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Some whiskies get better with age. Others get better through scarcity. The rarest whiskies in the world belong to the second group, shaped by closed distilleries, single casks and runs of just a dozen bottles or so. And that is why collectors get excited every time talk turns to these whiskies. For collectors, a whisky label painted by a famous artist or a decanter built around a real Aston Martin piston can matter as much as what is inside. So, here is our list of the rarest whiskies in the world, including the Macallan 1926 60-Year-Old Valerio Adami, Yamazaki 55-Year-Old, Karuizawa 52-Year-Old Zodiac Rat, The Emerald Isle, Black Bowmore DB5 1964, The Dalmore 62-Year-Old and Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Chapter One whisky.
Filled in 1926 and bottled 60 years later, this Speyside single malt came from cask 263, which yielded just 40 bottles. Twelve of them carry labels by Italian artist Valerio Adami. The profile of dark fruit, black cherry and antique oak adds to its appeal among collectors.
The Macallan 1926 60-Year-Old Valerio Adami Whisky Price: £2,187,500 (about US$2.7 million), sold at Sotheby’s in November 2023
Bottles made: 40, with 12 carrying Adami labels
Suntory released 100 bottles of Yamazaki 55 in Japan in 2020. It is the distillery’s oldest release, blending malt distilled in 1960 and 1964 and matured in Mizunara and white oak. Expect sandalwood and ripe fruit on the nose.
Yamazaki 55-Year-Old Japanese Single Malt Whisky Price: US$60,000
Bottles made: 100
Karuizawa’s closure left its remaining casks finite. This 1960 single-cask whisky spent 52 years in sherry wood and was released in 2013 as one of 41 bottles. Each carries a netsuke carved from the cask’s own oak.
Karuizawa 52-Year-Old Zodiac Rat Cask #5627 Whisky Price: £363,000 (US$435,273), sold at Sotheby’s in March 2020
Bottles made: 41
Created by The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. with Fabergé, The Emerald Isle is a 30-year-old triple-distilled Irish single malt in a bespoke collector’s set. The Fabergé egg and timepiece make clear that the record price covered the whole presentation, not only the whiskey.
The Emerald Isle Collection Irish Whiskey Price: reportedly US$2.8 million for one set, January 2024
Sets made: 7
This 31-year-old Islay single malt pairs Bowmore’s 1964 spirit with Aston Martin design. Each handcrafted decanter incorporates a genuine DB5 piston. The tasting notes run to tropical fruit, honey and tobacco smoke.
Black Bowmore DB5 1964 Single Malt Scotch Whisk Launch Price: £50,000 recommended retail price (2020)
Bottles made: 27, with 25 offered for sale
Just 12 bottles of The Dalmore 62 were released in 2002. The whisky brings together four vintages distilled in 1868, 1876, 1926 and 1939, and each bottle is individually named.
The Dalmore 62-Year-Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Price: £266,200 per bottle, with two sold at Sotheby’s in 2020 (a distillery auction record)
Bottles made: 12
Distilled in 1974 at Old Midleton, which closed in 1975, this peated single malt opened a six-part collection. It matured for 45 years in a third-fill sherry cask and offers a rare taste of a distillery that can no longer make whisky.
Price: : €48,000, Irish Whiskey Auctions, March 2022.
Bottles made: 48
Note: Whisky prices of the Macallan 1926, Yamazaki 55, Karuizawa 52, Emerald Isleare and others are approximate and listed in their respective international currencies. Actual prices may vary by retailer, bottle size, local taxes, shipping costs and availability across markets.