Benriach 1966 Cask Aged 50 Years is the oldest ever Benriach expression.

Brown-Forman Global Travel Retail (GTR) has unveiled Benriach 1966 Cask Aged 50 Years – the oldest ever Benriach expression – at this week’s TFWA Asia Pacific Show.

The company described the whisky as the “pinnacle of prestige” within the single malt Scotch whisky category.

With an RRSP of £25,000/US$31,500) around 37 bottles of this release will be available worldwide, with five allocated to the travel retail channel.

Brown-Forman GTR Marketing Director Stéphane Morizet commented: “We are thrilled to offer five of the [estimated] 37 bottles of Benriach 50 Years Old to our valued GTR partners.

“It is the finest portrayal of Benriach’s signature fruit-laden style, with unrivalled complexity and luxurious refinement. The GTR allocation underscores the importance of this market to Brown-Forman and highlights our commitment to delivering exceptional luxury editions to travellers.”

A small collection of casks with exceptional character have been kept by Benriach to mature to an old age, passed on a journey from one generation of whisky makers to the next.

Bourbon cask 2383 – filled with unpeated Benriach spirit on 21 September 1966 – was selected by Benriach Master Blender Dr Rachel Barrie for the 50 Years expression, handpicked for its exceptional character. Now released after decades of maturation in Benriach’s Speyside warehouses, it is the first Benriach to be bottled at fifty years old.

Five bottles, out of an estimated total of 37, have been allocated to global travel retail, highlighting the importance of the channel to Brown-Forman.

Benriach 1966 Cask Aged 50 Years (ABV 44.5%) is presented within a bespoke crystal decanter, made in Scotland by Glasstorm. Each decanter is housed within a presentation box made by master craftsman John Galvin, its design inspired by the colourful array of eclectic casks that fill the warehouses.

Rough chestnut gold in colour, on the nose the liquid offers honed oak, chestnut, maraschino cherry and acacia honey, interwoven with truffle, narcissus, and refined musk. On the palate, honeyed dates and delicate oak spices combine with apple, pear and traces of grapefruit.

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