Scotch for the price of a Tesla? Macallan has a bottle for you

If you know someone who can put their hands on some rare scotch, it’s probably time to reach out.

Just in time for Wall Street bonus season, Macallan is releasing 250 bottles of 52-year-old single malt, which began the journey to maturation back when Lyndon Johnson was president and the Vietnam War raged. Aged in European oak sherry-seasoned casks from Spain, they carry a suggested retail price of $53 500.

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That’s just about what it would cost you for a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive version of the Tesla Model 3 - in red.

Just a glass of the stuff, which in addition to the brand’s trademark smoothness carries hints of fruit, will likely cost about $1 500, said Nicolas Villalon, a brand education and prestige manager at Macallan. America is set to receive 42 of the bottles, with 13 coming to the Northeast US (mostly New York City), the company said.

Around 35 or so are going to Asia, including 10 headed to China. The UK is getting 14.

“The single malt customer is a global customer at this point,” Villalon said.

But don’t expect to find this scotch at your local liquor store: Bottles this rare generally don’t hit store shelves, Villalon said. You could contact the company, but it’s probably time to start calling around to see who can hook you up.

The release of the rare scotch comes after high-profile auctions of rare bottles of Macallan last year. That included a 60-year-old version, part of a limited edition that was bottled in 1926. It sold at auction for $1.1m in October.