Meet the bottle of whisky that will set you back almost $40,000

Meet the special botte of whisky that you might have to take out a mortgage to buy.

Benromach Distillery from Forres, in the Scottish Highlands, has just launched a rare 50-Years-Old single malt that has been maturing over five decades. 

The special release is presented in "unique hand-crafted glass decanters" created by Glasstorm, one of the UK’s most established hot glass studios.

Benromach’s ethos and dedication to traditional methods - it has a history dating back to 1898 - has "been echoed by Glasstorm", who used a highly skilled ‘battuto’ technique to finish the decanters. This technique is only practiced by master glassmakers and sees the glass sculpted by hand, making each bottle a unique work of art.

Only 248 decanters of this single cask release are available worldwide, retailing at £20,000 (that's just a tad under $40,000 Aussie.

“I’m proud to be distillery manager at a time when we release this exquisite single malt, the epitome of our dedication to create exceptional whiskies by hand,” says distillery manager Keith Cruickshank. 

“Each element of Benromach 50-Years-Old has been crafted by hand using traditional techniques. This includes the decanter, which not only mirrors the spirit in terms of quality but also embodies the passion and meticulous attention to detail that has gone into crafting it.

“It is truly a memorable experience for the team to be able to release this very special whisky; a single malt that has been made by hand and shaped by time.”

I haven't tried the whisky yet. My sample must have been delayed in the post. 

Here are the official tasting notes:

Nose: Smooth citrus peel with hints of strawberry and a touch of smoke. Pineapple notes come to the fore, alongside fruitcake and a dash of lemon sherbet.
Taste: Stewed fruit aromas are complemented by orange zest and a hint of aged leather. Medjool dates and flambeed banana give way to toasted almonds.
Finish: Full and long finish with cracked black pepper and a wisp of smoke.

For more information visit: www.benromach.com

One hundred wines that most of us have no chance of drinking

Here's one for wine lovers with wild ambitions and/or bulging wallets. 

The World's Leading Wine Legends, produced in association with Decanter magazine, take an in-depth look at 100 of the world's iconic bottles of wine. 

But not just the wines - the very best vintages of those wines; which range from Bordeaux to Burgundy, Madeira to South Africa. 

It is a compilation of Decanter's Wine Legends columns that ran from 2013 for almost a decade - focusing on both quality and notoriety. 

French classics are joined by wines from Tuscany and the Maipo Valley, Mendoza to the Hunter. Most were selected by then Decanter editor Amy Wislocki and written by leading wine journalist Stephen Brook. 

Strangely, of the nine Australian wines selected there is no Penfolds Grange, or Henschke Hill of Grace, unarguably our two highest-profile wines. 

Among those that make the grade: Cape Mentelle, Tyrrell's, Clonakilla and Moss Wood - so plenty of basis for debate in the contents. 

Each entry contains a full description of the selected vintage, the winemaker and the winemaking process, with tasting notes from leading experts.

So from a rare 1990 Wendouree Shiraz to an 1862 Borges Terrantez Madeira. prepare to enjoy, vicariously some wines that most of us can never hope to taste, let alone drink. 

The World's Wine Legends in association with Decanter.  Hardie Grant Books. RRP $60. Now published.