Opening price: NIS 300,000. The most expensive whisky ever in Israel

This November (2024), Israel will witness the sale of the most expensive whisky bottle ever imported into the country. A 50-year-old Balvenie, one of only 125 bottles in the world, will be auctioned for 48 hours starting November 19.

Opening price: NIS 300,000. Yes, three hundred thousand shekels. This isn’t a typo, and the number leaves little room for doubt about the headline's accuracy. Even if you aren't rushing to open your wallet or call your banker, keep reading—this is a significant event on multiple levels: global, local, industrial, historical, consumer, and enthusiast.

In the end, the occasion allowed me to sample some of Balvenie’s finest bottles, though not the 50-year-old whisky itself. Nonetheless, it was a hint of great things to come.

Approaching a 50-Year-Old Whisky

As noted, this edition includes only 125 bottles from cask No. 8720, a second-fill Oloroso sherry cask filled in 1973 by Balvenie’s legendary malt master, David Stewart, during his final year of training.

This 50-year-old whisky was bottled at 52.3% ABV by Stewart’s successor, malt master Kelsey McKechnie. The bottle arrives in a handcrafted wooden case, adorned with 14-karat gold accents, and is priced at around $100,000 worldwide.

When approaching a 50-year-old whisky, it’s essential to consider not only the moment it was bottled but also all the moments it wasn’t. Cask 8720, having aged whisky once before, embarked on a second maturation round. Typically, such casks were designated for longer aging due to the extended flavor extraction in the second fill. But no cask has ever been designed with a specific 50-year timeline in mind.

Casks are periodically sampled by the malt master and are generally bottled at their peak, making the decision to age it beyond 12, 18, 20, 24, 30, or even 40 years a testament to extensive experience and a calculated risk due to the potential evaporation loss, or the "angels' share."

A Rare Phenomenon

Accordingly, bottling a cask after 50 years also requires a fair amount of bravery. That courage came from McKechnie, a rising star in the whisky world and one of the youngest malt masters ever. Joining the distillery as an apprentice in 2014, following her studies in brewing and distilling, McKechnie quickly proved herself to be a once-in-a-generation talent.

The 2024 Balvenie 50 is, in many ways, a collaboration between McKechnie and the outgoing malt master, Stewart. It also represents a symbolic passing of the torch to a new generation—one that brings creativity and innovation, coupled with deep respect for tradition. Over the next two years, two more releases will follow, making the Balvenie 50 a mini-series.

Winds of Change

The arrival of this bottle in Israel is significant, especially considering the changes in the local alcohol industry a few months ago.

After years of distribution in Israel by Hakerem, William Grant & Sons, the parent company of Balvenie, Glenfiddich, Tullamore Dew, Ailsa Bay, and Hendrick’s gin, signed a new distribution agreement with GWS.

At this stage, there have been no significant changes in Balvenie’s presence on store shelves in Israel, and it’s still too early to predict the future. However, the arrival of this exclusive bottle is a statement of intent from GWS, which aims to bring the best Balvenie has to offer.

I recently attended a tasting held by the company in honor of the Balvenie 50's arrival. Did I hope to taste a few drops of the edition that costs as much as a daily median salary in Israel per drop? Of course, but that didn’t happen.

Other fascinating tastings, however, did occur, offering a beautiful story about where the distillery stands and where it hopes to go.

Balvenie DoubleWood 12

The distillery’s classic edition, introduced in 1993, has since become a favorite among Scotch whisky fans worldwide, including in Israel. Aged 12 years, mainly in ex-bourbon barrels, followed by a prolonged finish in Oloroso sherry casks.

On the nose: butter candies, wine grapes, and white pepper. The palate features candied cherries, roasted grains, and a grassy bitterness that ends with a cocoa powder finish, orange zest, and a hint of dry oak—elegant, balanced, and enjoyable.

Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14

Another popular release among local whisky enthusiasts. Aged at least 14 years in ex-bourbon barrels, followed by a finish in specially made rum barrels for Balvenie.

The nose reveals mocha and molasses, spiced with cloves. On the palate: orange melon, chamomile, and salty almonds. The finish is rich in vanilla, reminiscent of a vanilla pod and nutmeg spice—a classic in rum-cask finishes and perhaps beyond.

The Plot Thickens

From here, things became more complex. It was a blind tasting, including the first two editions, which I identified based on familiarity and a bit of guessing. Beyond that, the editions presented were ones that had never reached Israel and were very limited even in other markets, so my senses guided me entirely.

The next whisky poured was markedly paler, and the nose left a powerful impression. This turned out to be Balvenie Single Barrel 12, a single-fill ex-bourbon cask, indicating that the bourbon it held previously aged extensively, leaving an exceptional flavor profile.

On the nose: a bouquet of daffodils, coconut milk, and unripe nectarine. The palate brings sweet cream, fresh dough, and thyme, with a sweet-salty finish of crème pâtissière and iodized salt. One of the finest glasses I've had in recent memory.

A Barrel with Character

Following was the Balvenie Cask & Character 19, an edition crafted under McKechnie’s guidance as malt master, sharing credit with Ian McDonald, Balvenie’s veteran cooper of over 50 years.

This expression is aged for 19 years in Oloroso sherry casks, offering sherry enthusiasts both familiar and surprising flavors.

On the nose: mulberries and aged tobacco, with a hint of sulfur. The palate satisfies with rhubarb jam, sharp mint, and dark chocolate. The finish reveals dark caramel with a touch of wood smoke—a superb sherry profile.

Age Is Just a Number

The tasting concluded, symbolically, with a no-age-statement (NAS) release: Balvenie TUN 1509. The number 1509 refers to the storage tun where the whisky is married before bottling after being removed from the cask.

This blend includes ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks of various ages, some over 20 years old. On the nose: elderberry, violet aroma, and rosemary. The palate is eclectic, with notes of blueberries, chili pepper, and white chocolate. The finish is herbaceous and spicy, with green tea and juniper berries.

A dynamic and intriguing whisky, TUN 1509 enjoys the benefit of being bottled at a higher 52.4% ABV, emphasizing its bold flavors without an overpowering alcohol presence.

Avoiding a Tragedy

The Balvenie 50 edition and its record-breaking bottle price make for an exciting story. Yet the true story is that of an outstanding distillery in the midst of an inspiring generational transition, balancing tradition and innovation.

McKechnie’s tasting notes for the Balvenie 50 highlight a deep fruit aroma, candied apricots, cedarwood, and nutty spices. The palate offers caramelized fruits, rich spices, hints of vanilla, dried ginger, and citrus.

It sounds delightful, but let’s address the elephant in the room: of the 125 bottles worldwide, it’s uncertain how many will ever be opened. That’s the tragedy of these releases—often collector’s items, or worse, mere investments.

To anyone planning to buy the Balvenie 50 in Israel, I say: open the bottle!