The Glenrothes 51 is the Distillery’s Oldest Whisky to Date
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Every year, another scotch distillery releases what it calls its oldest whisky to date—nothing really new to see there. But the Glenrothes is giving its new 51-year-old single malt release (yes, the oldest to date from the distillery) a unique twist by packaging it inside a column that you have to literally smash open with a hammer to access. Just make sure you don’t accidentally break the bottle inside too, because this whisky is very limited and very expensive.
The Glenrothes is a Speyside distillery that was founded in 1879. It’s owned by Edrington, the same Scottish company that owns its much better known sister distillery the Macallan, along with some other brands. Like the Macallan, the majority of whisky produced at the Glenrothes is matured in sherry casks, although certainly not all of it. A few years back, the distillery relaunched its core lineup to focus on higher-end, older age statements—it now consists of 15, 18, 25, and 42-year-old single malts. There is also Philos, a decanter suspended in a gimbal that was created to house whisky on your private yacht that comes from Demijohn 1969, a vintage single malt that was placed into glass containers over a decade ago and stored at the distillery.
Enter the new Glenrothes 51, which also takes an arguably gimmicky approach to its packaging design. As mentioned before, this is the oldest release to date from the distillery. The whisky was matured in two refill casks for more than half a century before bottling, one of which was slightly higher in proof than the other allowing each to contribute its own flavor characteristics. “The 51 is a testament to those rare moments in whisky making when patience, nature, and craft align perfectly,” said master whisky maker Laura Rampling in a statement. “This whisky defies expectations—elegant yet powerful, timeless yet innovative. Crafted from just two casks, it offers a singular experience for those who truly understand and appreciate rarity. Each sip unveils new layers, from soft floral notes to deep complexity, much like the orchids that bloom year after year on our estate.”
A first for the distillery—and likely any distillery—is the packaging the bottle comes inside. It’s a Jesmonite column that was designed to be smashed with a hammer to realize, according to the distillery, the Confucian saying “everything has beauty, but not everyone can see it.” Once you’ve completed the smash, you can send the column fragments back to the distillery where an artist will reassemble them into a gold-lined orchid vase. There are only 100 bottles available at £37,000 apiece (about $48,000), and you can preorder it now from ReserveBar along with the rest of the Glenrothes lineup.
And if you’re an especially big fan of this distillery, you can buy one of just five full casks the Glenrothes will be selling this year, along with an immersive experience at the distillery to see where it’s made.
