Whisky, Buried in Antarctic Ice for 100 Years, is Finally Ready for You to Drink

By Eric Rogell

From:  http://dsc.discovery.com/

The original 100 year old Shackleton expedition whisky and the recreation (Photos: Whyte & Mackay Distillery)

A little ice in your whisky may open up the flavor and enhance the drinking experience, but having 100 years of ice on top of your whisky can mean “a gift from Heaven for whisky lovers.” At least that’s what Richard Paterson, Master Distiller and Blender at Whyte & Mackay, called it when a long lost case of rare whisky was uncovered in the Antarctic in 2009. Two years later, he’s painstakingly recreated that whisky so the rest of us can enjoy a glass.

Failed Expedition, Abandoned Whisky

Members of the failed Shackleton Antarctic expedition

In 1907, explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton set off for an Antarctic expedition to the South Pole. To fortify the men of the “Nimrod” during the long, cold journey, Shackleton ordered 25 cases of Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt whisky with commemorative labels marking the whisky as specially selected for the “Endurance expedition.” (Shackleton had intended to rename the “Nimrod” as the “Endurance,” but never did.)

In 1909, three wooden crates containing the rare whisky were abandoned to an Antarctic winter after a failed attempt to reach the South Pole. Buried deep beneath the ice for over 100 years, a team from the New Zealand Antarctic Trust was able to recover a single crate.

Thawing 100 Years of Deep Freeze

After a flight to the Canterbury Museum in New Zealand for careful thawing and stabilization, the crate is slowly defrosted from -20 C to 0 C over a two week period. 10 bottles survived, still wrapped in their protective paper and straw, with the precious liquid inside perfectly intact.

Ten bottles survive

Three of those bottles are flown, on a private jet, to Scotland where it is delivered to the Whyte & Mackay distilleries, the owners of the Mackinlay brand, where it undergoes extensive scientific analysis so Paterson and his team can attempt to recreate it. They find the whisky’s strength at 47.3% alc/vol, that it contained peat from the Orkney Islands, and that it had been aged in American white oak sherry casks. (Look for a documentary on the entire recreation to air on the National Geographic Channel at the end of this year.)

Painstaking Recreation

Richard Paterson and one of the original bottles

Since average whisky lovers would be unable to get their hands on one the rarest bottles in history, Paterson took on the challenge of recreating the 100 year old Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt. “It was a real privilege getting to handle, nose, and taste such a rare and beautiful bottle of whisky,” he said.

Paterson spent weeks of blending and marrying malts from the Glen Mhor and Dalmore distilleries with others from Speyside and beyond, varying in age from eight to 30 years, to get it just right. The result is recreation that is a perfect duplicate of Shackleton’s original. They’ve even reproduced the original bottle and packaging to complete the experience. And drinking this whisky is definitely an experience. As you can imagine, being in a bottle for 100 years creates a light, mellow whisky that’s a joy to sip.

And you can experience it, if you get your hands on one of the 50,000 bottles that are in the limited run. Expect to pay about $160 per bottle for the privilege, with 5% of the proceeds going to the expedition’s Heritage Trust. To learn more, head over to EnduringSpirit.com

Scotland toasts new whisky-powered bioenergy plant

Up to 9,000 homes to be powered with energy produced by burning waste matter from the whisky-making process

• Kirsty Scott
• guardian.co.uk


Scottish distilleries will power 9,000 homes with electricity and heat from bioenergy plants using waste matter from the industry. Photograph: Murdo Macleod

It is the spirit that powers the Scottish economy, and now whisky is to be used to create electricity for homes in a new bioenergy venture involving some of Scotland's best-known distilleries.

Contracts have recently been awarded for the construction of a biomass combined heat and power plant at Rothes in Speyside that by 2013 will use the by-products of the whisky-making process for energy production.

Vast amounts of "draff", the spent grains used in the distilling process, and pot ale, a residue from the copper stills, are produced by the whisky industry each year and are usually transported off-site. The Rothes project, a joint venture between Helius Energy and the Combination of Rothes Distillers (CoRD) will burn the draff with woodchips to generate enough electricity to supply 9,000 homes. It will be supplied by Aalborg Energie Technick, a danish engineering company. The pot ale will be made into a concentrated organic fertiliser and an animal feed for use by local farmers.

Environmentalists have expressed concern that some of the wood used in the process may not be locally sourced, but say the 7.2MW project – the equivalent output of two large wind turbines - is a good scale and a valuable addition to Scotland's renewables industry. Green energy has been a key issue in the run-up to Thursday's Holyrood elections. The SNP leader, Alex Salmond, has pledged to produce 100% of Scotland's electricity through renewable energy by 2020, a claim dismissed as "fantasy" by Labour.

The £50m Rothes project is the latest bioenergy venture from the Scotch whisky industry, but it is believed to be the first to provide electricity for public use. A bioenergy plant at Scotland's largest distillery in Fife is close to completion. The project by Diageo will provide 98% of the thermal steam and 80% of the electrical power used at the Cameronbridge distillery. And last year, scientists at Napier University announced they had developed a method of producing biofuel from the by-products of the whisky distilling process which could power cars and even aircraft. The new fuel, they said, could be available at petrol pumps within a few years.

Of Scotland's 100 whisky distilleries, 50 are based in Speyside, and Frank Burns, general manager of CoRD, said it was an ideal location for the new bioenergy plant which will be built on an existing industrial site.

"It is very well supported in the local community. Up here in Rothes and in Speyside in general we have a lot of strong links," he said. "We had zero objections at the planning stage and we have done a lot of work within the community on the progress of the project."

Waste products from around 16 of the area's 50 distilleries will be used at the site, including well-known brands such as Glenlivet, Chivas Regal, Macallan, and Famous Grouse. None will come from further than 25 miles away.

Burns acknowledged, however, that some of the wood for the process may not be locally sourced. "Some of it will be local and some of it will be shipped in," he said. "It is down to the supplier. They may source it locally." Most of the fuel, he added, will be comprised of the draff.

Sam Gardner, climate policy officer for WWF Scotland, said:

"From the information we have, the project looks to be a very welcome addition to Scotland's renewable industry. It is using waste products from our whisky industry which is eminently sensible thing to do, and is producing heat both for whisky production and for the local community. We would want to see assurances, however, that the biomass was sustainably sourced."

100-year-old Scotch pulled from frozen crate

From: http://www.physorg.com/

August 13, 2010

Enlarge

In this Feb. 5, 2010 file photo released by Antarctic Heritage Trust on Feb. 8, 2010, one of crates of Scotch whisky and brandy is pictured after they have been recovered by a team restoring an Antarctic hut used more than 100 years ago by famed polar explorer Ernest Shackleton. One of the crates of the Scotch whisky that was trapped in Antarctic ice for a century was finally opened Friday, Aug. 13, 2010 but the heritage dram won't be tasted by whisky lovers because it's being preserved for its historic significance. (AP Photo/Antarctic Heritage Trust)

(AP) -- A crate of Scotch whisky that was trapped in Antarctic ice for a century was finally opened Friday - but the heritage dram won't be tasted by whisky lovers because it's being preserved for its historical significance.

The crate, recovered from the Antarctic hut of renowned explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton after it was found there in 2006, has been thawed very slowly in recent weeks at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island.

The crate was painstakingly opened to reveal 11 bottles of Mackinlay's Scotch whisky, wrapped in paper and straw to protect them from the rigors of a rough trip to Antarctica for Shackleton's 1907 Nimrod expedition.

Though the crate was frozen solid when it was retrieved earlier this year, the whisky inside could be heard sloshing around in the bottles. Antarctica's minus 22 Fahrenheit (-30 Celsius) temperature was not enough to freeze the liquor, dating from 1896 or 1897 and described as being in remarkably good condition.

This Scotch is unlikely ever to be tasted, but master blenders will examine samples of it to see if they can replicate the brew. The original recipe for the Scotch no longer exists.

Once samples have been extracted and sent to Scottish distiller Whyte and Mackay, which took over Mackinlay's distillery many years ago, the 11 bottles will be returned to their home - under the floorboards of Shackleton's hut at Cape Royds on Ross Island, near Antarctica's McMurdo Sound.

Whisky lover Michael Milne, a Scot who runs the Whisky Galore liquor outlet in Christchurch, described the rare event as a great experience.

"I just looked at this (crate) and honestly, my heartbeat went up about three paces. It was amazing," he said. "The box was like a pioneer's box with the wood and nails coming out," he said.

Although Milne said he'd give anything to have a taste of the whisky. "It is not going to happen and I am not going to get excited about it," he said. "But if there was ever an opportunity, it could be a wonderful one to have."

Nigel Watson, executive director of the Antarctic Heritage Trust, which is restoring the explorer's hut, said opening the crate was a delicate process.

The crate will remain in cold storage and each of the 11 bottles will be carefully assessed and conserved over the next few weeks. Some samples will be extracted, possibly using a syringe through the bottles' cork stoppers.

©2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Irish Whiskey: 5 Things You Didn’t Know

Hiddenloop/Flickr

By Simon Majumdar

From http://www.askmen.com/

When people think about whisky, it is almost inevitable that their first thoughts will turn to the distilleries of Scotland, or perhaps the grain whiskys of the United States.

However, excellent whisky is now made in many countries throughout the world and Ireland can lay claim to one of the oldest traditions of whisky distilling with records dating back to the 1500s. There is evidence that Queen Elizabeth I was fond enough of Irish whiskey to have barrels brought to London on a regular basis and, at one point, it even outsold Scotch whisky.

Although now overshadowed by its Scottish counterpart, Ireland still produces some very fine whiskeys indeed.

1- It’s Irish “whiskey,” with an “e”

Irish whiskey differs from Scotch primarily in the fact that it is predominantly made using barley, which is dry malted without the use of peat. This results in a finished product that allows more of the natural flavors of the grain to appear on the palate as opposed to some of the slightly smoky elements that many people associate with Scotch whisky.

As well as single malt whiskeys, Ireland also has a tradition of making excellent blended whiskey. A blended Irish whiskey is one made from a blend of the spirit and other grains, like maize.

Irish distillers, like their U.S. counterparts, spell their finished product with an “e” whereas, Scotland, Canada and Japan spell the name as “whisky.” There is no definitive answer as to why this might be the case, but there are those who suggest that it dates back to the late 1800s when the distillers of Irish whiskey wanted to differentiate their high-quality product from poorer Scottish examples.

2- Ireland claims to have the oldest legal whiskey distillery in the world

The first commercial license to distill whiskey was granted by James I of England in 1608. It was granted in the town of Bushmills to local landowner, Sir Thomas Phillips and is still the site of fine Irish whiskey making today as the home of the Old Bushmills Distillery in Northern Ireland.

3- Most Irish Whiskey is triple distilled while double distillation is used in Scotland

Each distillation removes impurities from the spirit as it passes through the stills, arguably producing a lighter and smoother spirit with a crisp, clean finish on the palate. Although there are still a handful of Scottish whiskys that are tripled distilled, it is a process very much associated with the production of Irish Whiskey.

4- Monks brought whiskey to Ireland… and Scotland?

Irish whiskey can trace its roots to after the departure of the Romans and with the arrival of monastic missionaries who used the spirits for medicinal purposes. There is even evidence that the skill of distilling malted barley into spirit was taken by the missionaries from Ireland to Scotland. Given the proximity of the two countries, this is entirely feasible, if not something the Scots would ever like to acknowledge.

5- Water helps you taste the uniqueness of Irish whiskey

To carry the name “Irish whiskey” the spirit has to be made entirely from native grains and then stored in wooden casks for three years or more. Colum Egan, master distiller of Bushmills Irish Whiskey, recommends adding a drop of water to bring out the flavors and scents of whiskey (like his own Black Bush) to reveal the light, clean and fruity taste that is its signature. Further flavors come from the barrels in which the whiskey has been aged, like Oloroso Sherry casks, which add color and sweetness, and bourbon barrels, which add a note of vanilla.

Resources:

• www.bushmills.com
• www.tastings.com
• www.thewhiskyguide.com

World's oldest whisky goes on sale -- Feeling rich?

From http://www.asylum.co.uk/

By Tom Cullen

It is older than Chuck Norris and was laid down in a small Scottish distillery the year before the outbreak of the Second World War.

Behold, the world's oldest whisky ever to go on general sale. A cool £10,000 and a bottle of this malty goodness is yours.

The Mortlach 70-year-old Speyside was sampled by a select group of tasters at a ceremony in Edinburgh Castle, yesterday.

And bottles of the rare piece of Scotland's ''liquid history'' have now hit the market.

The Spanish oak hogshead cask – formerly for bodega sherry – which was on display at the castle yesterday yielded 54 full-size and 162 small decanters bottled at cask strength.

However, collectors (or wealthy boozers) will need to dig deep – a 70cl decanter will sell for £10,000, while the 20cl version costs £2,500.

It was filled into its cask on October 15 1938 on the order of John Urquhart, the grandfather of the firm's joint managing directors, David and Michael Urquhart.

Exactly 70 years later, the decision was made to empty the cask and bottle its contents.

A bottle of Mortlach was piped into Edinburgh Castle today and tasted by guests in the Queen Anne Room. David and Michael Urquhart today described it as a malt ''without comparison''.They would though, wouldn't they?

Michael Urquhart said the company had presented a bottle to the Queen but the vermouth drinker requested that it should go on display at the National Museum of Scotland.

Whisky writer and connoisseur Charles MacLean described the world's oldest single malt as "a delicate, fresh, vital, fruity whisky, with unusual attributes of waxiness and smokiness". That's everything then, surely?

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Each bottle will be presented in a slick, tear-shaped Glencairn crystal decanter with a silver stopper. Keep reading to see some of the other rarest, oldest and most expensive whiskys ever.

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Some of the world's most expensive and oldest whiskys.

Name: Bruichladdich 40 Year Old
From: Bruichladdich cellars, Islay Island, Scotland
Age: Guess...
Price: £1,020 a bottle
This is the oldest ever bottling by Bruichladdich and the most expensive to come from Islay. The whisky was distilled in October 1964 and filled into fresh bourbon casks before four decades of slow aging on the coast. The result is probably the most complex Bruichladdich ever produced. It'll get you pretty hammered, too. Which is nice.
Name: Glen Garioch 1958
From: Glen Garioch is found outside Aberdeen in the farming town of Old Meldrum.
Age: 46 years when removed.
Price: £1,250
An ancient bottling from a fine distillery. A limited edition of 336 bottles, with only 60 being released in the UK makes this one of the most expensive Highland whiskys. At 46 years old this is the oldest Glen Garioch ever released. Presented in a 'Rose' hardwood box with velvet lining (ooh fancy!). Glen Garioch is a distillery with a comparatively low profile, and quality has varied over its lifetime under a succession of different owners - but real aficionados will tell you that the older expressions are some of the best malts in Scotland. Or so says the oldest, wisest bloke in the office. He smells like whisky too and it's only 11am.

Name: Chivas Regal Royal Salute
From: Strathisla Distillery at Keith, Moray in Speyside, Scotland.
Age: 50
Price: £6,000
Released in 2003 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, its lead malt is the superb Strathisla, which accounts for the exceptionally rich and creamy character. Only 255 bottles of the Scottish whisky were released worldwide, which helps account for the high price. We reckon you'd fine this bad boy in Darth Vader's drinks cabinet.
Name: Macallan Fine & Rare Collection, 1939
From: Macallan Distillery near Easter Elchies House, at Craigellachie in the Speyside
Age: 40
Price: £6,000
The 1939 was first bottled in 1979, hence its designation as 40 years old. Then, in 2002, the entire Fine & Rare Collection was rebottled for the sake of consistency. Macallan describes it as having rich peat and powerful wood flavors overlaid with sweet toffee and dried fruits. We can't confirm or deny that, because we don't have £6,000 to spare. We have £6 and it's all going on Peroni.
Name: Glenfiddich Rare Collection 1937
From: Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland
Age: 69 years when sold.
Price: £12,000 for one bottle.
This exceptionally rare spirit was auctioned on April 4, 2006 in Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal, New York City. The spirit was slowly aged in cask for 64 years and bottled in 2001, resulting in a liquid of deep, robust character. With a rich walnut colour, nose of toffee, cinnamon and cloves and sweet, cedar-y palette. That's what we thought when we necked the stuff after 4 hours in the Dog and Duck, anyway.
Name: Glenavon Special Liqueur Whisky
From: Glenavon Distillery, Banffshire, Scotland.
Age: Upwards of 150 years (didn't go on general sale)
Price: Auctioned for £14,850
Experts believe this is the oldest single bottle in history and was owned by an Irish family for generations, before eventually being sold in auction to an anonymous bidder. We'd like to think the mystery man sunk the lot in one booze-fuelled night of debauchery. The green bottle is unusually small in size and holds about 14fl oz (about 400ml) and was bottled in the 1850s. Yes it's older than the Mortlach but it really is just a one off find and as such doesn't get the crown of wrinkliest whisky.
Name: Macallan Fine and Rare Collection, 1926
From: Macallan Distillery near Easter Elchies House, at Craigellachie in the Speyside
Age: 60
Price: £25,000
The oldest and most sought-after of Macallan's revolutionary Fine & Rare Collection is now sold out. It is still possible to taste this totally unique Scotch whisky at the Old Homestead Steakhouse in the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, N.J. However, it sells for $3,300 (£2,000) per dram. In 2007, a bottle of 1926 vintage The Macallan was sold at a Christie's auction for $54,000 (£36,000), making it one of the most expensive bottles of liquor ever sold.

Name: Dalmore Oculus
From: Glasgow based distillers Whyte & Mackay.
Age: Blend of whiskys as old as 140 years
Price: Auctioned for £27,600
Blended from some of the most exceptional whiskies of the past 140 years, the single bottle had been expected to reach up to £20,000. Instead, it raised the largest amount of money ever paid for a Dalmore whisky. The buyer asked to remain anonymous.The oldest whisky in the blend was distilled in 1868, with others from 1878, 1922, 1926, 1939 and 1951.

Essential whisky facts that every man should know

By Jimmy Callahan

From:  http://www.asylum.co.uk/

All too often these days, we can't even identify what we´re drinking. If, Swingers style, you're going to order "any Glen" to impress the ladies, it's probably best if you don't mix it up with the bourbon your buddy ordered. So, with that noble goal in mind, here is your Whisky Cheat Sheet:

Whisky was first made in Ireland by missionary monks (who make the best booze and beer because the secrets are given to them by God) as early as the sixth century. Along with spreading The Word of The Lord, they also began distilling whisky, or as it's called in Gaelic, uisce beatha, meaning "water of life." Occupying British soldiers in the 12th century bastardised the pronunciation and it eventually came out "whisky".

Whisky is a general term describing many spirits. Every region/country that makes whiskey has its own rules & regulations for the liquor to be considered official -- so they can set themselves apart and then have a pissing contest to see whose is better. Whisky in the simplest of terms is comprised of water, a grain and yeast (if you add hops to those three, you get beer), and is aged in oak casks. The way you manipulate these ingredients accounts for all of the different varieties.

More, right here.

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The four major types are Irish Whiskey (with an 'e'), Scotch Whisky, American Whiskey (again with an 'e'), & Canadian Whisky. The Irish & Americans spell it with the 'e'; the rest of the world leaves it off to save on printing costs. Let's break it down:

Irish Whiskey
Distilled three times. Uses pure-malted barley as the grain. Aged at least three years in oak casks.

Scotch or Scottish Whisky
Distilled twice. Also uses barley, which is dried over peat fire, giving scotch it's characteristic smoky flavor. Aged at least two years in oak.

American Whiskey
Made from a mash (mixture) of cereal grain. Aged at least two years in charred, unused oak.

Canadian Whisky
Uses at least 51 percent malted rye as the grain. Aged at least three years in oak.

Other Fun Facts:
A whisky stops maturing after it's bottled, so it won't get "better" over time.

A closed bottle can be kept for more than 100 years and you'll still be good to go. So, raid your parents' liquor cabinet and grab that sealed Jameson from Christmas of '87.

An opened bottle is all right for five years. This is good to know for nicer bottles, but you should be drinking that handle of Beam way quicker than that.

The oak barrels give the whisky its caramel colour.

Whisky gains as much as 60 percent of its flavour from the type of cask used in the aging process.

Bourbon is an American Whiskey made from at least 51 percent corn. It no longer has to be made in Bourbon, Kentucky, but 90 percent of it is.

Bourbon County, is a dry county. Which is just stupid. Silly Americans.

The reason Jack Daniel's is not considered bourbon is because they filter it through sugar-maple charcoal ("mellowing") prior to aging.

While most people think that adding ice or water to whisky is sacrilegious, it is all about taste. One person might prefer his whisky neat (straight up), but a small amount of water or ice will bring out more subtle, nuanced flavors. Give it a try ... just stay away from the mixers. You're a man now.

Computer Made From A Bottle of Ballantine Whisky

Posted by in Cool Tech

A good example of what we can do with an empty whisky bottle.

Made by Janos Marton with the desire of a “more quiet, small and low power consumptioning computer to function as a basic home server”, the Whisky PC has proved to be one of the most weird and interesting inventions.

Janos Marton explains how he made this strange computer here.

What is the best way to drink whisky?

by Nick

Two of the world’s greatest drinks experts go face to face in a showdown designed to answer the age-old question: how should you take your whisky?

The issue of whether you should drink quality Scots whisky on its own, on the rocks or with a splash of water has divided drinkers the world over for generations.

In an attempt to settle the issue once and for all, master blender at the Isle of Jura distillery and widely recognised as the world’s best whisky blender - and Colin Field, who as head barman at the Ritz Paris is arguably the best cocktail mixer in the world.

Representing polar opposites in the argument over how good Scots malt should be enjoyed, the two men are primed and ready for what looks set to become an historic battle.

Richard said: “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. For years I’ve been forced to stand by and watch as barroom dandies sully the world’s greatest drink with a range of inappropriate mixers and sacrilegious frills, but enough is enough. Whisky is something that should be appreciated in the pure, God-given form that its distillers intended, and now I’m going to prove that once and for all.”

Field on the other hand thinks anything goes as long as it’s a quality experience. “Single malt is a drink for anybody, anywhere, anyhow. The purists can complain about it as much as they like, but with the right mixers and a splash of imagination, it can be conjured into a world-beating taste experience that will knock the spots off anything the whisky snobs might offer,” said The Ritz barman.

“Their time is over, and I’m going to show the world how a new generation of drinkers takes theirs.”

England's only whisky is hit in Japan

The only whisky distillery in England is exporting its spirit 6,000 miles to Japan.

Andrew Nelstrop, managing director of the English Whisky Company at St George's Distillery in East Harling Photo: ARCHANT SYNDICATION

Japan makes more single malt whisky than Scotland but has developed a taste for the tipple from St George's Distillery near Thetford, in Norfolk, and is importing 400 bottles every month.

Andrew Nelstrop, 37, owner of the English Whisky Company, which produces the 18-month-old Maison Du Whisky, said orders had been steadily growing.

Mr Nelstrop said: "We have been quietly selling the 18-month-old whisky spirit for some time, but we are now exporting it by the pallet-load. Japan makes more single malt whisky than Scotland. They love their whisky.

"France have only just taken it on, but they are also big whisky drinkers and it looks like we have finally broken into the European and world market."

The £1m distillery opened its doors to the public in the summer of 2007 following a visit from Prince Charles.

Mr Nelstrop said that initial tastings of their whisky spirit, which has been made with locally grown barley, had been well received by the industry and he aimed to sell about 100,000 bottles a year by the time of the London Olympics in 2012.

The company is also looking to market its products in other EU countries and India.

"People say they love it. It has been well received by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and at various trade shows," he said.

"There is no question that the whisky is good. As it gets older, the whisky gets more colour and the flavours merge more."

Liquid Gold: The 10 Most Expensive Whiskies in the World

By Joe Wertz

Grain, water, a wooden barrel and a little time. Whisky is a colorful character with an ever-changing spirit. The subject of literature, culture and folklore throughout the world, finicky booze-hounds have long paid a pretty penny for bottles of the most coveted casks. Pour a finger or two and hit the jump to drink in 10 bottles of whisky that truly break the bank.

10: Ladybank Single Malt: $4,700

Rounding out the top of the list is the Ladybank Distillery in Edinburgh, Scotland. Only 300 bottles of the rare Single Malt Scotch are bottled each year, and to obtain one — you have to become a member of the club. The price of admission? — about $4,700 a year.

9: The Macallan 1947 Fine and Rare Collection: $6,800

This sherry cask Speyside scotch was bottled for Italy in 1962 before it was repackaged for Macallan’s Fine and Rare line of whiskies. The distillery used peat in its kilns because of the scarcity and high price of coal during WWII, the 1947 bottle, so this 15 year old has an earthy quality not present in modern Macallans.

8: Chivas Regal Royal Salute 50 year old: $10,000

A swill special enough to be packaged for the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the Chivas Regal Royal Salute is a 50 year old Scotch with smoky anise and raisin flavors. Only 255 bottles were made, 10 of which were destined for America, where collectors eagerly poured out $10,000 each.

7: The Macallan 1939 40 year old Fine and Rare Collection: $10,125

“Peaty and powerful,” with overtones of sweet toffee and dried fruits, Macallan’s 1939 is a 40 year old first bottled in 1979. In 2002, it was added to the distillery’s Fine and Rare line and re-bottled. It can be found today for around $10,125.

6: Glenfarclas 1955 50 year old: $10,878

Wealthy tasters are warned to overlook this richly scented 50 year old Speyside at their own “peril.” Spicy and silky with a sweet start, this is the oldest batch ever bottled by the Glenfarclas distillery.

5: Dalmore 50 Year Old Decanter: $11,000

Only 60 crystal-cut bottles of this Highland single malt were produced. Filled in 1978, this dark sherry-aged Dalmore has a reputation for being intense and deeply flavored and is considered by many aficionados among the best 50 year olds in the world.

4: Macallan 55 Year old Lalique Crystal Decanter: $12,500

The eye-catching crystal bottle of Macallan’s 55 year old Lalique was based on a 1910 perfume bottle designed by Rene Lalique . Exotic, with hints of peat smoke, the taste is smooth with lingering citrus overtones.

3: Glenfiddich 1937 Rare Collection: $20,000

Rare doesn’t describe it. Only one bottle of Glenfiddich’s 1937 Rare Collection was ever produced, and it just might be the oldest bottle of whisky in the world. It was snatched up at a 2006 auction for a bargain $20,000.

2: Dalmore 62 Single Highland Malt Scotch: $58,000

Only a dozen bottles of Dalmore 62 single malt were corked in 1942. One night in 2005, a man bought a bottle for $58,000, and downed it with five of his buddies.

1: The Macallan 1926 Fine and Rare: $75,000

“Dry and concentrated” — what else would you expect from one of the most expensive whiskies in the world? Help yourself to a little licorice aftertaste. In 2005, a South Korean businessman paid $70,000 for a bottle of Macallan’s 1926, the finest and rarest of the Fine and Rare.