Bhakta 50 Year Old Brandy Barrel 18 Rockefeller
Bhakta 50 Year Old Brandy Barrel 18 "Rockefeller" is a 94-proof (47% ABV), 750mL blend of eight historic Armagnac vintages — 1868, 1897, 1939, 1941, 1955, 1963, 1965, and 1970 — finished briefly in a Scotch Islay cask. The youngest spirit in the bottle is 50 years old; the oldest dates to 1868. Drawn from founder Raj Peter Bhakta's single-vintage Armagnac library spanning 1868–1970, it's one of just 38 single barrels in the BHAKTA 50 collection. Order online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA — a once-in-a-lifetime pour for the serious collector.
- ABV: 47% (94 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: Minimum 50 years — eight Armagnac vintages: 1868, 1897, 1939, 1941, 1955, 1963, 1965, 1970
- Finish: Brief finish in a Scotch Islay cask
- Origin: Armagnac, Gascony, France — bottled in France
- Collection: BHAKTA 50 — 38 single barrels; Barrel No. 18 named for John D. Rockefeller
Eight Vintages, One Barrel, a Century and a Half of Armagnac
Raj Peter Bhakta spent years assembling one of the world's great private libraries of vintage Armagnac — single-vintage stocks stretching from 1868 to 1970. The BHAKTA 50 collection marries those vintages barrel by barrel, and Barrel No. 18, "Rockefeller," is among its most storied: it includes spirit distilled in 1897, the year John D. Rockefeller retired from Standard Oil. A brief rest in an Islay Scotch cask adds a whisper of peat smoke to a spirit that predates the modern world. Explore more rare brandy and the Bhakta range.
Tasting Notes
The nose opens on aged leather and smoky cigar lounges. The palate leads with peaty creosote from the Islay cask finish, then softens into floral, almost spicy notes of mulled fruit and roasted nuts. The finish lingers with peat and nutmeg — a combination no other brandy on the shelf can offer.
How to Enjoy
Neat, in a proper nosing glass, at room temperature — this is a spirit to contemplate, not to mix. Pour it after dinner, give it time to open, and let the 1868 vintage do the talking. For the collector, it's as much a historical artifact as a drink.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bhakta 50 brandy?
BHAKTA 50 is a collection of 38 single barrels blending historic Armagnac vintages from founder Raj Peter Bhakta's library. Each barrel combines vintages spanning 1868–1970, with a minimum age of 50 years.
How old is the oldest spirit in Bhakta 50 Barrel 18?
The 1868 vintage — roughly 150+ years old. The youngest of the eight vintages (1970) sets the 50-year minimum age.
What is the difference between Armagnac and cognac?
Both are French grape brandies, but Armagnac comes from Gascony in southwest France and is traditionally single-distilled (often in an alembic still), giving it a fuller, more rustic character than the double-distilled cognacs of the Charente region.
Own a piece of spirits history — order Bhakta 50 Barrel 18 online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego's destination for rare and collectible spirits.