Top 10 Rarest Alcohol In the World
#10: Screaming Eagle Wine
When it can take years just to get on the mailing list, a wine’s rarity speaks for itself. Such is the case for Screaming Eagle Winery and Vineyards, which produces somewhere between 500 and 700 cases of wine per year. The estate released its first vintage in 1992, rocking the industry in due course. A bottle of the 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon went for $500,000 at auction in 2000, a hefty price for eight-year-old wine. Considering that wine critic Robert Parker gave it a 99 out of 100, though, you can see why people would cough up big bucks for the vintage stuff. Even though Screaming Eagle hasn’t been around for that long, its taste and exclusivity have made it one of the most sought-after brands among die-hard collectors.
#9: Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve
Bourbon whisky is usually aged for about two years, maybe four tops. When it comes to Pappy Van Winkle, however, the distilling process ranges from 15, to 20, to 23 years. Given how long it takes to achieve that perfect oak taste and caramel aroma, this critically-acclaimed bourbon is something of a holy grail in the whisky world. Some con artists have actually tried capitalizing on the bourbon’s rareness, refilling empty bottles and trying to pass them off as the real deal on eBay. 65 cases of the 20-year-old bourbon were even stolen in 2013. If you want to get your hands on this bourbon the legal way, it’s going to take a lot of research, money, and, above all else, patience.
#8: Old Rip Van Winkle 25
Top 20 Most Dangerous World Records
If you think 23 years is a long distilling process, try finding a bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle 25. This 25-year-old bourbon was first distilled in 1989 at Stitzel-Weller. In 2002, the barrels were transported to Buffalo Trace where they were aged for another 12 years. To prevent the bourbon from aging further, it was preserved in stainless steel tanks in 2014. Only 710 bottles were produced from 11 barrels with the list price set at $1,800 each. If you go through a secondary seller, however, a bottle could cost you somewhere around $15,000. The bottle comes in a handmade wooden box with a metal plaque that reads, “asleep 25 years in the wood.” You’ll also get a lid recycled from the 11 aforementioned barrels.
#7: The Macallan 64 Year Old In Lalique
Top 10 Best Places in the World to Celebrate New Year’s Eve
If you’re lucky, you’ll only end up paying $460,000 for a bottle of this elusive Scotch. For liquor enthusiasts with deep pockets, perhaps you’ll be willing to fork over $625,000 though, which is the price at which some outlets have priced a bottle. In 2010, a winning $16,000 bid was placed at a benefit charity just for a 10 cl taste. There’s a reason why this 25-pound crystal decanter costs more than what some people make in a lifetime. Not only was it distilled for nearly six and a half decades, but only four bottles were ever released. So, no matter how much cash you have to burn, you probably aren’t going to find a bottle of the 64-year Macallan on Craigslist or even on the black market.
#6: Patrón En Lalique: Serie 2
Described as “the second coming” of tequila and crystal mastery, this limited-edition tequila was a collaboration between the Patrón Spirits Company and French glassmaker Lalique. Bringing together the best of both worlds, Patrón En Lalique: Serie 2 was aged in American oak, French oak, and sherry barrels for eight years. With the taste of sweet honey and fruit, the tequila comes complete in an Art Deco decanter and amber crystal stopper. The retail price for this exquisite 750ml bottle sits at a whopping $7,500. A total of 299 bottles were made, making it even more exclusive than the Patrón En Lalique: Serie 1, which produced 500 bottles. If they ever make Serie 3, we imagine it’ll be the rarest bottle yet.
#5: Billionaire Vodka
Top 10 Billionaire Travel Destinations in Summer 2019
You know that you’ve made into the 10-figure club when you have a bottle of Billionaire Vodka in your bar. Okay, contrary to its name, this elite vodka won’t cost you a billion dollars. At $3.7 million, however, you’re unlikely to find a more expensive bottle of booze on the planet. It only makes sense that a bottle with such a high price tag would also be one of the hardest to come by. Obtaining one of these five-liter bottles is a treasure hunt, both literally and figuratively. Not only is the bottle studded with 3,000 diamonds and Swarovski crystals, but the vodka is “gem filtered.” After being filtered the regular way, the vodka is filtered again using actual diamonds.
#4: Glenfiddich 50 Year Old Whisky
The Glenfiddich 50 had a unique release model. Aged for 50 years, this single malt scotch whisky was first bottled in 2009. Only 500 bottles were produced overall with 50 being released globally each year. A decade has passed since the Glenfiddich 50 first hit the market, meaning all 500 bottles have likely found homes. If you somehow manage to track a bottle down, however, you’ll be in store for a divine blend between a 1955 cask and a 1957 cask. In addition to the Scottish silver bottle, you’ll also get a leather box, a companion book, and a signed certificate of authenticity. Just in keep mind that when WatchMojo met with master distiller Ian Millar in 2012, he said a bottle was worth $26,262.73!
#3: Clase Azul Tequila
We guarantee that you’ve never seen a bottle of tequila quite like Clase Azul. The bottle looks less like something you’d find at a liquor store and more like something out of an antique shop. Each bottle was hand sculpted and painted one at a time over a two-week process. So, even after it’s empty, you’ll still have a work of art to put on display. Just as much time and passion goes into the tequila itself, which is made from Tequilana Weber Blue Agave that’s cooked in a brick oven for 72 hours. Clase Azul comes in four varieties: Plata, Reposado, Añejo, and Ultra, each of which is given its own distinctive bottle. If you’re a true tequila enthusiast, good luck collecting them all!
#2: The Last Drop 1971 Blended Scotch Whisky
Top 10 Weird Drinking Traditions Around the World
The Last Drop has gone through a very interesting journey. The scotch whisky was originally distilled in 1971, but it wouldn’t be blended for another 12 years in 1983. A portion of the whisky was then aged nine more years with 11 ex-Oloroso Sherry Butts. While some of this concoction was bottled as a 21-year-old blend, the rest was aged for 24 years in oak barrels. In 2017, this “triple matured” whisky was bottled at long last. In total 1,352 bottles of The Last Drop 1971 have been released. With a reported price tag of over $3,000, we’d suggest that you seek out a bottle now before somebody else drinks the last drop.
#1: Dalmore 62
Dalmore 62 isn’t just a rare bottle of scotch whisky. It’s the stuff of legend. Only 12 bottles have been released and not all of them were made available simultaneously. It’s been said that nine were awarded to VIPs while the remaining three hit the general market. One bottle was purchased for about $29,000 in 2002 and the another went for around $42, 000 in 2005. In 2011, the last known bottle was sold at a Singapore airport for a record-breaking $200,000 (approximately). Aside from being hard to find, part of what makes Dalmore 62 so desirable is the mystery surrounding it. While not much is known about Dalmore 62, it apparently has a spirit that traces back to 1868. We can see why it’s been dubbed “liquid gold.”
