Since its inception, 200 years ago in 1824, The Glenlivet has garnered a reputation as a truly iconic Speyside distillery. In celebration of its momentous 200th anniversary, The Glenlivet has unveiled its highest age statement whisky ever, The Glenlivet Eternal Collection, First Edition, 55 Year Old.
Exceptionally limited to only 100 elegant decanters, The Glenlivet has pulled out all the stops for this release, carefully considering each aspect and collaborating with computational architect, Michael Hansmeyer. The whisky itself has been crafted from a seasoned sherry cask and matured for over five decades. The end result is a complex whisky that The Glenlivet claims has an “astonishingly long finish.”
The Glenlivet cask master, Kevin Balmforth, who undertook the vital role of directing the final maturation years of The Glenlivet 55 Year Old, describes the taste as “a medley of autumn fruits, sun-drenched Seville oranges and sticky dates enveloped by the spiced warmth of cinnamon and nutmeg on the nose, alongside the sweet, warming flavors of homemade blackcurrant jam and vanilla fudge, balanced with zesty citrus notes on the palate.”
Working closely with Michael Hansmeyer, The Glenlivet 55 Year Old is encased in a daring sculpture that takes its inspiration from the enchanting region of Speyside, the home of The Glenlivet. Depicting the essence and flow of the fabled River Livet, Hansmeyer has utilized his skills in computational architecture to create not only a display case for the whisky but an art piece in its own right.
Given the bottle itself is spherical, this ornamental case — hand-sculpted from jesmonite and rose-gold plating — is both visually intriguing and serves a purpose.
“My work captures the intersection of architecture and the arts,” said Hansmeyer. “It is a laboratory for experimenting with new possibilities, and that is where I saw the harmony in collaborating with The Glenlivet. 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.”
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The Glenlivet 55 Year Old is set to be the first edition of The Glenlivet Eternal Collection, a new range of collectible whiskies from the distillery that will be released annually. Each consecutive release will have been aged for an additional year in a single cask, with The Glenlivet collaborating with a new artist for each release.
“The 55 Year Old is the highest-age Scotch ever released from The Glenlivet Distillery, and combined with the incredible talent of Michael, it tells of the timelessness of The Glenlivet,” said Balmforth. “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. It epitomizes The Glenlivet’s commitment to excellence within Scotch innovation as we continue to push to creative new heights in single malts.”
The Glenlivet Eternal Collection, First Edition: 55 Year Old will be available at select whisky retailers worldwide, priced at $55,000. Register your interest here.
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