Between 1937 and 1939, William Grant & Sons laid down for maturation nine casks of Glenfiddich spirit – each one representing one of the nine children who assisted the founder build The Glenfiddich Distillery in 1886. After lying undisturbed for 50 years, the precious liquid was finally hand-bottled on 26th July 1991. Only 500 bottles were produced of this truly remarkable whisky. The unique and historic bottling – the last of such a size and age in the 20th Century - was launched by Janet Roberts, the 90-year-old grand-daughter of William Grant, and each bottle was signed by Alexander Grant Gordon, former chairman and great-grandson of the founder.
Bottle Number 1 was presented to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, and others have been purchased both by private collectors as well as by distinguished retail institutions such as Harrods in London and Fauchon in Paris. Only a few bottles remain, and can be found at The Glenfiddich Distillery Shop at a price of £10,000 per bottle (about R140 000).
A bottle was sold at auction in Milan in December 1991 for a record price of 99,999,999 lire (approximately US$80,000 – R525000). This amount, by an anonymous bidder, was the maximum figure that could be entered into the space available on the tender form - and translates into an intoxicating US$2,800 (R18350) per 25ml dram! The Glenfiddich 50 Year Old has also earned its place in the Guinness Book of World Records 2000 Edition as “the World's most valuable spirit”.
For the fortunate few who have sampled it, the Glenfiddich 50 Year Old has a well balanced, mellow nose with a pleasantly sweet and woody aroma. It is smooth with a fruit, lightly peated and slightly oaky taste. The finish is shorter than younger whisky and is not dissimilar to rare old Cognacs. It is best enjoyed straight, without the addition of water.
