WINE NEWS:

Three decades after its inception, Glenmorangie Pride 1981 single malt Scotch whisky was unveiled tonight by Head of Distilling & Whisky Creation Dr. Bill Lumsden at the Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, where a happy few were among the first to taste the golden elixir. When the whisky was first distilled and put in American white oak barrels in 1981, the original intent was to produce a fine vintage 18-year-old. But in 1999, Dr. Lumsden was able to obtain Sauternes Barriques from the vineyard of the prestigious Chateau d'Yquem. Lumsden decided to age the whisky for another ten years in these sweet wine barrels. The long-anticipated product was bottled in 2010, and unveiled tonight as part of a four-course whisky pairing dinner at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire.

Glenmorangie Pride 1981 launch dinner at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire in Las Vegas	Brian Cox, Dr. Bill Lumsden, and Marc Hoellinger of Glenmorangie toast with chef Pierre Gagnaire

This ultra-rare release from the famed distiller, owned by Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), is presented in Baccarat crystal decanters designed by France's Laurence Brabant and encased in a mechanical wooden box conceived by Dutchman Wouter Scheublin. Only 1,000 decanters of this limited edition release will be sold worldwide at a suggested price of $3,600.

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(Updated: 04/29/11 BH)