With history tracing back to 1824, The Glenlivet is known for producing some of the world’s most coveted Speyside single malts. But even among high-end releases—and in a year that’s seen a number of ultra-aged Glenlivets come to market—the distillery’s latest bottling stands apart. The second release in Glenlivet’s Eternal Collection, this 56 year-old single malt comes ornamented with scorched heather branches and will set customers back a cool €52,500.
Glenlivet’s “The Eternal Collection” launched in 2024 with a 55 year old single malt, housed in a custom casing designed by architect Michael Hansmeyer. This second release in the series—it’s one year older, if you’re spotting a trend—comes embedded in a bespoke art piece by design studio Fredrikson Stallard. The entire kit, meant to evoke the “rugged beauty of Speyside,” includes a spherical glass decanter atop a brass plated bass. Adorning the bottle are metallic, heather branches that pair with the decanter’s 24 carat gold plated neck and cap.
For fans of very high-end whisky, the whole package may look familiar. Earlier in November, a one-off version of the same bottle was sold at Sotheby’s Finest & Rarest Whisky auction for £75,000. That particular bottle featured a noticeably larger, more grandiose sculptural element, though this new, slightly wider-market version is certainly no slouch in the art department. When it comes to the “standard” version of this single malt, just 60 bottles will be made available for the suggested retail price of €52,500.
But what about the liquid itself? Before bottling, the hyper-aged single malt underwent a three-year finish in a custom sherry cask, which was first seasoned with a blend of Oloroso, Pedro Ximenez, and Palo Cortado sherries. The single malt was bottled at 42.7% ABV.
We haven’t had a chance to try the whisky ourselves, but brand notes highlight a nose of “inviting aromas of red apples, stewed plums, orange zest, dark chocolate, and sticky toffee pudding, complemented by heather honey and roasted hazelnuts.” The palate is rich in apricot, apples, toasted oak, raisins, and vanilla, before a “rich, incredibly smooth and enduringly complex” finish.
“Crafting a single malt whisky of this age and complexity is a profound privilege,” says Kevin Balmforth, The Glenlivet Cask Master, in a press statement. “The 56 Year Old is a true testament to the dedication behind every stage of our process.”
It’s been a big year for the highest tier of Glenlivet malts. In October, a single 1.5 liter bottle of The Glenlivet SPIRA 60 Year Old sold at auction for £650,000. SPIRA marked the oldest-ever whisky released by the distillery itself, but it’s hardly the oldest Glenlivet distillate to come to market. Over the past decade, Scottish independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail has been releasing gradually older single casks of Glenlivet distillate, which culminated in this year’s 85 year-old release—the oldest single malt ever bottled.