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Scotch whisky: the oller the dollar?
Photo: Jo McRyan / Getty Images
Last year, Bertie Troughton, the custodian of the 750-year-old Blair Castle in Perthshire, Scotland, made an astonishing find: in the castle's cellar, he discovered 40 bottles of a nearly 200-year-old whiskey.
For many years, the bottles had remained undiscovered – now they are to be auctioned off. According to the auction house Whisky Auctioneer, its contents date back to 1833. This had been proven with documents, the British news agency PA quoted a spokesman. According to the Perth-based auction house, the brandy was distilled in 1833, bottled in 1844 and transferred to new bottles in 1932.
The oldest Scotch whisky in the world?
An examination using the radiocarbon method confirmed that the fine wine dates back to the early 19th century. According to the auction house, this is the oldest Scotch whisky in the world. Given the historical age of Scotch, speculation is being raised: Is this the malt that Queen Victoria tasted when she visited the castle with her husband Prince Albert in 1844?
Two dozen of the bottles are to be offered from 24 November. It is doubtful that its contents promise a special treat for the palate: An expert who is one of the few people who was allowed to taste the whisky said, according to the PA, that the taste had "a strong medicinal character without any remarkable or pronounced peat smoke".
ala/dpa