First bottle of 'whisky' matured in casks submerged in Loch Ness sells for over $1,000

The first bottle of "whisky" matured in casks submerged in Scotland's Loch Ness has sold at auction for more than $1,000.

Domhayn, named after the Gaelic word for "deep," was submerged 702 feet beneath the surface of the legendary Scottish freshwater on Valentine's Day, according to news agency SWNS.

The inaugural "Loch Ness edition" bottle, which comes from a 2010 single malt barley spirit with 55.5% alcohol by volume (ABV), recently sold at auction for £850, or about $1,133.

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''We're thrilled that someone out there is now going to have that incredible experience of tasting a spirit that has touched the bottom of Loch Ness," founder James Patterson told SWNS.

Patterson said he hatched the idea while watching swimmers in Loch Ness.

Domhayn founder James Patterson holds the first bottle of "whisky" to be submerged in Loch Ness. (SWNS)

"This is about pushing the boundaries of how we understand spirit maturation," he said. "We know the environment a cask matures in has a huge impact, but no one has explored the application of pressure like this before."

The results, Patterson said, were "astounding."

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"When we retrieved the cask, the difference was undeniable," he said. 

"The spirit had developed a distinctly different aroma and smoothness – something traditional maturation simply couldn't achieve in the same timeframe."

With only six bottles existing, the spirit can't legally be called "whisky" (the Scottish spelling of whiskey) because its submersion in water alters its molecular profile, as SWNS reported.

Domhayn is one of six bottles that were submerged in Loch Ness. Patterson said the goal "was about pushing the boundaries of how we understand spirit maturation." (SWNS)

"Submersion causes the cask to compress and decompress, triggering a unique interaction between the wood and the spirit involving both extraction and absorption," Patterson said. 

"It's a one-off opportunity – each cask can only withstand one dive before the pressure permanently alters it."

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To ensure authenticity and quality, the spirit from each cask undergoes molecular-level analysis by the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oxford.

"The technique measures differences in the compounds found in samples," Patterson said. 

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"The results showed a different molecular composition in the processed samples, providing evidence that our process alters the molecular level profile of the spirits compared to control samples."

"The results showed a different molecular composition in the processed samples, providing evidence that our process alters the molecular level profile of the spirits compared to control samples," Patterson said. (SWNS)

Patterson said he expects "collectors and enthusiasts to be very curious about how this method compares to conventional maturation."

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He said the technique is also being applied to wine, rum and vodka.