The Balvenie Fifty First Edition epitomises elusive ultra luxury in alcobev and costs a cool ₹75 lakh

It was a launch of a special kind: Just a single bottle for India, out of just 125 meant for the world market. This single malt is 50 years old—The Balvenie 50—First Edition. The truest form of uber luxury from the world of alco bev. Just one bottle for India makes it even more desirable, enhanced further by its exquisite packaging developed by Croglin, a bespoke craft workshop based in Cumbria, north west of England. Each presentation contains over 100 different elements, including seven layers of wood in the helix structure, less than 1/10th of a millimetre thick, and a beautifully crafted 14-carat gold-plated brass display.

And this comes at a price, of course…₹75 lakh!

The Balvenie Fifty First Edition is a unique single cask expression, aged in a European oak refill butt, filled in 1973 and selected by Malt Master, Kelsey McKechnie. Aged gracefully over five decades, expect layered tannins and ripe berries, accompanied by subtle hints of rich leather on the nose. On the palate, the liquid is unmistakably rich, toffee sweetness reveals rolling flavours of citrus and a deep oaky spice. “This was launched last year, and with its age and limited number of bottles, we decided to bring one to India,” said Balvenie’s Global Brand Ambassador Charles Metcalfe.

“During the maturing process, part of it evaporates into the atmosphere—something which we call the ‘angels’ share’—and the quantity at the end becomes lesser and that makes it even more rare,” he says. Angels’ Share, in the world of whiskey, is the loss that happens over a period of time till the whiskey attains its maturity and what distillers believe as “natural loss, which is a sacrifice to the heavens.” According to Metcalfe, the second edition is even fewer in number, with just 90 bottles.

The Balvenie Fifty First Edition is a unique single cask expression, aged in a European oak refill butt, filled in 1973 and selected by Malt Master, Kelsey McKechnie. When a whisky is referred to as an “expression,” it means the distiller has selected specific barrels to generate the flavour profile he has in mind. These barrels are often chosen within a particular age range to maintain consistency and ensure the flavours blend—or “marry”—more harmoniously.

And talking about marriage, the launch also witnessed the unveiling of The Balvenie Rare Marriages Collection—The Balvenie Thirty and The Balvenie Twenty-Five, both of which are available through limited release.