The Macallan may be the frontrunner when it comes to expensive, extremely aged single malts, but Balvenie isn’t far behind. This sister distillery to Glenfiddich, located right next door, has just announced the launch of the first of a three-part whisky collection to be released over the next two years. It’s called the Balvenie Fifty Collection, and we’ve got the details for you.

The Balvenie was founded in 1892 by William Grant, a few years after he founded Glenfiddich, and both distilleries are now owned by the family-run company William Grant & Sons. The Balvenie is the smaller operation, which makes sense as Glenfiddich is one of the best-selling single malt Scotch whiskies in the world, but it has its own character and is popular with many whisky fans. The distillery occasionally carries out its own floor malting, a process in which the barley is allowed to germinate and is then dried to become the malted barley used in the mash for all Scotch whiskies. The entire operation is overseen by Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie, who succeeded David Stewart MBE in 2022 when he retired after 60 years in the whisky industry.

McKechnie selected the cask for this first edition, but it was filled by Stewart and his team half a century ago in 1973. The cask is a refill sherry butt made from European oak, which the distillery says keeps the core character of the Balvenie intact even after 50 years of sherry cask maturation. “The unique characteristics of these rare casks combine to create a truly exceptional experience and set a new benchmark for our contribution to the rare and exceptional whisky market at The Balvenie,” McKechnie said in a statement. “Using a refill butt for the First Edition gives us a distinctive flavour thread that will run through our next two editions, demonstrating the spectrum of flavours and aromas of our aged distillate.”

These next two bottlings will build on the first, as subsequent casks will be blended with the original as follows: in 2025, a 1973-filled American oak cask will be married to the whisky, followed in 2026 by a 1974-filled American oak cask for the third release. This is actually quite a unique way of creating a high-end whisky series, as opposed to simply releasing a series of increasingly older single casks. We were unable to taste this 50-year-old whisky (52.3% ABV), but the official tasting notes describe caramelized fruit, spice, vanilla, ginger and crisp citrus on the palate.

Only 125 bottles of the first edition Balvenie Fifty Collection will be released worldwide, and only 14 of them will come to the U.S. Each bottle comes in a wooden spiral tube with a 14-karat gold shield crafted by Croglin in Cumbria. Collectors beware: The suggested retail price for this whisky is $53,000, and it will surely go for much more than that on the secondary market and at auction. If you’re interested in purchasing a bottle, contact Balvenie directly. And you can buy the rest of the core range, from the classic DoubleWood to the exquisite 30 Year Old, from ReserveBar.