Business bigwigs savor world’s most expensive whiskies

MANILA, Philippines - It was a rare night to remember when the country’s most notable taipans and business moguls, spearheaded by Alliance Global Group, Inc.’s chairman Dr. Andrew Tan, gathered together to celebrate the taste of some of the most revered Scotch whiskies in the world, including the expensive single-malt whisky, The Dalmore Constellation 1973. This exclusive and rare whisky appreciation was held on July 20 inside the six-star Maxims Hotel in Resorts World Manila, Newport City.

The Dalmore’s master distiller Richard Paterson led the Philippines’ first-ever whisky dinner, flying in all the way from Scotland to meet with Manila’s who’s who. The event was held at Impressions inside Maxims Hotel, the official home of The Dalmore in the Philippines.

Dr. Tan and son Kevin Tan personally invited around 50 tycoons and business bigwigs — all whisky lovers and connoisseurs — to the event. Dr. Tan’s table included fellow tycoons Ayala Corp.’s Fernando Zobel de Ayala; SM’s Hans Sy and Harley Sy; JG Summit’s Lance Gokongwei; Metrobank’s Alfred Ty; Steniel Manufacturing Corp. chairman and Araneta Properties, Inc. independent director Atty. Perry Pe (husband of Robina Gokongwei-Pe); PAGCOR chairman Cristino Naguiat Jr.; Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras; Romy Mercado and businessman Richard Joseph “Dodo” Dee (husband of Viel Aquino).

The five-course dinner, prepared by executive chef Cyrille Soenen, was paired with the following Dalmore expressions: The Dalmore 15 YO, The Dalmore King Alexander III, The Dalmore 25 YO, and The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve.

The highlight was when tycoons and VVIPs shared The Dalmore Constellation 1973, a rare Dalmore Expression aged 38 years in an American oak barrel, which costs P1.3 million per bottle. Only 200 bottles of The Dalmore Constellation are produced every year for the 1973 Expression. Each shot of this world-famous whisky costs P52,000. 

The Dalmore is a contemporary British luxury brand owned by Whyte & Mackay, unsurpassed in prominence, quality and rooted in heritage.  Last year, a bottle of The Dalmore Brilliance, a one-of-a-kind 1926 single-malt whisky, set a world record when it sold for 250,000 euros or nearly P15 million, in a liquor sale at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.  It is considered the highest-value sale of an individual liquor globally.

Whyte & Mackay also holds one of the world’s largest aged whisky inventories. The group has a production capacity of 50 million liters of alcohol per annum with five distilleries and one bottling plant in Scotland.  Whyte & Mackay produces a wide range of products sold in more than 50 countries, mainly in Europe and North America.  It also has a strong presence in the global travel retail space.

Last year, Emperador Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary, Emperador UK Limited, fully acquired the Whyte & Mackay Group Limited and its subsidiaries. Whyte & Mackay is the fifth largest maker of Scotch whisky in the world with a history of over 160 years, and owns some of the most iconic Scotch brands in the industry, including The Dalmore brand.