Expensive bourbon is an investment. If you’re spending hundreds of dollars on a single bottle of bourbon (or anything, for that matter), it had better be a key stop along your whiskey-drinking journey. For the cost of each one of these bottles, you could easily buy two cases of perfectly good bourbon. That’s 12 bottles of everyday bourbon for sipping and mixing, versus just one.
But today isn’t for prudence. We’re going to be shouting out the unicorns, the mad ones, the bottles you may never see again.
A quick note on prices before we dive in. When whiskey gets this rare and expensive, there’s no hard and fast rule for how much it’s going to cost. Some of these prices are going to vary wildly depending on availability, retailer whims, and where you’re located. Someone is going to comment “Where the hell are you seeing XXX for XXX price????” Here’s the answer in advance: The prices listed are rough averages of the going rates for these bottles online and at retailers.
If any of these bottles feel like a good investment for your whiskey journey, click on their prices to give them a shot yourself. We promise, with each one you’ll be greatly expanding your whiskey palate and knowledge.
Jim Beam Distiller’s Masterpiece
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $200
The Whiskey:
Jim Beam is the best-selling bourbon on the planet. That often translates to everyone who drinks whiskey thinking they know the brand. Well, this high-end expression was released to dispel any pre-conceived notion anyone might have about the $10 white label they see on the shelf in every store in America.
The whiskey in the bottle is an exclusive selection of barrels that were looked after by bourbon legend Fred Noe himself. The bourbon is “extra aged” in very particular spots in the Beam rickhouses. Noe transfers that whiskey into Pedro Ximénez sherry casks for a finishing touch. The juice is then touched with that soft Kentucky limestone water to bring it down to a very manageable 100 proof before it’s bottled in a bespoke and hefty decanter.
Tasting Notes:
The nose feels like a sweet honeyed scotch by way of Kentucky’s woodlands as moments of marzipan, cedar boxes full of dried tobacco, and sweet yet earthy dates roll across your olfactories. The taste highlights Beam’s signature cherry vibe while taking it towards dark chocolate and brandy-filled candy depths, while old leather, spicy plum pudding dripping with rich vanilla cream, and more of that cedar humidor dance on your palate. The end is long, spicy, full of those dates, earthy, and as soft as a silk billowing on a clothesline.
Bottom Line:
This is a really “wow” sip of whiskey. There are whiskeys that cost twice as much as this one (and even more) that don’t quite hit the same subtly silken heights, making this a fantastic bottle to bring you into the world of high-end bourbon while also possibly spoiling you on expensive juice for life.
Jefferson’s Presidential Select 21
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $200
The Whiskey:
Trey Zoeller is one of the most interesting and masterful blenders working in whiskey today. His Jefferson bourbons are also some of the most unique (we’re big fans of their “Aged at Sea” line). This expression feels like the pinnacle of Zoeller’s prowess as a bourbon master. The juice is a marrying of only 15 casks (a truly small batch) that have aged between 21 and 24 years in the same medium-to-heavy charred barrels. Those barrels were vatted and the whiskey was brought down to a very accessible 94 proof before bottled in Jefferson’s signature decanters.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a deep marriage of walnut-crusted buttery toffee with a bark-forward dark spiciness that edges towards whole peppercorns and allspice berries while an almost dark rum molasses sweetens the whole nose. That sweetness translates to a pecan pie with plenty of salted nuts and dark corn syrup with a buttery and flaky pie crust leading back toward those hot and almost bitter spices. The end smoothes out as the creamiest scoop of vanilla ice cream arrives to counterpoint all the spice and nuttiness, leaving you with a sense of pure satisfaction.
Bottom Line:
It’s extremely rare that bourbon over 20 years old is this subtle. The wood is there but presents through the spice and nuttier notes, tempering the whole vibe of this dram. It’s worth it for the age alone but also as a dashing-looking bottle to give some space to on your bar cart.
Widow Jane ‘The Vaults’ Aged 14 Years
ABV: 49.5%
Average Price: $210
The Whiskey:
Widow Jane is one of those brands that rides a pretty big hype train in the whiskey world. The thing is, their releases live up to the hype (once you actually get your hands on a bottle). This very limited released from 2019 is a great example of what smart sourcing and powerful finishing can do. The juice is a minimum of 14-year-old bourbons from Tennessee and Indiana. Those whiskeys are vatted and finished in New York in specially made barrels that were toasted/seasoned for eight long years before being filled with whiskey (barrels are usually toasted for 18 months or so).
Tasting Notes:
You’re drawn in with a medley of honey-roasted walnuts with a salted caramel underbelly mingling with hints of craft-brewed sarsaparilla and methol tobacco. The palate really holds onto the minty tobacco while adding in a gooey brownie feel counterpointed by a bitter lemon edge near the end, leading towards an eggnog spice mix. The finish doesn’t overstay its welcome as the spices amp up and lead towards a vanilla husk woodiness and a slight return to the salted yet sweet nuttiness.
Bottom Line:
This is a phenomenal example of what great sourcing and blending can achieve. The bottle is rare, driving up its price. Still, it’s one of those experiences where you feel like you’re really drinking something special that truly represents the power of the blender’s talent.
Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon
ABV: 66.95% (2020 release)
Average Price: $230
The Whiskey:
Cowboy Bourbon has become Garrison Brother’s signature bottle of whiskey. The juice from Texas is from barrels that are hand-selected for their depth and deliciousness and then aged for a few more years before being small batched. The whiskey is then bottled as-is — with no filtering or cutting — leaving you with the purest essence of what great Texas bourbon can be in every single sip.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a rush of very sharp cinnamon sticks next to a pile of wet cedar shingles and an almost Chinese hot mustard spice and miso edge that’s as baffling as it’s enticing. That spicy/umami nose makes you want to dive into this sip. Once you do, you’re greeted with an apple pie overflowing with walnuts, spices, and syrupy brown sugar encased in a flaky lard pie crust as spicy plum puddings sit next to more cedar and a throughline of caramel. The end turns to velvet as a vanilla tobacco vibe arrives to calm everything down and numb your tongue with a buzz.
Bottom Line:
If you want to experience “complex,” this is the whiskey you pour. There’s so much going on in this dram. But by the end, it all makes this glorious sort of sense and you’ll have your nose and lips back on the glass almost instinctually.
Willett Family Estate Bottled Single Barrel Bourbon
ABV: varies
Average Price: $230
The Whiskey:
Willett has been turning out some iconic whiskeys through Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. This bottle is the family’s Private Barrel Selection of bourbon. The juice is from one barrel that meets the sky-high requirements of taste and depth the family is known for. The bourbon is bottled with no filtering or cutting at barrel strength to highlight the masterful work of the Kulsveen clan, one of Kentucky’s best distilling families.
Tasting Notes:
This going to vary depending on which rare release you come across. Expect a throughline of decadent notes of creamy vanilla, woody spices, and deeply stewed dark fruits with a dose of tobacco chewiness. The taste will luxuriate in the smoothest vanilla custard spiked with dark spices you’ve ever encountered while popping with warm apple fritter flavors alongside salted toffee and walnut. The end is the epitome of “smooth” as it fades slowly away, leaving you warmed to your goddamn soul.
Bottom Line:
This might be the smoothest whiskey on the list (and maybe the smoothest we ever reviewed). This is like drinking the silkiest and most deeply flavored and spiced vanilla milkshake on earth that’s clearly spiked with fruity and nutty bourbon.
Barrell Craft Spirits Bourbon Aged 15 Years
ABV: 52.5% (2020 release)
Average Price: $250
The Whiskey:
Barrell Craft Spirits is another craft blendery that’s sourcing some of the best barrels in the game and expertly marrying those barrels. This expression blends 15-year-old bourbon from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennesse into a final product that reaches new heights for blended bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a lot to draw you in with this nose of rich tobacco spiciness next to soft cedar, tart cherry pie filling, saffron stewed pears, salted toffee, and what almost feels like the salted water left after boiling artichokes (seriously). The fruitiness really builds as the cherry leads towards a bowl full of ripe raspberries swimming in cream with a dusting of dark spices and brown sugar that’s countered by a dose of floral tea leaves culminating with a mildly bitter coffee bean. The end is long and really holds onto the cherry and raspberry fruit while a note of that soft cedar dips back in with a hint of menthol tobacco buzz.
Bottom Line:
This is another bottle that easily outshines bottles twice the price (secondary mark-up wise). It’s interestingly complex while still feeling 100 percent accessible. That makes it sort of an education in that it takes you somewhere new without pushing you away.
Elijah Craig 18 Single Barrel
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $260
The Whiskey:
This old single barrel expression from Heaven Hill is a highlight for both single barrel whiskeys and very old bourbons. The barrel is hand-selected every year to highlight the expert craft behind Heaven Hill’s distilling and warehousing. Taking a sip transports you to those huge white barrel houses sitting in the Kentucky countryside surrounded by acres of corn in a way that few whiskeys do. This is truly an experiential whiskey.
Tasting Notes:
You get a sense of oak with a touch of a rock-hewn cellar next to notes of dark chocolate oranges, mild brown spices, a touch of vanilla cream, and a hint of honey. That vanilla takes on a nutty edge as the spices build and the wood softens towards cedar with a hint of fruity tobacco chew. The vanilla creaminess really drives the finish towards a silken mouthfeel with plenty of spicy/fruity tobacco leaving you with a mild buzz across your senses.
Bottom Line:
This whiskey takes you on a journey! It’s also the sort of journey that you want to take again and again. It’s … well, fun. This is the sort of dram that can actually put a smile on your face (though the price might take that smile away).
Blanton’s Special Reserve
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $280
The Whiskey:
This is a special bottle of Blanton’s Single Barrel. The juice is mellowed in a specific part of the one Buffalo Trace warehouse until it reaches a honeyed texture and taste. The whiskey is then cut with soft limestone water to drink it down to a very accessible 80 proof and bottled in Blanton’s now-iconic bulbous bottle.
Tasting Notes:
This was made for the international market and the U.K. in particular, and that comes through immediately with a clear honeyed and floral nose that leads towards a dry cedar and vanilla husk edge (much like your sweeter scotches). The palate ebbs and flows between the floral honey, burst of lemon oils, rich toffee, and more of that cedar. The end is surprisingly short as it leans away from the wood, honey, flowers, and citrus towards a hint of ground white pepper.
Bottom Line:
This is incredibly easy-to-drink without being simplistic. There’s a subtlety to the complexity that draws you in from the nose and takes you on a journey through the wood and whiskey and then gently leaves you as it fades. It’s also a hard-to-find bottle (in the U.S.) and definitely a conversation starter, especially with bourbon fans.
Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $299
The Whiskey:
Sticking with the Buffalo Trace warehouses, Elmer T. Lee is another hugely popular release that’s very limited (and sought after). Where this differs from the single barrel above is in the mash bill (this is a bit higher rye) and the placing of the barrel in the warehouse. It’s said that the barrels for Elmer T. Lee are stored where the master distiller himself used to store the barrels he kept for his own stash.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this is like a decadent breakfast of pancakes smothered in cinnamon butter, dripping with the best maple syrup, and topped with a hand-made scoop of vanilla ice cream. The palate holds onto the vanilla and spice but settles into more a floral honeyed sweetness with touches of cedar, old library book leather, and a hint of tobacco buzz. The end lingers for a while and leaves you with a dry pear tobacco warmth next to a cinnamon heat and maple bar sweetness.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those bottles from Sazerac that tends to be very hyped (like Pappy, Weller, and E.H. Taylor). But damn if this isn’t delicious. It leans very much towards the dessert side of things with all that maple, vanilla, and honey but in the best and most bourbon-y way possible.
Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 11
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $299
The Whiskey:
This wheated bourbon from Heaven Hill is one of those bottles that just works in every way. The history of the brand ties into that other famous wheated bourbon — Pappy. The whiskeys are released twice yearly with varying ages and flavor profiles, making them fun to collect/try. And then there’s the bottle. The decanter is worth the price almost on its own. It’s a very good-looking bottle to have as the centerpiece of any home bar.
Tasting Notes:
This release goes back to spring 2018 and opens with a nose of cinnamon-laced toffee candy with oily vanilla and walnut shells. The palate settles into a light salted caramel next to the idea of vanilla with warm eggnog spices leading towards almost cherry tobacco. The end is just the right length and holds onto that cherry tobacco buzz while folding in soft cedar, more spice, and a rich and sweet toffee that ends buttery on your tongue.
Bottom Line:
There’s a reason these bottles get so much hype. This bottle 100 percent lives up to the accolades with every single sip. It’s bold-yet-subtle. It’s clearly bourbon yet never overpowering. It’s just really good and, dare we say, worth the hype and money.
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