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Why Pay Off Student Loans When You Can Buy This $53,000 Whisky?

Sam Slaughter
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If you’ve ever tasted a whisky from The Macallan, then you already know they are no strangers to luxury. With a wide range of releases and price points — don’t forget about their beautiful distillery experience—  the brand has established itself as Scotch whisky elite over the years. They are now adding to that line of luxury with their newest high-end release, The Macallan 52 Years Old 2018.

The Macallan 52 Years Old
The Macallan

Yes, you read that right. The whisky is 52 years old — it’s old enough to be a really young, hip grandparent. The whisky, of which only 250 bottles were produced, spent the better part of the last century aging in one hand-crafted first fill European oak sherry seasoned cask from Spain.

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After a nose of cherry, dark chocolate, and “antique” oak, you’ll find rich fruit notes playing with dark chocolate, some peat smoke, cinnamon, and ginger spice.

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Of the whisky, Sarah Burgess, The Macallan whisky maker, said: “The Macallan 52 years old is an outstanding addition to our expanding range of unique, classic-aged whiskies and is a testament to the harmony created through the mastery of wood and spirit.”

What does a 52-year-old whisky taste like? After a nose of cherry, dark chocolate, and “antique” oak, you’ll find rich fruit notes playing with dark chocolate, some peat smoke, cinnamon, and ginger spice. The finish is long, with sweet oak, cherry, and blackcurrant, with a floral and slightly peaty finish. At 48 percent alcohol by volume, too, it’s certainly no slouch in the strength department.

And the price on this magnificent whisky? A cool $53,500. This is quite a step up from their 50-year-old expression, which sold for a mere $35,000 (peasant whisky, if you ask us). Just think: That’s only roughly $5,300 per person if you and nine friends go in on a bottle together.

The Macallan 52 Years Old 2018 3
The Macallan

The whisky is packaged in a solid oak box that features an etched face inlaid with a matte gold badged age statement, reflecting the intricate designs for The Macallan 25 years old and The Macallan 50 years old.

Of the 250 bottles, only 48 are making it stateside for this release, so don’t expect to see this on the shelf of your neighborhood liquor store. However, if you’re actually thinking about and able to purchase one, you can email inquiries.us@themacallan.com (and then let us know so we can become your best friend).

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Sam Slaughter
Sam Slaughter
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…
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