The Glenlivet Just Dropped Its Oldest—and Perhaps Best—Whisky Yet

The Glenlivet is probably best known for its 12-year Scotch whisky. It's the world's most popular single malt, and the liquid serves as the foundation for many people’s introduction to whisky. That casts a long shadow over the brand’s other releases. Additionally, the Pernod Ricard-owned distiller seemingly has a reputation for volume, not necessarily for producing serious, high-priced liquid. But, no more—or, at least, that’s the goal—as the brand just unveiled The Glenlivet Eternal Collection, First Edition, 55 Year Old, its oldest and most ambitious expression to date.

Finished in a seasoned sherry cask and matured for more than five decades, this single malt is something truly special—and for $55,000 per bottle, it better be. It's probably The Glenlivet's single best expression, deserving a place on the mantle beside the finest bottles of The Macallan or Lagavulin.

On the nose, the whisky features warm fall fruits alongside notes of citrus, dates, hazelnut, dark chocolate, and cinnamon. The palate delivers blackcurrant jam, fudge, and more orange, alongside hints of vanilla and ginger. The long finish finds fruits and spices interweaving, culminating in a complex dram that lingers.

The 55-year-old single malt is the first entry in The Glenlivet’s Eternal Collection, a new range of collectable, rare whiskies that will be released annually. Each future release will be taken from a single cask, aged for one additional year.

“Thanks to decades of collaboration from our team of cask experts, past and present, the introduction of The Eternal Collection represents a monumental moment for whisky connoisseurs and luxury appreciators to add a pivotal piece of Scotch whisky legacy to their collection,” says Kevin Balmforth, The Glenlivet cask master. “It epitomizes The Glenlivet’s commitment to excellence within Scotch innovation as we continue to push to creative new heights in single malts.”

Each release in The Eternal Collection comes with unique art. In the case of the First Edition, computational architect Michael Hansmeyer created a striking sculpture to house the whisky. The structure takes inspiration from the home of The Glenlivet, mirroring the flow of the River Livet from which the brand gets its name. With hand-sculpted jesmonite and rose-gold plating, the sculpture houses the spherical decanter of the 55 Year Old.

“My work captures the intersection of architecture and the arts,” says Hansmeyer. “Weaving threads of intelligent technologies to create something that escapes conformity and classification to celebrate such an aged whisky has been a thrill. I created this sculpture as a tribute to the complexity of The Glenlivet's oldest expression and the rugged beauty of the distillery’s Scottish landscape, capturing the spirit of where innovation meets tradition.”

The Glenlivet had a number of other interesting releases this year, too. First, it launched a whisky matured in casks crafted from a combination of first-fill rum and bourbon barrels: Rum and Bourbon Fusion Cask Selection. Then, it aged another in ex-sherry casks united with freshly charred European oak barrels, dubbed Caskmakers. They even launched The Twelve Elements, which features some of the brand's oldest whiskies ever. The Glenlivet Eternal Collection, however, takes things to another level.

The Glenlivet Eternal Collection, First Edition: 55-Year-Old will be available at select spirits retailers for a suggested retail price of $55,000.

Related: We've Tasted Hundreds of Scotch Whiskies. These 16 Bottles Are the Best of 2024