The Balvenie 1937 50 Year Old | Rare & Exceptional

Despite the first recorded distillation in Scotland taking place more than 500 years ago, the booming whisky industry as we recognise it today was still in its infancy when Balvenie bottled their first 50 Year Old single malt in 1987.

Even today, fifty year old whiskies aren’t exactly ten-a-penny, but as the popularity of single malt has skyrocketed, so too have the number of distilleries releasing expressions aged for more than half a century. This makes sense when there is no shortage of wealthy enthusiasts prepared to shell out five figure sums for the dram of their dreams, but in the 1980s it was a different story.

Balvenie was established in 1892, just a few years after its sister distillery Glenfiddich, to keep up with the demand for the Grant’s blend. Not heavily marketed as a single malt until the 1990s, it wasn’t exactly a household name when John and Wallace Milroy (of Milroy’s of Soho) visited the distillery in 1987. The story goes that during a tour of the warehouse the brothers spied four casks of 1937 vintage whisky gathering dust, and after sharing a few drams with owner, Peter Grant Gordon, they convinced him to bottle it for them. Between them, the casks yielded approximately five hundred bottles, with the majority being sold by Milroy’s to customers in Japan for around £360. Despite what would have seemed like quite a hefty price tag, the 1937 50 Year Old sold out in next to no time and cemented Balvenie as a major player in the single malt revolution.

Today, very few bottles of this precious liquid remain, and only a handful have every appeared at auction. As such, we’re excited to be able to offer whisky afficionados worldwide the opportunity to bid for this wonderful piece of liquid history (lot 198, estimate £10,000 to £15,000).

McTear’s is the longest-established auctioneer of whisky in the world. Entries are invited for our regular international whisky auctions. For a complimentary, no-obligation valuation, visit our Glasgow Galleries or contact our specialist on 0141 810 2880 or whisky@mctears.co.uk.