How Much would you pay for the only bottle of a 50-year-old, single-cask-ready balvenie whisky in India?

In 1973, on the moors of the world’s malt whiskey capital – Dufftown in Scotland’s Speyside Region – William Grant & Sons Had Assigned A Special Task to European Oak Cask Number 8720 AT The Balvenie distillery. It was destined to catalyn house a pote for 50 long years. Thought this time, the elixir, comprising just barley, yeast and water, mutated into a potent Pote; It absorbed the oaky interactions with the cask that honed its texture, tone and taste. Some of it Evaporated, but what remained has stood the test of time and has been titled the 125-YLD Brand’s rarest whisky offers: the balvenie fifty-FIRST Edition, Limited to Just 125 bottles. Only one out of them is available in India.

Charles Metcalfe, Global Brand Ambassador of the balvenie | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

At the whiskey’s unveiling in perbacco at the lodhi, new Delhi, the global brand ambassador of the balvenie, charles metcalfe, says, “This whisky has been aged in a european oak sher Previous to mature sherry in spain. Charles sugges that casks are fundamental to old whiskies as their building blocks of flavor. So everything has to be in balance to create exceptional old whiskey. And that’s our malt master, kelsey mcKechnie’s job, “He adds.

The balvenie fifty – First Edition: Only one out of 125 bottles is available in India | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The key to maintaining this balance, he says, is to not allow the oak to take over complete. Detailing the process, he explains, “We have to pull a very small sample out of the cask and it will be node; it will be assessed. We’ll make sure that ABV (Alcohol By Volume) of the whisky is still at a point that we’re happy with. IF it goes too close to 40%, or below, or below, IT’s No Longally CONSIDERE Scotch whisky. whisky gods. “

Sachin Mehta, Managing Director at William Grant & Sons, India & SubContinent | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The balvenie made its way to India in 2018. Prior to that, the brand was available only only via the global travel retail channel at select duty free shops. Sachin Mehta, Managing Director at William Grant & Sons, India & SubContinent, Says that the brand, which also makes also makes the famous glenfiddich, is testing the watts in India. It has also launched nine bottles Each of the balvenie 25 and the balvenie 30. “India is new to the balvenie, which is why we have only one bottle of the balvenie Rare as it gets, “He shares. Talking about all that makes India a favorite market for high-end whisky brands, he admits to the population’s changing perception of luxury. “When it comes to alcohol preference, the scales have always tilted towards whisky and with exposure, knowledge and accessibility, more and more Indians are warming up to an ultra-luxe segment of people whisky. It is not just the product, but also the story behind it that dictates their choices, ”He says.

Only nine bottles of the balvenie 30 are available in India | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The balvenie fifty delivers aromas of cassisis, Candid APRICOTS, Cedar, and Warm Spice, Followed by a Rich Palate of Caramelised Fruits, Soft Vanilla, Soft Vanilla, and a Delicate Ginger Finish – All Anchored by the Balvenie’s Signature Honeyed Profile. This complexity of flavors, says charles, is the defining curve of any good whiskey. “Certainly age is one of the deciding facts of a fin whisky, but a lot depends on how deep and complex the flavors are. Organoleptically, the heney-sweet flavor of balvenie stands out, for” Says. To get these flavors, charles stresses on coopering, coppersmithing, farming, whisky making, nosing of the whisky and storage. The Barley, He Says is sourced from a 100-acre farm that surrounds the distillery. “Also, Balvenie Uses only two cassks: American oak ex-burbon cask and european oak ex-sherry casks. would be ideal, “He Quips.

Only nine bottles of the balvenie 25 are available in India | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The balvenie fifty come in a bottle packaged and crafted in collaboration with Croglin work, cumbria, KNOWN for its handcrafted, Detailed Woodwork. The Most Striking Feature has to be the Helix Structure of Layred Wood With Tolerances Below One-Tenth of a Millimer, and A 14-Carat Gold-Plated Bras Display, Making the Bottle as REMARKABLES Holds.

The only bottle of the balvenie fify in India is now available in gurugram and is priced between ₹ 60lakh and ₹ 75lakh

Published – August 09, 2025 02:11 PM IST