Whiskey, as both a cultural icon and palate stimulating experience, runs the gamut from gut rot to one of the most refined drinks money can buy (though it can require a lot of money). Only wine aficionados rival whiskey connoisseurs for their elevated standards and somewhat airy appetites. A great whiskey can be as much a revelation for the taste buds as any wonderful experience.
And such transcendent experiences, alas, can cost a pretty penny. So we answer the question, what is the most expensive whiskey? First we have to distinguish between the standard retail price and the highest price. The highest priced bottles of whiskey ever sold have been sold at auction. Such events are unique moments, embedded in particular circumstances and specific variables, which can never be precisely recreated again. All prices are subject to change, of course, but an auction price is especially volatile as a referent to future prices.
Elsewhere I've provided a list of the most expensive whiskey retail prices. It could be argued that those are the prices of more immediate relevance to the whiskey connoisseur, since they are the ones you'd reliably pay for the most exquisite whiskey experience. There is though nonetheless a kind of vicarious fascination with knowing just how much people have been prepared to pay for a bottle of whiskey. Especially when it's more than most people in the world pay for their house! Below we list from least to most the five most expensive whiskey bottle sales. And as you'll see, the emphasis on "bottle" is not a trivial one.
5. Glenfiddich 1937 - $20,000
In one of the funniest films of the 90s, Swingers, Mike attempts rather awkwardly to make a good impression, ordering a whiskey. He rather importantly notes it mustn't be a blend, and suggests, "Single malt, Glen Livet, Glen Galley...perhaps...any Glen." Well, we're sure that Mikey would be happy to know that indeed a "Glen" made it to the top five. Distilled in 1937 in Glenfiddich's Scottish plant, this is a delightful whiskey which has benefited from being allowed to gracefully age. In 2001 it was bottle, resulting in a product line of a mere 61 bottles. Among those scant 61, the pricey bottle of note for our purposes was bought at a charity auction in New York in 2006.
4. Dalmore 62 Single Highland Malt Scotch Matheson - $58,000
From there the price jumps up rather dramatically - nearly tripling in cost. The Dalmore is blended from four single malt whiskies with diverse dates of distillation. This 1942 distillation only produced a mere 12 bottles. The most expensive of this dozen was named after the Dalmore estate owner, Alexander Matheson. This Matheson bottle was anonymously purchased in 2005. We're happy to report that rumor has it that the new owner of the velvety whiskey wasted no time in cracking it open among some friends and promptly finishing it off. We hope it's true.
3. Macallan 1926 - $75,000
Macallan's first appearance in our top 5 most expensive whiskey bottles sold list comes in at number three. This item is an impressive testament to the Herculean patience of elite whiskey producers. It was distilled in 1926, but wasn't finally bottled until 1986, when a mere 40 bottles were filled. It is notoriously dry and concentrated as a consequence of the complete absence of added water. A South Korean businessman bought the monumentally priced bottle in 2005. I have no news on what he did with it.
2. Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve 1955 - $94,000
Did we fool you? Thought that that whole elaborate Swingers reference meant there was only one "Glen" on the list? Not at all. Glenfiddich, not to be held down to a mere fifth place, runs away with the number two spot on our list. This is a remarkable Scotch whisky that has been barrel aged since New Year's Eve of 1955. The 15 bottles resulting from the distillation were cast in honor of Janet Sheed Roberts, on the occasion of her passing at 110 years old. She was the granddaughter of the Glenfiddich founder and so the family retained four of these heritage bottles. The rest were put up to auction. The specific bottle that wins our runner up spot was purchased by an Atlanta whiskey connoisseur for the mighty impressive sum of $94,000.
1. Macallan 1946 - $460,000
And then there was number one. Yes, you're reading that price correctly. Number one is indeed pushing five times the price of the sale for the second whiskey on the list. This case nicely illustrates the above caveat about the specificity of auction generated prices. Some considerable part of this auction item's appeal was indeed the actual bottle itself. The Macallan 1946 was auctioned off in a stunning LaliqueCire Perdue decanter. It's impossible of course to know with any certainly just what affect the decanter had on the final price of the sale. Additionally, when dealing with a charity auction, as this one was, again the price of the whiskey per se is not directly reflected in what a philanthropic minded buyer might be willing to pay.
For all that, let's take nothing away from the whiskey itself. It is one of Macallan's best, produced with peated malt. It received its eye-popping $460,000 price in an auction during 2010. You might find interesting this Forbes video produced in anticipation of the then upcoming auction.
And such transcendent experiences, alas, can cost a pretty penny. So we answer the question, what is the most expensive whiskey? First we have to distinguish between the standard retail price and the highest price. The highest priced bottles of whiskey ever sold have been sold at auction. Such events are unique moments, embedded in particular circumstances and specific variables, which can never be precisely recreated again. All prices are subject to change, of course, but an auction price is especially volatile as a referent to future prices.
Elsewhere I've provided a list of the most expensive whiskey retail prices. It could be argued that those are the prices of more immediate relevance to the whiskey connoisseur, since they are the ones you'd reliably pay for the most exquisite whiskey experience. There is though nonetheless a kind of vicarious fascination with knowing just how much people have been prepared to pay for a bottle of whiskey. Especially when it's more than most people in the world pay for their house! Below we list from least to most the five most expensive whiskey bottle sales. And as you'll see, the emphasis on "bottle" is not a trivial one.
5. Glenfiddich 1937 - $20,000
In one of the funniest films of the 90s, Swingers, Mike attempts rather awkwardly to make a good impression, ordering a whiskey. He rather importantly notes it mustn't be a blend, and suggests, "Single malt, Glen Livet, Glen Galley...perhaps...any Glen." Well, we're sure that Mikey would be happy to know that indeed a "Glen" made it to the top five. Distilled in 1937 in Glenfiddich's Scottish plant, this is a delightful whiskey which has benefited from being allowed to gracefully age. In 2001 it was bottle, resulting in a product line of a mere 61 bottles. Among those scant 61, the pricey bottle of note for our purposes was bought at a charity auction in New York in 2006.
4. Dalmore 62 Single Highland Malt Scotch Matheson - $58,000
From there the price jumps up rather dramatically - nearly tripling in cost. The Dalmore is blended from four single malt whiskies with diverse dates of distillation. This 1942 distillation only produced a mere 12 bottles. The most expensive of this dozen was named after the Dalmore estate owner, Alexander Matheson. This Matheson bottle was anonymously purchased in 2005. We're happy to report that rumor has it that the new owner of the velvety whiskey wasted no time in cracking it open among some friends and promptly finishing it off. We hope it's true.
3. Macallan 1926 - $75,000
Macallan's first appearance in our top 5 most expensive whiskey bottles sold list comes in at number three. This item is an impressive testament to the Herculean patience of elite whiskey producers. It was distilled in 1926, but wasn't finally bottled until 1986, when a mere 40 bottles were filled. It is notoriously dry and concentrated as a consequence of the complete absence of added water. A South Korean businessman bought the monumentally priced bottle in 2005. I have no news on what he did with it.
2. Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve 1955 - $94,000
Did we fool you? Thought that that whole elaborate Swingers reference meant there was only one "Glen" on the list? Not at all. Glenfiddich, not to be held down to a mere fifth place, runs away with the number two spot on our list. This is a remarkable Scotch whisky that has been barrel aged since New Year's Eve of 1955. The 15 bottles resulting from the distillation were cast in honor of Janet Sheed Roberts, on the occasion of her passing at 110 years old. She was the granddaughter of the Glenfiddich founder and so the family retained four of these heritage bottles. The rest were put up to auction. The specific bottle that wins our runner up spot was purchased by an Atlanta whiskey connoisseur for the mighty impressive sum of $94,000.
1. Macallan 1946 - $460,000
And then there was number one. Yes, you're reading that price correctly. Number one is indeed pushing five times the price of the sale for the second whiskey on the list. This case nicely illustrates the above caveat about the specificity of auction generated prices. Some considerable part of this auction item's appeal was indeed the actual bottle itself. The Macallan 1946 was auctioned off in a stunning LaliqueCire Perdue decanter. It's impossible of course to know with any certainly just what affect the decanter had on the final price of the sale. Additionally, when dealing with a charity auction, as this one was, again the price of the whiskey per se is not directly reflected in what a philanthropic minded buyer might be willing to pay.
For all that, let's take nothing away from the whiskey itself. It is one of Macallan's best, produced with peated malt. It received its eye-popping $460,000 price in an auction during 2010. You might find interesting this Forbes video produced in anticipation of the then upcoming auction.
About the Author:
To stay on top of the rising trends in up-scale whiskey, read Mickey Jhonny's articles on the Most Expensive Whiskey site. He's also written a great article on the role of high end whiskey and other old school charms in the success of the hit TV show Mad Men: The Don Draper Haircut and the Cool of Mad Men
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