Whisky at $48 500 a bottle

2005-02-27 10:52

Hong Kong - The last six bottles of the world's oldest and most expensive Scotch whisky have been put on sale in Hong Kong for US$48 500 a bottle, a news report said on Sunday.

The bottles of 1937 Glenfiddich Rare Collection have been bought by a Hong Kong dealer and put on sale in the territory's Free Duty shops.

The whisky, which works out at a price of US$1 724 a shot, was flown to Hong Kong in two batches for fear the planes carrying them might crash, the Sunday Morning Post reported.

Buyer William Grant & Sons International said the whisky had "matured slowly and developed a toffee, caramel and cinnamon nose, with chocolate and treacle flavours".

However, a whisky expert warned potential buyers that age did not necessarily guarantee better taste in malt whisky and they often tasted of the flavour of wood the cask was made from.

"If you lined up 20 men and let them taste 12- and 70-year-old whiskies, more often than not they may prefer the younger variety," Walter Gerrard told the newspaper. - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA