The Balvenie’s Latest 50-Year Scotch Goes for $38,000 a Bottle

CNN Money reports that the long-awaited Balvenie 50-year is hitting the market, for a cool $38,000. There are but 131 bottles of this high-profile scotch, 15 in the United States, making the scotch a rare gem amongst the malted spirits.

What does it taste like? Mellow: The Balvenie 50-year only just surpasses the requisite 40 percent ABV at 45.4 percent (evaporation plays a large factor in cask-aging whiskey over a long period of time). Balvenie’s whisky master David Stewart smells, “ginger, nutmeg, dried fruits and dates.” Stewart was the 50-year’s shepherd, and watched over its aging process with the meticulous attention you’d expect of a distillery that malts its own locally-sourced barley in-house.

Is it worth the $38,000? Was the last 50-year release in 2012 (pictured) worth $31,000? There’s a good selection of 50-years that don’t climb above $2,000. But the value is in the eye of the buyer, 131 of which can count themselves lucky enough to call the gilded bottle their own. [CNN Money] [Image: Flickr/Ninian Reid]