This $25,000 Johnnie Walker Blend Comes In A Baccarat Decanter
Got a cool $25,000 laying around that you don't know what to do with? Have a taste for scotch whisky blends? Then you may want to look into Johnnie Walker's first 50-year-old Scotch whisky ever. Each whisky in the Masters' Edition blend, which includes three rare single malt whiskies and three rare grain whiskies, have been aged at least 50 years. The whiskies come from distilleries that were in operation between 1805 and 1857, when founder John Walker was alive. Five of those distilleries are no longer operational, making those whiskies, and the blend, exceptionally rare. Released in 2018, the special blend was "triple matured" before being blended in a specially made cask. Only 100 bottles are available.
Scotch Whisky describes the flavor as "having notes of blackcurrants, citrus and dark chocolate, with a subtle smokiness." Decanter, after a tasting with Johnnie Walker's master blender Jim Beveridge, describes the taste as "dry smoke enveloping orchard fruits" which gives way to an "aromatic, savoury earthiness that's almost meaty."
The Johnnie Walker Masters' Edition comes in a striking decanter
Fittingly, the Johnnie Walker Masters' Edition blend comes packaged in a sleek and striking black crystal Baccarat decanter. Individually numbered, the decanter is double cased and housed in a custom cabinet made by N.E.J. Stevenson, cabinet makers to Queen Elizabeth II, Forbes reports. Such a distinctive bottle would undoubtedly make the ultimate addition to your home bar, assuming you can get your hands on one, that is. According to Wine Searcher, the Johnnie Walker Masters' Edition was last available for purchase in July 2020 for $24,973, just under its suggested retail price of $25,000.
You might have better luck with the other two releases from the Johnnie Walker Masters series. In 2020, they released 398 bottles of the Johnnie Walker Master's Ruby Reserve, made from eight 40-year old rare whiskies (including three from "ghost" distilleries that are no longer operational). And in 2021, they completed the series with 288 bottles of the Johnnie Walker Masters of Flavour, made from seven 48-year-old rare whiskies (including four from "ghost" distilleries). Both blends also come in their own distinctive Baccarat decanters: the Ruby Reserve in a golden red crystal Baccarat decanter infused with 24-carat gold (via Elite Traveler) and the Masters of Flavour in an emerald green crystal Baccarat decanter. Both releases, while also pricey, can still be purchased online for those with enough cash to burn.