If you’re in the market for some ultra-aged, sherry cask-matured single malt scotch, there are more than a few options—and most of them are from the Macallan, which seems to release a newer, older whisky every year. But that’s not the only name in the game—the lesser recognized but also fantastic Glendronach distillery just announced the release of its oldest whisky to date, a 56-year-old single malt that costs a staggering $49,000, and also happens to be superb.

Of course, whisky this old is not always very good—sometimes it’s even kind of bad—but fortunately this does not succumb to detrimental effects that spending this long in a cask can have on a whisky. The Glendronach is a Highlands distillery that has been making whisky for about 200 years, and virtually all of it is aged in Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks sourced from Andalucia, Spain, with some other barrel types in the mix as well. Brown-Forman acquired the distillery a decade ago in 2016 along with Benriach and Glenglassaugh, although the latter operation has paused production (no word as to when or if it will begin again).

The woman in charge of selecting barrels for a release like this, as well as the core lineup, is master blender Dr. Rachel Barrie, who had a unique way of describing this new whisky. “The 56 Year Old is a stoic masterpiece,” she said in a statement. “It possesses a structural integrity rarely seen in spirits of this age. I describe it as a ‘Sherry Crescendo’—a complex, multi-layered tale of dark cacao and ancient spice refined by the irreplaceable influence of time.” And that time is actually almost 57 years in casks. The whisky was distilled in September of 1968, a year that, according to the brand, some whisky aficionados consider to be a standout in the distillery’s history. “This historic expression is the first release in our landmark 200th anniversary year,” said Barrie. “Distilled in 1968—a vintage long whispered about as the ‘Holy Grail’ for the Glendronach connoisseurs—this historic expression is the oldest and most distinguished bottling ever released by the distillery.”

The whisky was initially aged in Oloroso sherry butts that came from Spain. Then, more than 40 years later, it was transferred into three Spanish oak Pedro Ximénez hogsheads in 2014. After reaching the half-century mark, the three casks were married together and then finally emptied in August of 2025. We were one of the few to get to try a sample of this whisky, and it’s great. The color is rich and dark, as is the flavor with notes of ripe and dried fruit, dark chocolate, roasted espresso beans, raisin, fig, cherry cola, peaches, menthol, and blood orange. Oaky tannins are present, of course, but they do not overpower the delicate nature of this well-aged and deeply complex whisky.

Only 200 bottles are being released globally, and just 12 of those are heading to the U.S at cask strength of 44.9 percent ABV. Of course, for a whisky this rare—and one priced at $49,000 per bottle—the presentation has to be on point. Sculptor John Galvin was commissioned by the distillery to create a hand-carved black walnut cabinet for each bottle that is meant to bring to mind the sherry casks the whisky spent its time aging in. Each cabinet is numbered, and the whisky is housed in a Glencairn crystal decanter. If you’re interested in purchasing one, check with your local high-end specialty retailer.