Memories of youthful hijinks may serve to remind us that at one end of the spectrum whiskey can be pure gut rot. The refinement and discernment of maturing years, though, reveal that in fact whiskey can be a sublime experience. In fact, wine aficionados are probably the only ones who rival whiskey connoisseurs for their elevated standards and discriminating palates. Drinking a great whiskey is an unforgettable 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 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
After the 1937 Glenfiddich, the price leaps up quite significantly. It in fact nearly triples. The next in our line of price leaders is a Dalmore blended from four single malt whiskeys of diverse distillation dates. This exceptional 1942 distillation produced a very meager 12 bottles. Each was given a unique name. The price leader from this select dozen was named after Alexander Matheson, the Dalmore estate owner. The Matheson bottle was purchased for its striking $58,000 in 2005 by an anonymous buyer. Rumor has it that this anonymous buyer didn't waste any time in opening the bottle to polish it off with a small group of close friends. We only hope it's true.
3. Macallan 1926 - $75,000
Macallan makes its initial appearance on our list of top 5 most expensive whiskey bottles sold in the third spot. Here is an item that illustrates the Job-like patience of superior whiskey distillers. Distilled in 1926 this excellent whiskey was not bottled until 1986. Those 60 years later, the distillation produced only 40 bottles. Of special note, this whiskey is famous for how dry and concentrated it is. This quality is a result of there being no water added to it. In 2005 a South Korean businessman bought the monumentally priced bottle of this remarkable whiskey. Alas, I cannot attest to what he has done 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
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 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
After the 1937 Glenfiddich, the price leaps up quite significantly. It in fact nearly triples. The next in our line of price leaders is a Dalmore blended from four single malt whiskeys of diverse distillation dates. This exceptional 1942 distillation produced a very meager 12 bottles. Each was given a unique name. The price leader from this select dozen was named after Alexander Matheson, the Dalmore estate owner. The Matheson bottle was purchased for its striking $58,000 in 2005 by an anonymous buyer. Rumor has it that this anonymous buyer didn't waste any time in opening the bottle to polish it off with a small group of close friends. We only hope it's true.
3. Macallan 1926 - $75,000
Macallan makes its initial appearance on our list of top 5 most expensive whiskey bottles sold in the third spot. Here is an item that illustrates the Job-like patience of superior whiskey distillers. Distilled in 1926 this excellent whiskey was not bottled until 1986. Those 60 years later, the distillation produced only 40 bottles. Of special note, this whiskey is famous for how dry and concentrated it is. This quality is a result of there being no water added to it. In 2005 a South Korean businessman bought the monumentally priced bottle of this remarkable whiskey. Alas, I cannot attest to what he has done 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
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 up to speed on the hottest trends in up-scale whiskey, read Mickey Jhonny's articles 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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