Here Is A List Of The World’s Most Expensive Whiskey Bottles Of All Time

Despite all the doom and gloom reported on sputtering spirits sales these days, for the ultra high end market it seems to be business as usual. Indeed, in the elevated realm of whiskey auctioneering new benchmarks are still being set in 2026. Such was the case this past weekend when Sotheby’s New York hosted its Great American Whiskey Collection.

By the time the hammer dropped on all 319 lots featured in the auction, they had amassed a grand total of $2.5 million, making it the most valuable American whiskey collection ever sold.

“The enthusiasm from bidders was phenomenal, reflecting a global appreciation for American whiskey that continues to grow year after year,” according to Jonny Fowle, global head of spirits for Sotheby’s. “This exceptional auction has propelled Bourbon and Rye into a new stratosphere of desirability.”

Leading the charge on that movement was a single barrel bottling of Old Rip Van Winkle 20 Year Old. Clocking in at 133.4 proof, the 1982 vintage liquid is the highest proof “Pappy” in existence. And though it was projected to hammer at $100,000 on the high end, it ultimately fetched $162,500. It is now the most valuable bottle of American whiskey ever sold at auction.

But where does it place in the pantheon of most expensive whiskies of all time? In honor of the new auction record, we’re taking a look at the priciest bottles from each of the major categories: Scotch, bourbon, rye, Irish and Japanese. It’s all listed out below, along with tasting notes and what makes these liquids so coveted amongst collectors…

Most Expensive Irish Whiskey

The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. — Emerald Isle: $2.8 million

This 30-year-old, triple-distilled Irish single malt is among the rarest liquids on the planet. It spent most of its life maturing in ex-bourbon barrels before receiving a finish in 40-liter PX sherry seasoned casks, resulting in a rich and creamy whiskey, brimming with maple syrup sweetness and tanned leather spice. A total of seven sets were initially released in 2021, each one ensconced in a walnut case that also contains a Fabergé egg crafted specifically for this release, a custom timepiece and a pair of Cohiba cigars. In early 2024, the brand announced that it had sold a bottle to Pennsylvania-based collector Mike Daley for a sum of $2.8 million, making it the most expensive single bottle of whiskey ever sold—a record which still stands two years later. “Irish is the future of whiskey,” said Daley at the time of purchase. “I’m excited to be part of it, as a collector, but most importantly as a drinker.” To wit, sales of super premium Irish whiskey have soared by 2,800% over the past two decades, according to data from the Distilled Spirits Council.

Most Expensive Scotch

The Macallan — 1926 60 Year Old “Valerio Adami”: $2.7 million

The world record for most expensive scotch was set on November 18th, 2023—also at a Sotheby’s auction. Part of the storied distillery’s Fine & Rare collection, this juice was drawn from Cask 263 back in 1986. It is one of just 40 total bottles from that prized cooperage, none of it ever offered at open market. Knowing the precious treasure it had in hand, The Macallan kept it close to the chest, reserving it for the most cherished of private clients. Six decades spent in European oak has imbued the 42.8% ABV scotch with a supremely satisfying core of dark fruit and sticky toffee pudding. But just like with the Emerald Isle, this one’s stratospheric price tag is owed to more than just the liquid itself. It’s one of only a dozen 1926 bottlings decorated in a label designed by celebrated painter Valerio Adami. Before its sale, the bottle was reconditioned at the distillery; that bespoke label was re-adhered and the cork and capsule of the bottle replaced.

Most Expensive Japanese Whisky

The Yamazaki — 55-Year-Old Single Malt: $795,000

Owning over 100 years of heritage, Yamazaki is widely regarded as the grandaddy of Japanese whisky—a category that is now responsible for some of the most sought after collectibles on earth. And this 55-year release remains the oldest and most precious malt the distillery has ever unveiled. It contains components matured in Mizunara casks as well as ex-American oak—all of it distilled in the early 1960s. The unique blend of barrels gives birth to an especially aromatic malt, awash in sage and incense, and arriving on the tongue with gentle threads of ginger and smoked coconut. Lucky fans who were able to secure a bottle at retail, by way of a speciality ballot in 2020, paid just ¥3.3 million (which was equivalent to around $31,000 at the time). In that same year, it hammed at just under $800,000 at a Bonham’s auction in Hong Kong. It remains the highest price ever paid for a Japanese whisky to date.

Most Expensive Bourbon

Old Rip Van Winkle — “Van Winkle Selection”: $162,500

The newest record holder for bourbon—and all of American whiskey, for that matter—took the title from another Old Rip Van Winkle special bottling, which was just set last year. As we already mentioned above, it’s the highest-proof Pappy ever. And it’s, of course, among the rarest, with only 60 hand-numbered bottles ever released. Distilled on December 7th 1982, it didn’t hit the bottle until May of 2003, when it was hand-picked for exclusive bottling by Sam’s Wines & Spirits in Chicago. As with any Pappy bourbon, this one is a “wheater,” holding wheat in its mashbill and encapsulating its rich cinnamon-spiced core in a rounded sweetness.

Most Expensive Rye

LeNell’s Red Hook Rye 23-Year-Old (Barrel #1): $60,000

In yet another auction record set at Sotheby’s, this revered private bottling of rye sold for way above its estimates in spring of 2024. The bottle in question is catnip for collectors of American whiskey—and unobtain-ium for the rest of us. It hails from a now-legendary Brooklyn bottle shop that was carrying speciality whiskies in the early 2000s, years before Pappy-mania enveloped the nation at large. Shop owner LeNell Santa Ana Camacho leveraged a special relationship with the Willett distillery to come away with four barrels, each between 23-24 years in age. All of that liquid—part of an early ‘80s run from Bernheim distillery—entered bottle at cask strength. It’s eminently complex for the category, offering not just the eponymous spice (in spades), but also a curious combination of caramel, roasted coffee, and candied orange. Of the scant stock that remains, you can currently find some listed for $82,000 on secondary sites. But there’s no record of anyone actually purchasing it for that much. Feel free to set your own personal record and we’ll do our part by updating this article, accordingly.