It’s unbelievable to think that barley grains fermented and distilled, then sealed in wooden casks for decades, could become one of the world’s most expensive drinks. The traditions of Scotch whiskey stretch back hundreds of years and continue to define class and gentlemanly (and gentlewomanly) charm.
Cheap Scotch is still Scotch but the real deal, the bottles stored by expert flavor craftsmen and curated for a perfect palette, are some of the most desirable luxury collector’s items in the world.
Keep reading for a breakdown of the 8 most expensive bottles of Scotch whiskey you can buy.
- The Singleton of Dufftown
- Glenfiddich Speyside Single Malt Whiskey
- Balvenie Speyside Single Malt Scotch
- Black Bowmore 1964 The Last Cask Islay Single Malt Scotch
- Dalmore – Candela 50-Year-Old Scotch
- 72-Year-Old Macallan Lalique Genesis
- The Macallan Lalique Single Malt Scotch Whiskey
- The Macallan 1926
Brand: The Singleton
Age: 54 years
photo source: Reservebar
We’re starting the list with a single malt whiskey in the Paragon of Time series called The Singleton of Dufftown. This is the brand’s rarest, most full-bodied whiskey and brings their tradition of methodical whiskey-making to bear on the wallets of modern collectors.
Coming in at $45,000 per bottle, this whiskey is made from malted barley that the company hand-turned and hand-filled 54 years ago. After going into a luxurious oak butt cask in 1966, the whiskey is now The Singleton’s oldest. They recommend serving the drink neat to appreciate the rich layers of flavor.
Did you know?
The turning or malting process begins with barley immersed in water and then dried in air three separate times, to germinate the grains in temperature-controlled conditions. At The Singleton, the final step on this grain’s journey is to be stored in Pedro-Ximenez designer casks, seasoned with sherry. You may notice that sweet, full flavor in the aftertaste of The Singleton of Dufftown.
Brand: Glenfiddich
Age: 50 years
photo source: Cask Cartel
Glenfiddich released this 50-year-old Speyside single malt whiskey and since then they’ve gotten all kinds of acclaim. As featured in Rolling Stone magazine and US Weekly, this whiskey is smoky, spicy, and distilled straight from the foggy hills of Scotland.
Astute tasters will recognize the perfume that comes off the finish, which lingers for quite a while (good news for people that want their money’s worth). The company sells this bottle for $55,699.99 and if flavor complexity is an indication of value, it might just be worth it.
Did you know?
William Grant founded three Whisky Distilleries in north Dufftown in Scotland. The Glenfiddich one came about in 1886. Uniquely, they not only distill but bottle their own products on-site, putting out over 13 million liters of quality Scotch Whiskey a year.
Brand: The Balvenie Distillery Co.
Age: 50 years
photo source: Cask Cartel
The Balvenie distillery released this Speyside single malt scotch in 2014, after it had been put in the casks 50 years earlier in 1964. Each was matured in a hogshead of European oak. Despite costing $95,199.99 per bottle, the demand for this scotch whiskey is so huge that many stores have to cancel orders once too many come in.
This batch, known as #4570, is special. It was distilled to be sweet and flavorful, with a smell of oak, blossom honey, malt, and vanilla toffee. On your palette, this Scotch has an explosive flavor of sweet toffee, vanilla, oak, and a lingering flavor of assorted spices. It has a long, delicate finish that’s like basking your mouth in warm honey. Only 128 bottles were distilled in cask #4570.
Did you know?
The Balvenie in the Scottish Highlands prides itself in keeping alive the traditions of the “five rare crafts” of making whisky. In recent years, Scotch whiskey production has largely become machine-operated with many advances making the process easier and quicker. The Balvenie rejects all of them in favor of good old-fashioned craftsmanship.
Brand: Bowmore
Age: 50 years
photo source: Cask Cartel
Black Bowmore laid this Scotch to rest in the cask in 1964, making it 50-years-old when it was taken out and bottled in 2014. Bowmore produces this Scotch whiskey on the Isle of Islay, hence the name, which is one of the Inner Hebrides.
The flavor of this whiskey is unbelievable. It has a complex palette of fruits and berries, including black cherry richness and the oily brightness of fresh orange peel. Under that is a heavy current of dessert-like flavors like chocolate, espresso, and the tart tang of passion fruit. The finish is spicy and refreshing.
For that taste, Black Bowmore charges $123,799.99 per bottle.
Did you know?
On the southeasterly shore of Loch Indaal, one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries lays waiting in the hills and fog. And that’s saying something – the Scots have been making this stuff for a long time!
Founded all the way back in 1779, the Black Bowmore distillery, currently owned by Beam Suntory, continues to put out stunning whiskey. They also own the Laphroaig, Glen Garioch, Ardmore, and Auchentoshan distilleries, so you can be sure they know their whiskey.
Brand: Dalmore
Age: 50 years
photo source: Cask Cartel
This 50-year-old scotch from Dalmore is named the Candela. The palette is incredible in every one of the 77 bottles that were distilled. The flavor begins with the alluring scent of ground coffee and chocolate, with a hint of spicy orange peel. American tasters may not recognize the scent of sultanas, which in the states are called “golden raisins.” In Europe, they are popularly used in desserts (and in flavoring this particular scotch).
After you’ve taken that in, the flavor transforms into sweetness – honey, molasses, cherries, madeira, marzipan (which is an almondy dessert), and the caraway herb. Altogether, drinkers note flavors that remind them of butterscotch, toffee, ginger, cake, coffee, amaretto, and melon.
For all that, it’s no wonder they sell it for $150,000 a bottle.
Did you know?
Dalmore is in Alness, Scotland, near Inverness. They named this whiskey “candela” after the measurement, which is the international unit of light intensity. They knew their whiskey would shine.
Brand: Macallan
Age: 72 years
photo source: Cask Cartel
Macallan stored this in its distillery for 72 years before releasing it to the public, so it should come as no surprise that each glass decanter costs $180,000. This 72-year-old Lalique Speyside Single Malt Scotch by Macallan is in what they call their “genesis decanter,” which adds an extra layer of decadence. The whiskey is a celebration not only of scotch but of crystal, architecture, and luxury itself.
The flavor is soft, like vintage oak smoke with some lemon brightness, mellow vanilla tones, the crisp taste of green apple, and a lingering ginger feel. The whiskey tastes thick, sweet, and smokey, like gorgeous wood, citrus, and vanilla.
Did you know?
Macallan is in Craigellachie, Moray, a small village in Scotland between two ancient rivers, the Spey and the Fidditch. Its name means “Rock of Alarm” due to the nearby cliffs.
Brand: Macallan
Age: 57 years
photo source: Frootbat
As you may have noticed, the Macallan distillery is taking over this list. They simply make the most expensive scotch in the world, including this 48.5% single malt 57-year-old whiskey. Macallan remains Scotland’s most acclaimed scotch producer and this $265,000 bottle remains the most expensive you can regularly buy.
They use oak aging to produce their signature full-bodied flavors. Those who have had Macallan scotch whiskey know better than anyone that the best things in life take long to make.
Did you know?
Macallan was founded in 1824. They import their oak sherry casks from Jerez de la Frontera in Spain, though they’ve branched out to include bourbon oak in their latest “Fine Oak” series. When those are 60 years old too, we’ll get back to you.
Brand: Macallan
Age: 160 years
photo source: Sotheby’s
The most expensive Scotch is The Macallan 1926. Simply named for the Macallan distillery, which as we’ve mentioned has won every award and distinction possible, this bottle of scotch was over 160 years old when it was sold in a Sotheby’s auction. It was valued at a maximum of 450,000 GBP, but the Macallan allure is strong as the bottle took in 1,452,000 GBP, or the equivalent of $2.07 million.
This was one of the few unsold bottles left from the mythical cask 263. We’re sure that whoever got it was proud of their purchase.
Did you know?
In addition to being one of only 40 bottles drawn, only 14 were labelled with this particular design, making it even rarer. Other bottles in the collection have also garnered extreme prices, including those hand-painted by Michael Dillon and others released with no label at all.
The Takeaway
The world’s most expensive scotch whiskey can cost millions of dollars per bottle. It represents the epitome of class and elegance in the world of luxury spirits. This is the stuff Dean Martin got famous for pretending to drink, the stuff they serve when movie characters need to take a minute and really think about how handsome and depressed they are.
But even they probably wouldn’t have gone in for these incredible vintage scotches, some of which are over 100 years old. They’re the best of the very best. And they’re priced like it too.
