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10 Most expensive Whiskey in the world

Whiskey is made through a distillation process. It’s made from fermented grains such as wheat, barley, rye, and corn. In America, during the 18^th Century, Pennsylvania residents used whiskey as a preferred currency.

You can generally find a good bottle of whisky at a reasonable price but some bottles have sold for significant amounts. Sometimes considered liquid gold, the bottles of whiskey have sold for thousands and even millions of dollars. Whiskey is priced higher due to its taste, quality, age, and the casks it is matured in.

Below are the ten most expensive whiskeys in the world.

1. Isabella’s Islay Whiskey Comes in a Gold and Diamond Decanter

Barrels of whiskey. Photo by Kurt Liebhaeuser on

For USD 6,200,000, Isabella’s Islay whiskey is the world’s most expensive whiskey. The high price tag is due to the decanter containing the whiskey.

The decanter has white gold, 8,500 diamonds, and 300 rubies. The whiskey itself is one of the finest luxurious scotch whiskey ever made.

2. The Emerald Isle Collection is from the oldest distillery in the world

Fabergé egg. Imperial Coronation Egg, photographed at an exhibition in Rome. Photo by Miguel Hermoso Cuesta/

Created by the Irish Bradley family, the Emerald Isle Collection was sourced using the scarcest and oldest triple distilled whiskey. Placed in a Pedro Ximenez cask, the whiskey is from Bushmil, Ireland.

The collection sold for USD 2 million in February 2021. It came in a box that held seven pieces. These pieces included a bespoke Fabergé Celtic Egg handcrafted from emerald and 18-karat gold and a Cohiba Siglo VI Gran Reserva cigar with a gold-plated cutter. The pieces also included the 30-year-old whiskey and a Faberge 22k gold timepiece.

3. The Macallan 1926 features a hand-painted design by an Irish artist

The old Macallan Distillery. Photo by Anne Burgess/

A 60-year-old bottle of Macallan was sold at a Sotheby’s auction in 2019. Initially distilled in 1926 and sold in cask no. 263 which was its original cask, the whiskey sold for USD 1.9 million.

Part of ‘The Macallan Fine and Rare’ collection, this was the first bottle to include a Michael Dillon hand-painted design. It’s also known as ‘the holy grail of whiskey’.

4. The Macallan Michael Dillon 1926 is one of a kind

This is a 60-year-old whiskey that was released in 1999. It was commissioned by Fortnum & Mason and hand-painted by Michael Dillion, the Irish painter. The art illustrates The Macallan Speyside estate’s cherished Easter Elchies House

The whiskey sold for USD 1.53 million at a Christie’s auction in November 2018. This whiskey also belongs to the well-known cask 263. The bottle is one of a kind due to its design which makes it valuable.

5. Hanyu Ichiro’s Full Card Series is a Japanese Whiskey Made in Scotch Style Malt

Whiskey and playing cards. Photo by dusan jovic on

The 54 bottles in this series, sold for USD 1.53 million. Each of the bottles represents a deck of playing cards including two jokers.

This series is rare as the Hanyu distillery is no longer operational. Founded by Isouji Akuto in 1941, his grandson conserved only 400 casks from the distillery. For each paying card, he taste-tested and selected 54.

In 2020, this collection sold at a Bonhams’s Fine & Rare Wine and Whisky auction in Hong Kong after its release between 2005 and 2014. Previously, the collection was on display in Hong Kong at a Japanese and Scotch whiskey bar.

6. The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 was bottled 60 years after it was distilled

Designed and crafted by pop artist Valerio Adami, there are only 12 in the world. The decanter is placed in a special cabinet. The whiskey last sold at an auction in 2020 and is estimated to have a price of USD 1.1 million.

Richard Gooding, a famous Colorado whiskey collector passed away and his collection was auctioned. Of the remaining 11, one was drunk and another was destroyed in an earthquake.

7. The Macallan Peter Blake 1926 have labels designed by famous artists

The headquarters of auction house Bonhams. Photo by Ewan Munro/

Aged for 60 years in the Speyside distillery until 1986, the Macallan Peter Blake 1926 had a cask seasoned with sherry. Out of the 40 bottled, 24 were dressed in labels by famous artists including Michael Dillon and Valerio Adami.

Two bottles featuring labels by artists sold for over USD 1.1 million. Two were auctioned in blank bottles and one was commissioned to be painted. The 14 remaining were to be offered as part of the Macallan vintage release program.

1993 saw the release of the first 12 bottles. Sir Peter Blake and the Macallan teamed up to design the label making it rare and exclusive. One of the 12 Macallan Peter Blake 1926 60-Year-Old whiskies came up for auction in May 2018. It sold for about USD 1.04 million at Bonhams in Hong Kong.

8. The Macallan Lalique Legacy Collection contains whiskey aged up to 65 years

Sotheby in Hong Kong. Photo by Ewymenfeta/

Lalique, the French glassmaker and, jeweler designed the Macallan Lalique Legacy Collection. The set of six decanters known as the Six Pillars of Odyssey contains some of the rarest Macallan whiskey. These single malt whiskeys are aged from 50 to 65 years.

The six sought-after limited edition decanters are the product of a ten-year collaboration between Lalique and The Macallan and were initially single releases. They are housed in a custom-made ebony cabinet that holds six miniatures and six pairs of Lalique Macallan glasses. During an auction in Sotheby’s, Hong Kong in April 2017, the collection sold for USD 993,000.

9. The Macallan Red Collection features a 78-year-old Macallan

Whiskey in decanter with two glasses. Photo by Victor Hughes on

In 2020, the Macallan Red Collection was auctioned at Sotheby’s in London. The collection features the oldest aged whiskey ever released. It has a 78-year-old and a 74-year-old Macallan.

Usually, a collection sells for about USD 100,000. The Red Collection is however very limited. It differs from the other series due to its rare whiskies. The exclusive labels are illustrated and signed by Javi Anarez, the Spanish artist.

There are only two sets in existence. An Asian collector acquired the collection at an auction for USD 975,756. Proceeds went to City Harvest London and about 2.5 million meals were provided to the needy.

10. The Macallan M is one of the oldest and most expensive in the world

This is a charred oak barrel that Adventurous Stills uses to age whiskey. It is a char level 3 barrel. Photo by Kees08/

The 6-liter bottle of the Macallan M is one of the oldest and most expensive. The decanter was designed and created by 17 crafters and is made of handcrafted crystal.

The Macallan whiskey is aged in Spanish Oak for 25 to more than 75 years. The last bottle was sold at a Hong Kong auction for USD 628,205.