The World's Most Expensive Bottles of Scotch
Evan Dashevsky, Editor
of
Bundle.com
|
06:00 AM, Wednesday, October 10, 2012
A survey of the world's most exclusive Scotches. We present these not to torture, but to inspire. Slainte!
Scotch's reputation precedes it. It's the golden brown liquor gently sloshing around Don Draper's tumbler as he battles the turmoil of being handsome; it weighs down the glass by Hemingway's typewriter as he pens a tale of stoic determination against nothingness; it's the favorite sippable delight of Hunter S. Thompson when he wasn't under the effect of something else.
Not only is Scotch a culture unto itself, it's a legal definition. By order of the Scotch Whisky Regulations of 2009, which were ratified by the UK Parliament on October 30th of 2009, in order for any item to be labeled a "Scotch Whisky," it must, among other stipulations:
- be produced, bottled, and labeled in Scotland
- be only made from water and malted barley
- be wholly matured in oak casks of no more than 700 liters, and aged in Scottish warehouses for a minimum of three years
- contain no added substances beyond water and plain caramel coloring
- comprise a minimum alcoholic strength by volume of 40% (80 US proof)
- have any age statement "expressed in numerical form" reflect the age of the youngest whisky in the blend
The cult of Scotch is such that people are willing to spend big money for true tippy-top shelf Scotch whiskeys. And we're not talking about shelling out a few extra Jacksons to step up from Johnnie Red to his cousin Johnnie Black, or even their granduncle Johnnie Blue. We're talking about dedicated aficionados of means who spend more on one bottle than most people make in a year.
Perhaps there's an element of rich guys rubbing it in. But I can't hate on them too much for their malt-tinged splurges. I just can't. Click here for the best bars and lounges in your city
Anyways, enjoy our slideshow of top-shelf Scotch whisky porn. I did.
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Evan Dashevsky is the Editor of Bundle.com, follow him @haldash
