What to give the Scotch drinker who has everything!
By Steve Kirwan
So, just what do you give the “special” Scotch drinker in your life who has everything? Why, a pagoda, of course. Glenfarclas Distillery (est. 1836, div. of William Grant and Sons) has just released the crowning glory of their Pagoda series whiskies- Pagoda Sapphire Reserve. This 63-year-old Scotch is among the oldest of Glenfarclas stock and priced accordingly. Delivered in a magnificently designed one-of-a-kind Pagoda-kiln-shaped bottle handcrafted by Glencairn Crystal, it’s a fitting tribute to the liquid gold inside.
Initially released in 2016 as a trio of Bronze, Silver, and Gold Pagodas (43 yrs., 49 yrs., and 58 yrs., respectively), The Pagoda series includes whiskeys created before Glenfarclas decommissioned its renowned pagoda kiln in 1972. The set sold for a modest $39,000 (USD). Their Ruby and Sapphire Reserves, 62 and 63 years of age respectively, representing the rarest of the Glenfarclas stock. All five are available in Limited and Collector’s bottle editions of 700ml and Magnum (1.5L) bottles and can be purchased as a complete set for $145,000 directly from Glenfarclas, or as individual bottles from select retailers.
The pagoda theme is a nod to the architectural designs of Charles Doig, an early pioneer in distillery design. In the late 1800s, Doig redesigned ventilators using a Pagoda-shaped roof draw off peat smoke more efficiently. His “Doig Ventilator” system is evident at most of Scotland’s whisky houses, including The Macallan, Glenfiddich, Talisker, The Glenlivet, and, of course, Glenfarclas.