Glenfarclas 53 Year Old – ¥475K and change

Glenfarclas 53 Year Old Pagoda Ruby Reserve is a limited edition bottling presented in a Glencairn decanter that features hand-mounted rubies. The whisky joins the Pagoda Reserve Trilogy, which includes 43-, 48- and 59-year-old whiskies. With just 100 limited edition sets of the Pagoda Reserve Trilogy, and only 180 Pagoda Ruby Reserve and Pagoda Sapphire Reserve limited edition decanters created for the world market, the once in a lifetime Glenfarclas Pagoda Reserve Series is undeniably the legendary Glenfarclas distillery’s greatest ever release.

Each decanter of Glenfarclas 53 has been individually hand-blown using 30% Lead Crystal produced in Portugal (the highest quality crystal); the overall shape of the crystal was selected to provide the ideal base for the unique ‘Pagoda’ top.

Each decanter is a ‘one of a kind’, created by some of the most skilled glassblowers in the world. No two decanters are exactly the same. Any variations to the finished decanters are completely invisible to the naked eye but because each decanter was separately hand-blown, each of the delicate fittings had to be individually engineered to fit.

Using specialized engraving techniques, each collar is individually numbered and infilled. The total effect provides a flowing movement across the decanters from the base to the top.

The side graphics are deep infilled with intricate Chinese Dogs which perfectly compliment the precious metal Pagoda tops of the Trilogy, and bring fluency to the representations of the Silk Road delicately engraved into Pagoda tops of the 62-year-old Ruby Reserve, and the 63-year-old Sapphire Reserve. The design work on the graphics was a co-production between Glencairn Crystal’s multi-award-winning design team and specialist creative experts in Asia.

Each Pagoda is hand-crafted with every piece being hand-turned to produce a unique shaping and cut to the highest possible quality. The Pagoda is not only a unique design, it is also a revolutionary one. It has been constructed in two distinct parts to enable ease of packing and uncorking. It works by creating a magnetic connection between the cork’s female connection (a secondary closure in hand-engraved precious metal), and the Pagoda top’s matching male connection magnet located at the base of the Pagoda design. This unique magnetic function means that the Pagoda top can be easily removed when uncorking each of the Pagoda Series’ rare Glenfarclas whisky expressions.

Bottled at 44.8% ABV, the Glenfarclas 53 Ruby Reserve whisky is available in two editions: Limited Edition Silver and Collector’s Edition Gold.

The Silver bottling will be priced from £22,716 (US$29,000) per 700ml bottle. Glenfarclas will release 180 bottles of the whisky, as well as 62 magnums priced at £48,678 (US$62,000).

Scotch whisky maker Glenfarclas will also release 50 bottles and 50 magnums of its Collector’s Edition Gold, with 1.5l magnums priced at £53,546 (US$68,000) and bottles available for £24,988 (US$32,000).

The latest release from the Speyside distiller is housed in Glencairn’s first decanter to encase hand-mounted gemstones. The frontage statement features 34 rubies to construct the number 62. The sides of the decanter feature Chinese guardian lions and the solid silver and gold plated collars of the two editions are individually numbered. It also features a red crystal pagoda-shaped stopper, which is engraved to represent the Silk Road.

A further addition to the Pagoda Reserve Series will be released later this year – Pagoda Sapphire Reserve 63 years old.

Just to save any confusion (with the Oak and Barley Whisky Collectors Group being spared this, as they already know). The Pagoda Series is pretty damn obviously a range targetted at the Asian market. It has absolutely nothing to do with the chimneys of the former malt kilns at the distillery……or it would be called the Cupola Series. Isn’t that right Graham?

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