Did you know that whiskey originated more than 1000 years ago when the art of distillation reached Scotland from mainland Europe? Centuries have passed after that, but what has remained unchanged in the genuine love and appreciation people have for this fine beverage.
A whiskey lover will not seek comfort in vodka or even run to beer in despair. He is a loyalist when it comes to his choice of drinks. So, what if it costs a little extra to sustain his love! And, by a little extra, we mean a price range that can scale millions of dollars.
You will surely get a decent bottle of whiskey for $50-$100, and going up to $799 for Laphroaig might feel steep. But, at the end of this list of the five most expensive whiskeys in the world, you will think of Laphroaig as nothing much of a big deal.
So, without further ado, let’s get started!
- Isabella’s Islay ($6.2 million)
With a price tag of $6.2 million, Isabella’s Islay holds the distinction of being one of the most expensive whiskeys in the world. Its name comes from the island of Islay, which is the place of its origin. The brand lets you customize the bottle and write your name over it. But, that is not even the best thing about the bottle of this premium whiskey.
The decanter has 300 rubies and 8,500 diamonds, with white gold for the stopper and English crystal for the peak. As you can guess, the bottle of this single malt scotch alone would cost you millions.
In terms of taste, this 30-year-old, aged scotch surely does not disappoint. The brand uses high-quality grains and rare ingredients to bring to you a simply unmatched taste. As far as high-end whiskeys are concerned, Isabella’s Islay is truly the best that money can buy.
- The Macallan 1926 ($1.5 million)
For a true whiskey connoisseur, money is just the means to get their hands on the most prized bottle of scotch. The Macallan 1926 proves it with its million-dollar price tag.
The Macallan 1926 was sold on 29th November 2018 at the Finest & Rarest Wines & Spirits auction arranged by Christie in London. It was a part of the limited edition series of 24 bottles that graced the auction. The bottles were beautifully designed by expert artists Valerio Adami and Peter Blake.
This rare beverage was bottled in 1986, after being distilled in 1926—the Macallan distillery in Scotland aged this fine whiskey for six decades in their ex-sherry casks. Then, the whiskey was filled in a distinctive bottle that the renowned Irish artist, Michael Dillon, had hand-painted.
The flavors are said to be highly concentrated with a number of aromas that make every sip smell and taste unique.
- The Macallan M ($600,000)
Another ultra-rare whiskey from the brand Macallan, The Macallan M, had an ABV of around 44%, and a single bottle was sold at a Hong Kong auction. It is completely worth the price because that 6-liter bottle is filled with the greatest sophistication in taste and flavor.
The artistically designed bottle is the handiwork of the collaboration between designers Lalique Crystal and Fabien Baron. It took the hard work of seventeen artisans and the beauty of handcrafted crystals to bring you a bottle that spells luxury, just as the beverage inside it. The bottle also has a crystal stopper, and it is kept in a deluxe before delivering.
This intense, single-malt spirit gets aged in special Spanish oak casks for at least seventy years before being bottled. It has a deep raisin flavor, and the fruity overtones can be clearly felt, along with the subtle hints of lemon, cedar, apple, violet, and leather.
- The Macallan 64 Lalique Cire Perdue ($460,000)
Sotheby’s in New York sold The Macallan 64 in 2010, at a whopping price tag of approximately $460,000. This rare beverage had made its place in the Guinness Book of World Records at that time, as the most expensive whiskey in the world. The brand has continuously broken its world records of expensive whiskeys, but you already know that by now.
Macallan 64 is a 64-year-old single malt that comes from the Scottish Speyside distillery. This aged, premium-quality whiskey was made with the blend of the beverages from Spanish oak casks of the years 1942, 1945, and 1946.
It is one of the unique tastes you will ever find in a whiskey. The initial notes of peat smoke, orange peel, cedarwood, cinnamon, and cloves transition into the concentrated flavors of raisin, cocoa, walnuts, and treacle. The floral patterned handcrafted bottle having the inimitable whiskey is truly a novelty item.
- Dalmore 62 ($192,000)
When dalmore 62 was sold for $192,000 at the Singapore Changi Airport, it created history as one of the most expensive whiskeys in the world. This distinctive whiskey has been created from the blend of four single malt whiskeys from the Scottish Highlands, belonging to the years 1868, 1876, 1926, and 1939.
At least a century old, this beverage is unique and exceptional in every possible way. The decanter is as wonderful as the drink inside. It is handcrafted from platinum and crystal. Even the wooden mold used to create the decanter took a hundred hours of hard work to be made.
This brand had released this as a limited edition series with only twelve bottles having different names, which makes this whiskey so coveted among the connoisseurs.
Endnote
So, as you can see, people are ready to spend as much as a car or a house, or both combined, when it comes to getting their hands on the finest whiskey. After all, a premium bottle of whiskey bottle is nothing short of a treasured commodity to a true whiskey connoisseur. And, no price is too high for them to bring home their bottle of luxury.