The “WHinsanity” of whisk(e)y buying continues…Are you ready for this?
$19.2 MILLION. For one cask. That’s one barrel of whiskey. YOUR NEW RECORD.
Unbelievable but actually kinda sorta believable in the current climate where just earlier this year, the former record for a whisky cask (Scotch) was set at $18M.
The new record cask goes by the name “Cask No. 3“. Bought by an anonymous female, it is a single malt 1975 Scotch from Ardbeg Distillery located on the south coast of the island of Islay in the Argyll and Bute region of Scotland.
Per BusinessInsider, the buyer has opted to receive 88 bottles of Cask No. 3 yearly over 5 years, thus suggesting 440 bottles in total. The quick math, that comes to approx $43,636 and change per bottle. Approaching $1,800 per ounce, based on 750ml per bottle.
Ardbeg Distillery, est 1815, was hit with financial turbulence in the 1970’s and 80’s (like many global whisk(e)y companies) and was purchased by Glenmorangie Distillery in 1997. If I had to guess, I’d say they are quite pleased now with their acquisition. They are reportedly donating $1M to local community causes.