One of
Glenfiddich’s rarest Scotch whiskies
fetches £46,850 at auction and breaks
world record.
 The first bottle of the
Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve
– one of the rarest single malt Scotch
whiskies ever distilled by Glenfiddich –
set records last week as the most
expensive bottle of whisky ever sold at
auction when it reached £46,850.
Only 11 bottles of the 55 year old
single malt Scotch whisky will ever be
released to the public to honour Janet
Sheed Roberts, the granddaughter of
William Grant – founder of the
Glenfiddich distillery. Mrs Roberts
celebrated her 110th birthday in August
2011 and is the oldest living person in
Scotland.
The prestigious whisky auction – held at
Bonhams in Edinburgh – garnered interest
from around the world, with the final
auction price of £46,850 breaking the
world record for the most expensive
single malt Scotch whisky sold at
auction. The previous record sale was
for £29,400. All proceeds from this
auction were donated to international
charity WaterAid. As the only distillery
to use a single source of water – the
Robbie Dhu spring - throughout the
distilling process, Glenfiddich
partnered with a charity which seeks to
ensure everyone has access to safe and
clean water and sanitation.
Peter Gordon, Glenfiddich chairman and
great-nephew of Janet Roberts,
commented; “We’re thrilled the sale of
this very special whisky raised such a
significant amount of money for WaterAid.
The Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts
Reserve is one of the rarest and most
precious whiskies we have ever made.
It’s a truly remarkable liquid, which
would be impossible to make without the
purity of Robbie Dhu spring water. It
seems fitting to use our most special
whisky to raise money for such a special
charity.”
Martin Green, of Bonhams Edinburgh,
said: “This is the most valuable whisky
we have ever auctioned here in Edinburgh
and we’re thrilled to have helped raised
such a significant amount of money for
WaterAid. The Glenfiddich Janet Sheed
Roberts Reserve is certainly worth every
penny it raised at auction – the whisky
is of the highest standard, as is the
outstanding craftsmanship which has gone
into producing the stunning packaging.
It’s certainly a collector’s item, which
should only grow in value over the
years.”
The Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts
Reserve is an exceptional 55 year old
single malt Scotch whisky, with stunning
packaging inspired by some of Janet
Roberts’ favourite personal items and
carefully and intricately designed by
some of the United Kingdom’s finest
craftspeople:
- Brodie Nairn of Glasstorm, who
carefully created the hand-blown
bottles
- Fattorini’s individually hand
pressed each bottle stopper with
Janet Roberts’ initials, monogrammed
in gold on an aquamarine Cloisonné
medallion
- The bottle is encased in a
luxurious leather box fabricated by
Geoffrey Parker Games, which was
inspired by Janet Roberts’ leather
travel trunk, complete with a
Scottish deer horn toggle and lined
with a bespoke patterned silk
In addition, Alison Watt OBE –
who, in 2006 was appointed Associate
Artist to The National Gallery in
London and participated in
Glenfiddich’s Artists in Residence
programme – has painted an exclusive
artwork to commemorate this special
anniversary, a hand-made limited
edition original print, signed by
the artist, which accompanies each
bottle.
The exquisite 55 year old single
malt is pale gold in colour, the hue
of autumn barley. On the nose it is
light and delicate with aromas of
soft orange blossom and delicate
violets intermingling with notes of
toasted almonds and the subtlest
whiff of smoke. A perfect harmony of
fruit and floral aromas, it has a
surprisingly light touch of oak,
incredible for a whisky that has
spent so long in European wood.
To taste, creamy vanilla and a
gentle smokiness are beautifully
counterbalanced with some sweeter
oak notes. Immediately after
tasting, the finish is slightly dry
but grows with time to become
extremely long, lively and sweet.
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