The Ultimate Indulgence: Macallan single-malt Scotch

Why wouldn't you want to pour a rare Macallan single-malt Scotch whisky from Lalique crystal? The distillery has set the bar high with the Lalique Curiously Small Stills decanter, its fourth collaboration with the iconic French crystal house. The vessel name comes from the copper stills at The Macallan distillery's home on the banks of the River Spey -- stills that are evoked in the design of the bottle, from the rivets on the front to the copper stopper at the top.

The small size of The Macallan's stills contributes to the fruity, full-bodied taste and aroma of the Scotch whisky, which was "drawn from five refill sherry butts, made from a mix of Spanish and American oak, and filled on Nov. 9 and 10, 1950," the company says. The Lalique decanter was designed by a team in Paris and crafted in Alsace; up to 15 expert craftsmen worked on each piece. The Macallan and Lalique have partnered on limited-edition decanters since 2005; their Cire Perdue vessel, containing 64-year-old Scotch whisky, fetched $460,000 at Sotheby's in 2010, making it the most expensive scotch ever sold at auction.

Just 400 Curiously Small Stills decanters have been released, and only 72 have come to the United States. They are valued at $20,000; find out more at www.themacal

lan.com and www.lalique.com.

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