7th March, 2014 by Becky Paskin

Online retailer Master of Malt has bottled a 60 Year Old Speyside single malt whisky for its Secret Bottlings series, which is available for under £1,000.

The whisky, from an unnamed distillery, joins the retailer’s 30-, 40- and 50-year old bottlings already available in the series.

Priced at £999.95 for a 700ml bottle, the expression is markedly less expensive than others available of the same age. A decanter of John Walker & Sons Diamond Jubilee, a 60-year-old whisky that was released last summer, retailed for £100,000. Of course, like many luxury, aged releases, much of the expression’s value was tied up in the handcrafted packaging.

“By not revealing the name of the famous distillery at which it was produced, we’re able to offer a whisky of unbelievable quality at a mere fraction of the price that would otherwise be possible,” the group said.

The expression is presented in relatively humble packaging to keep the retail price low. But for those that can’t stretch their budget to £1,000, Master of Malt has also bottled a series of 30ml samples for £52.93 each.

Master of Malt describes its 60 Year Old Speyside (First Edition), which is bottled at 42.2% abv, as delivering nutmeg, cocoa butter and raisin on the nose, with tropical fruit and chocolate notes on the palate with a tobacco, molasses and dried herb finish.

The price charged for aged Scotch whisky has steadily soared over recent years as demand increases but stocks diminish.

“Globally there’s not enough old and rare stock to fulfil the demand there is,” said Bob Dalrymple, ‎global marketing controller at Whyte & Mackay, in an interview with The Spirits Business last December.

“That suggests both rarity and value will increase in the future. We have more whisky sitting above £100 than below, and that’s only going to continue.”