Rob Baedeker
And where to sip them in style
There’s a whisky for every occasion. “A soft malt may be a restorative after a walk,” writes Scotch authority Michael Jackson in the Malt Whisky Companion, and “a heavier, smokier one might be better at bedtime.”
And recent, record-breaking spirits auctions may call for a new category: What is the best Scotch to celebrate (or soothe the nerves) after shelling out tens of thousands of dollars… on a bottle of Scotch?...
And where to sip them in style
There’s a whisky for every occasion. “A soft malt may be a restorative after a walk,” writes Scotch authority Michael Jackson in the Malt Whisky Companion, and “a heavier, smokier one might be better at bedtime.”
And recent, record-breaking spirits auctions may call for a new category: What is the best Scotch to celebrate (or soothe the nerves) after shelling out tens of thousands of dollars… on a bottle of Scotch?...
Rob Baedeker And where to sip them in style There’s a whisky for every occasion. “A soft malt may be a restorative after a walk,” writes Scotch authori... more
UNRANKED
CURRENT SCORE
less stats more stats4.49
Rank (best ever) 7
Score (all time) 4476.00
Created 06/05/08
Views 4426
Votes [disabled]
view list history
1
The Macallan 1926
$75,000
In 2005 a South Korean businessman paid 70 million Korean won (about $75,000) for a 1926 bottle from The Macallan’s "Fine and Rare" range. “The actual purchase took place at the liquor retail store, Interbang, in the upmarket Gangnam area of Seoul," according to a statement from Macallan. "However, the precious bottle was safely stored elsewhere in a safe and only released when full payment was received.”
Skibo Castle, Scotland
Go to The Macallan’s source—the Scottish Highlands—and sip in high style at the Skibo Castle. This grand abode was Andrew Carnegie’s Scotland home and, more recently, hosted Madonna and Guy Ritchie’s wedding. Golf and Highland distilleries—including Macallan’s—are a short drive away.
2
The Dalmore 62 Years
$51,000
If you happen to cross paths with the anonymous buyer of this £25,877.50 ($51,000) bottle, here are Dalmore Master Blender Richard Paterson's suggestions for tasting: Prepare the palate with a cup of warm Colombian coffee and milk; let the noble spirit drift over the tongue; finish with a bitter-chocolate such as Cote d'Or or Godiva. "The combination of coffee, The Dalmore and the bitter chocolate," says Paterson, "will ensure the experience is unforgettable."
Dalmore Distillery, Scotland
Journey to the Northern Highland shores of the Cromarty Firth to visit the 168-year-old Dalmore distillery, and get a taste from the source of this sought-after malt.
3
1937 Glenfiddich
$20,000
In April 2006, a bottle of Glenfiddich Rare Collection 1937 sold at auction in New York for $20,000. The prized liquid hails from a single oak cask that slumbered in a dunnage warehouse at the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland for 64 years before it was bottled in 2001.
d.b.a, New York City
This East Village bar’s extensive whisky list includes a section called “The Crypt”—rare bottles from distilleries that no longer exist.
4
Balvenie Cask 191
$13,000
David Stewart, The Balvenie Malt Master, writes of this 50-year-aged Scotch: "The Balvenie Cask 191 Single Malt Scotch Whisky has a complex nose, intense with toffee, marzipan, sweet oak, raisins and nuts. The depth of flavor is astonishing, developing from butterscotch to clover, honey, liquorice and chocolate—elegantly balanced with drying oak and spice.” Where available, this heady smorgasbord retails for around $13,000 a bottle.
The Hunting Lodge Hotel, Scotland
This family-owned hotel, on the Kintyre peninsula, boasts an impressive range of Scotches and earned a Malt Whisky Bar of the Year award in 2006.
5
Bowmore 1957
$2,300
This special batch of Bowmore was poured into oak casks in 1957. Thirty-eight years later, the company explains, "The spirit was found sitting just above the critical 40% alcoholic volume strength for Scotch Whisky and so [the distillery manager] moved with haste to have the whisky bottled. If he had waited a moment longer, the whisky would have become extinct, and a piece of history wiped out forever." Mark Cassidy, a Scotch specialist at the Whisky Shop in San Francisco, says he believes their bottle of Bowmore 1957, priced at $2,300, is the only one for sale in the western United States.
Albannach, London
A single-malt Mecca in London's Trafalgar Square, Albannach is festooned with stag antlers and a staggering array of fine scotches.
6
Black Bowmore 1964
$6,000
Only 5,812 bottles of this Islay treasure were produced. Today they retail for the price of a good used car. Bowmore describes what that dear price tag delivers: "On the palate, the concentration of flavours is mind boggling. They gently roll over the tongue like waves to the shore." Drop by the Park Avenue Liquor shop and pick up a bottle for a soothing $6,000.
Quaich Bar, Craigellachie Hotel, Scotland
If you’re not ready to commit to the whole bottle of Bowmore, pay by the dram at this charming country-house hotel, near the fabled Malt Whisky Trail, which winds through many of the Highlands' grand distilleries. The Quaich Bar features hundreds of single malts, including the Black Bowmore 1964 second release, which goes for about $544 per 25ml.
7
Bruichladdich 40-year-old
$1,970
Bruichladdich master distiller Jim McEwan writes of the oldest Bruichladdich, “The mouthfeel is succulent soft fudge and exotic yellow fruits with a twist of lime and grapefruit, and is sublimely smooth.” Five hundred bottles exist worldwide, and list at Bruchladdich for £999, or about $1,970.
The Pot Still, Glasgow
This Glasgow pub claims to house “the finest collection of malt whiskies in Scotland.” International visitors come to ogle—and partake of—the bar’s hundreds of single malt offerings.
8
Kinclaith 36-year-old
$415 per 2-ounce pour
This rare single malt was produced at a distillery that was shut down in 1975. At StripSteak in Las Vegas, a dram of Kinclaith goes for $415. StripSteak’s Patric Yumul says the Kinclaith is “oily and perfumey, with a dry, long, hot finish.”
StripSteak, Las Vegas
Michael Mina’s Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino restaurant in Las Vegas recently launched an extensive Scotch program, which features more than 120 single malt selections. In addition to the Kinclaith, other high-end features include the Balvenie 1971 single cask, $150 a pour.
9
Macallan 1928, 50-year-old
$11,900
Martin Green of McTear’s auction house says two bottles of the 50-year-old Macallan have sold recently for £4,400 and £6,000 (or $8,700 and $11,900).
The Brandy Library, New York City
The high-end single malts at this spirits-connoisseur bar include a Ladyburn 1973 ($210 per two ounces) and 1969 Springbank for $123.
10
Ladybank Distillery
$ 4950/membership
Ladybank, located near the Scottish village of Fife, offers part ownership in its distillery to a limited number of members for 50 years (along with 6 bottles of Ladybank’s own Single Malt Scotch during each of those years). But members will have to exercise some patience—after construction is completed later this year or early next, the first batch will be distilled, and ready for pouring about seven years after that. While Ladybank’s price per bottle may not touch some of the others on our list, the singularity does. “We’re pledging exclusivity to our members, and the members are pledging loyalty to our project,” said Ladybank CEO James Thomson, who explains that members will gain a “backstage trip through the entire distillery set-up.” They’ll also be able to offer input on production and drop in to Ladybank’s visitor rooms, dining facility and five-star brew pub.
Kinnaird Estate, Scotland
Thomson says Ladybank will have a “private country club environment,” but accommodations must be had elsewhere. For that he suggests the exclusive Kinnaird Estate, an 18th-century mansion on the banks of the nearby River Tay.
[source: https://www.forbestraveler.com/food-drink/most-expensive-scotches-story.html ]
Not watching this list (get updates on this list).
(all people watching this list)
).
MORE LISTS
Top Ten Outrageous Room Service Dishes
RECOMMENDED LISTS
COMMENTS
