The Glenlivet uses blockchain technology to sell 50-year-old whisky collection
The whisky has been maturing at the Speyside distillery since 1974, initially in a bourbon barrel and then in refill hogshead.
Twelve bottles will be released on the blockchain-enabled marketplace, each priced at €40,000 (£34,000) plus VAT.
Each bottle represents one of the 12 essential elements that underpin The Glenlivet: Air, Angel Share, Barley, Cooper, Copper, Distiller, Earth, Fire, Heritage, Time, Water and Wood.
The Glenlivet used AI to create unique labels for each of the 12 bottles in the collection, which will go on sale on 21st February.
The whisky will be bottled this summer to celebrate the distillery’s 200th anniversary.
Kevin Balmforth, a cask expert at The Glenlivet, described it as ‘a liquid of remarkable depth and character’.
‘As we commemorate 200 years of The Glenlivet, this ultra-rare collection represents a look to the future and offers whisky enthusiasts worldwide a foray into the evolution of luxury investments,’ he said.
The whisky will be the inaugural release from a new marketplace created by The Whisky Exchange, a London-based retailer with a significant online presence.
Anyone that makes a purchase via The Whisky Exchange Cabinet will receive a transferable digital certificate, which provides irrefutable proof of ownership.
The aim is to provide greater traceability and security when selling rare single malt whisky.
Owners will receive a digital certificate upon purchase, along with the opportunity to redeem 5cl samples of the rare whisky at 48, 49 and 50 years old, plus the full bottle upon release this summer.
In 2021 an 80-year-old whisky from The Glenlivet – auctioned for a record HK$1.5m (£150,000).
