Whiskey has some complicated cultural associations. Youthful memories of underage drinking in the high school parking lot may leave a bad taste in the mouth and a queasy feeling in the pit of the stomach. However, those of us who have grown into more refined (and discriminating) tastes have come to appreciate whiskey as one of the most sublime of taste experiences. Probably wine connoisseurs are the only beverage aficionados that rival whiskey enthusiasts in discerning appetites. Great whiskeys deliver a kind of revelation to the palate, which is an experience all its own.
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.
Watch for our article on the most expensive whiskey retail prices, which provides more useful information for the whiskey connoisseur - who'll actually want to drink their purchase. Here, we simply serve the curiosity of those fascinated with momentous occasions. The five most expensive whiskey sales, in ascending order follows. And if you can afford to pay more for a bottle of whiskey than most people pay to buy a house, maybe there's tips for future consideration, here - or maybe not.
5. Glenfiddich 1937 - $20,000
In the great scene from Swingers, Mikey's trying to make an impression, after running through a range of options, finally concludes, "any Glen will do." He'd be happy to know that indeed a Glen does make the top five list. Distilled in 1937 in Glenfiddich's Scottish plant, this lovely whiskey has been allowed to gracefully age. It was bottled in 2001, but only filled up a mere.61 of those bottles. The pricey bottle was bought at a charity auction in New York in 2006.
4. Dalmore 62 Single Highland Malt Scotch Matheson - $58,000
Our number four spot on the list shows a dramatic jump in price for the number five spot. It is nearly three times the price! This Dalmore is noteworthy for its blend of four single malt whiskeys, each of them with diverse distillation dates. A mere 12 bottles were produced. Each one was given a distinctive name. The one that eventually was to claim the #4 spot on our list was named after the Dalmore estate owner, Alexander Matheson. The Matheson was anonymously purchased in 2005. Word on the whiskey-aficionado-street has it that the new owner of this velvety whiskey promptly cracked it open to polish off among some friends. 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
Ah, did you really think that was going to be the only Glenfiddich? Fooled you! Oh, no, Glenfiddich in fact steals the number two spot on our list with a Scotch whisky that has been aging in the barrel since New Year's Eve of 1955. The 15 bottles from this barrel were produced in honor of Janet Sheed Roberts, the granddaughter of Glenfiddich's founder, who in her 110th year pass away. The family is said to have hung onto four of those bottles. The rest are known to have been auctioned. The bottle that puts this floral, fruity whiskey in our second spot was purchased at auction by an Atlanta whiskey connoisseur for $94,000.
1. Macallan 1946 - $460,000
If the price for the second most expensive whiskey bottle ever sold seems in an outer stratosphere, you might want to sit down for this last one. No, that's no typo in the price cited above. This Macallan 1946 did indeed sell for nearly five times the price paid for the runner up. This famous bottle of Macallan in fact provides a illustrative example of the point made above about the uniqueness of circumstances on the occasion of an auction. It is widely acknowledged that some considerable part of this extraordinary price was due to the elegant LaliqueCire Perdue decanter in which the whiskey was sold. There is of course no way of knowing precisely how much the exquisite decanter elevated the sale price. Likewise, when auctions raise money for charity, as was the case in the sale of this Macallan 1946, it is impossible to calculate the potential affect upon price of philanthropic minded buyers who are valuing more than just the whiskey (or even more than just the whiskey and decanter) in what they are willing to pay. So, you can see why auction prices aren't necessarily useful indicators of market value.
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.
Watch for our article on the most expensive whiskey retail prices, which provides more useful information for the whiskey connoisseur - who'll actually want to drink their purchase. Here, we simply serve the curiosity of those fascinated with momentous occasions. The five most expensive whiskey sales, in ascending order follows. And if you can afford to pay more for a bottle of whiskey than most people pay to buy a house, maybe there's tips for future consideration, here - or maybe not.
5. Glenfiddich 1937 - $20,000
In the great scene from Swingers, Mikey's trying to make an impression, after running through a range of options, finally concludes, "any Glen will do." He'd be happy to know that indeed a Glen does make the top five list. Distilled in 1937 in Glenfiddich's Scottish plant, this lovely whiskey has been allowed to gracefully age. It was bottled in 2001, but only filled up a mere.61 of those bottles. The pricey bottle was bought at a charity auction in New York in 2006.
4. Dalmore 62 Single Highland Malt Scotch Matheson - $58,000
Our number four spot on the list shows a dramatic jump in price for the number five spot. It is nearly three times the price! This Dalmore is noteworthy for its blend of four single malt whiskeys, each of them with diverse distillation dates. A mere 12 bottles were produced. Each one was given a distinctive name. The one that eventually was to claim the #4 spot on our list was named after the Dalmore estate owner, Alexander Matheson. The Matheson was anonymously purchased in 2005. Word on the whiskey-aficionado-street has it that the new owner of this velvety whiskey promptly cracked it open to polish off among some friends. 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
Ah, did you really think that was going to be the only Glenfiddich? Fooled you! Oh, no, Glenfiddich in fact steals the number two spot on our list with a Scotch whisky that has been aging in the barrel since New Year's Eve of 1955. The 15 bottles from this barrel were produced in honor of Janet Sheed Roberts, the granddaughter of Glenfiddich's founder, who in her 110th year pass away. The family is said to have hung onto four of those bottles. The rest are known to have been auctioned. The bottle that puts this floral, fruity whiskey in our second spot was purchased at auction by an Atlanta whiskey connoisseur for $94,000.
1. Macallan 1946 - $460,000
If the price for the second most expensive whiskey bottle ever sold seems in an outer stratosphere, you might want to sit down for this last one. No, that's no typo in the price cited above. This Macallan 1946 did indeed sell for nearly five times the price paid for the runner up. This famous bottle of Macallan in fact provides a illustrative example of the point made above about the uniqueness of circumstances on the occasion of an auction. It is widely acknowledged that some considerable part of this extraordinary price was due to the elegant LaliqueCire Perdue decanter in which the whiskey was sold. There is of course no way of knowing precisely how much the exquisite decanter elevated the sale price. Likewise, when auctions raise money for charity, as was the case in the sale of this Macallan 1946, it is impossible to calculate the potential affect upon price of philanthropic minded buyers who are valuing more than just the whiskey (or even more than just the whiskey and decanter) in what they are willing to pay. So, you can see why auction prices aren't necessarily useful indicators of market value.
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 keep up to speed on the hottest trends in up-scale whiskey, read Mickey Jhonny's posts on the Most Expensive Whiskey blog. He's also written a fantastic 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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