the bottle. You can do that in Los Angeles at the Hotel Bel-Air, Langham Hotel, and Spago watering holes, in Las Vegas at the Venetian and Aria hotels, and finally in Boston at the Boston Harbor Hotel.
