Some whisky bottles are made to be poured. Others are made to be hunted down. The new Diageo Rare Series falls rather firmly into the second category, bringing together exceptionally limited single malt whisky bottles aged between 33 and 55 years. With bottles from a long-closed distillery, tiny production runs and some of the oldest Diageo releases, this is a collection designed with the serious collector in mind. So, here is our list of 5 rare single malt Scotch whisky bottles from the new Diageo Rare Series including Glenury Royal 1970 55 Year Old Whisky, Clynelish 1983 42 Year Old Whisky, Caol Ila 1983 42 Year Old Whisky, Talisker 1992 33 Year Old Whisky and Blair Athol 1991 34 Year Old Whisky.
From a 55-year-old ghost-distillery release to an experimental Talisker finished for more than two decades, here are five Scotch whisky bottles from the new Diageo Rare Series that bring together age, provenance and the kind of scarcity collectors tend to take very seriously.
The star of the collection is Glenury Royal 1970, a 55-year-old single malt whisky from the now-closed Highland distillery. It is the oldest single malt whisky release by Diageo to date, with just 232 bottles produced. Matured in American oak hogsheads and later married in European oak puncheons, it is the sort of bottle where the history is almost as important as what is inside it.
Glenury Royal 1970 Whisky Price Starts at US$6,350
ABV: 62.4%.
With just 160 bottles, Clynelish 1983 whisky is the most limited expression in the first Rare Series release. Fully matured in American oak hogsheads, the 42-year-old single malt whisky showcases the signature waxy character of the distillery alongside floral and spicy notes.
Clynelish 1983 Whisky Price Starts at US$4,000
ABV: 49.5%.
For fans of smoky Scotch, Caol Ila 1983 whisky brings a distinctly Islay character to the collection. At 42 years old, it is the oldest Caol Ila released by Diageo, matured in American oak before being married in European oak puncheons. Just 318 bottles were produced.
Caol Ila 1983 Whisky Price Starts at US$3,000
ABV: 56.4%.
The youngest of these 5 Scotch whisky bottles is also one of the most unusual. Talisker 1992 whisky comes from an experimental batch, initially matured in refill American and European oak before spending more than 20 years in Amoroso-seasoned American oak hogsheads. The result adds another layer to Talisker's naturally maritime personality. Only 331 bottles exist.
Talisker 1992 Whisky Price Starts at US$1,300
ABV: 60.1%.
At US$900, Blair Athol 1991 whisky is the most accessible bottle in the collection; although 'accessible' is relative when only 347 bottles exist. It was matured in ex-Sherry European oak before being finished in Pedro Ximénez-seasoned new American oak hogsheads, giving it a rich, spicy character.
Blair Athol 1991 Whisky Price Starts at US$900
ABV: 50.8%.
The Diageo Rare Series Scotch whisky bottles are not simply a collection of old Scotch. It is a collection of different kinds of rarity: a vanished distillery, tiny bottle counts, an unusually long finish, and some of the oldest surviving stocks with Diageo.
With whisky prices ranging from US$900 to US$6,350, these are not bottles designed for casual shelf-filling. They are for collectors who appreciate the story behind the liquid, and understand that, sometimes, the rarest thing about a whisky is knowing you will never get another chance to buy it.