A DIEHARD whisky fan camped out in the November rain for four nights for the chance to spend £17,856 on a single bottle of Scotland’s finest.
Bruce Langereis pitched up in a chilly car park in Vancouver, Canada, for the best part of last week for the chance to bag an ultra-rare bottle of 50-year-old Glenfiddich single malt.
Langereis, a local property developer, finally got through the doors at the rare spirits sale to make his purchase on Saturday morning after a gruelling stakeout that began on Tuesday.
He took one celebratory sip of the pricey liquor – describing its taste as “oh so sweet” – before leaving on a holiday to the Bahamas to warm up after his four days in the Canadian elements.
But now Langereis, who also owns a local hotel and bar, has said he will make the whisky available to his patrons for the astronomical price of £992 a dram.
Speaking outside the sale in the harsh Canadian winter, he reckoned the wait – and the cash – would be worth it.
He said:“The taste, the textures, the sophistication of the fluids. There is a reason that a bottle costs £17,856.”
The catalogue listing for the bottle seemed to agree with him on the sophisticated flavour of the bottle of booze – which is often named in lists of the top-ten most expensive whiskies.
It described the taste: “Fresh barley, freshly peeled grape and honey on the nose, this is perfection; this is nectar.
“A silky delivery: barley with watered down maple syrup.
“The middle is filled with soft, grassy barley and a hint of a smoke spice; a distant puff of peat reek carried off on the speyside winds, then a winding – down of vanillas, dropping through the gears of sweetness until the very last traces are chalky dry.”
After successfully bagging the bottle, he said: “Our mission here was to buy as much of the rare scotches as we could; the whiskys (as well). And we were successful,”
“We got the granddaddy 50-year-old, which is a £17,856 bottle. These types of spirits come out once a year. You’ve got to get them.”
In addition to splashing out on the bottle of Glenfiddich, Langereis also bagged a case of 25-year-old Bunnahabhain – at £198 a bottle – for his hotel bar.
The once-in-a-generation sale of rare and luxury spirits was organised by BC Liquor Stores in Vancouver.
Spokeswoman April Kemick said: “These bottles are exceptionally rare. It was put away 50 years ago so it’s a really exceptional layered flavour for a scotch.
“Some will collect it but there are people who do believe that good whisky should be poured. So some people actually share it with their friends if you can believe it.”
