Japanese spirits company The House of Suntory just revealed the ultimate liquor shelf flex: 55-year-old whisky, which will set you back $60,000.
Yamazaki 55 was initially limited to a 100-bottle release in Japan in 2020, but is reaching other markets this month, including the U.S..
According to the company, “Yamazaki 55 is a blend of precious single malts featuring components distilled in 1960 under the supervision of Suntory’s founder Shinjiro Torii and then aged in Mizunara [Japanese white oak] casks.”
The spirits were then distilled again in 1961 and 1964, and aged again in American white oak casks. And now, generations later, the same blended spirit can be had — if you’ve got the dough.
The spirit boasts “a deep amber color; robust aroma redolent of sandal wood and well-ripened fruit; sweet, slightly bitter and woody palate; and slightly bitter yet sweet and rich finish,” according to the company.
Fifth-generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo said, “I used as inspiration the passage of time and ‘Wabi-sabi’ — the Japanese belief that imperfections can help to ultimately contribute to perfection… I consider Yamazaki 55 to be more like a Buddhist statue: calm and mysterious, requiring time to truly enjoy the inner beauty.”
But with a suggested retail price of $60k, you also get some flash: Yamazaki 55 comes in a crystal bottle decorated with sandblasted calligraphy and real gold dust and lacquer on the age marking.
The spirit is wrapped in handmade refinements, including handmade Japanese paper, bound with traditional cord from Kyoto, and comes in a custom-made lacquered box.