LUXE Serendipity magazine

By Donna Richardson

There are whiskies that mark an occasion, and then there are whiskies that mark time itself. With the unveiling of its 56 Year Old single malt — the second chapter in its Eternal Collection – The Glenlivet has created something closer to an artefact than a bottle. Limited to just 60 decanters worldwide, this ultra-rare release is not merely to be tasted, but contemplated.

At 56 years of age, the whisky stands as a quiet witness to more than half a century of patience, custodianship, and belief in the long view. The Eternal Collection, launched in 2024, is built on a singular idea: that each release will grow older than the last, forming a lineage of ever-increasing age and rarity. Each edition is paired with an original artwork, transforming the whisky into a dialogue between liquid, landscape, and design.

For this second release, The Glenlivet turned to Fredrikson Stallard, the London-based design studio renowned for its emotionally charged, sculptural works. The result is a dramatic presentation inspired by the rugged beauty of Speyside — the distillery’s ancestral home. Scorched, raw heather branches rise from a cairn-like base, cast in patinated brass, echoing the ancient stone markers once left by Highland clans as symbols of memory and time.

At the sculpture’s heart sits a spherical glass decanter, its form both celestial and grounding, crowned with a 24-carat gold-plated neck and closure. A final flourish of faceted teal glass — The Glenlivet’s signature hue — seals the piece, lending a contemporary glow to an object that feels resolutely timeless.

Yet for all its visual drama, the true marvel lies within.

The whisky itself was nurtured with extraordinary precision. After decades of maturation, The Glenlivet’s cask experts commissioned a one-of-a-kind sherry cask, built in Spain and seasoned with a bespoke blend of Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez, and Palo Cortado wines. The whisky was then finished in Scotland for more than three years — a final, carefully judged chapter in a story that began before many of today’s collectors were born.

On the nose, the 56 Year Old unfolds with remarkable freshness: red apples and stewed plums, lifted by orange zest and deepened by dark chocolate and sticky toffee pudding. Heather honey and roasted hazelnuts follow, grounding the aromatics in the Speyside landscape. The palate is rich yet poised — apricot and spiced apples give way to velvety vanilla, toasted oak, raisins, and a subtle flash of fresh ginger. The finish is long, smooth, and quietly complex, lingering with the confidence of something that has waited decades to speak.

“Crafting a single malt whisky of this age and complexity is a profound privilege,” says Kevin Balmforth, The Glenlivet’s Cask Master. “Every decision must honour not only the liquid, but the time invested in it. This release represents the ultimate expression of that responsibility.”

Collectors have already taken note. Earlier this month, a one-of-one edition of the 56 Year Old — created exclusively for Sotheby’s Finest & Rarest Whisky auction — sold for £75,000, reaffirming The Glenlivet’s place at the pinnacle of prestige Scotch.

Priced at €52,500, the global release is destined for the world’s most discerning collections — not simply as a whisky, but as a marker of endurance, artistry, and belief in the power of patience.

In an era obsessed with immediacy, The Glenlivet’s Eternal Collection offers something quietly radical: a reminder that the most extraordinary things are still worth waiting for.