Types

• In 2005, the most expensive bottle of scotch in the world was sold at Pennyhill Park Hotel in Surrey. The bottle, which retailed for $58,000, was sold from a private collection of only 12 produced in 1943 and bought by hotel guests to share after dinner. The other 11 bottles are still available for sale.

Expert Insight

• Scotch is notorious for selling in auctions at very high prices. Most of the bottles are either from private collections or antique (pre-WWII). A good example was the Kildermorie bottle sold for $40,000 in Glasgow, and the 1926 Macallan Scotch sold for $54,000 at Christie's in New York City. The single malt scotch has been produced in Scotland for over a century and a half, although some editions (like the 1926) are not longer in production. The 1930 line, however, is still available and can be bought for $10,125 a bottle.

Considerations

• For a scotch you can actually afford, you need to look at those under $1,000. A good example is the Springbank, which costs $700 and is a single malt that has matured for at least 30 years. The 1973 Auchentoshan is another great example. It sells for $600 and is highly respected among critics because of its zesty fruitiness. The Midleton Very Rare, sold exclusively in Ireland, is a steal at $139 a bottle and a great introduction to expensive scotch for those who cannot afford more.

Types

• When it comes to scotch, there are some common characteristics that the most expensive bottles share. For starters, most of them are single malt, which means only malted barley from a single distillery is used as the ingredient. Age is another factor, with bottles more than 30 years old reaching the highest prices. Whiskeys that are not easily available or are only sold through certain retailers or in certain places are also more expensive.

Identification

• The most expensive blended scotch in the world is the Chivas Regal Royal Salute, which sells for $10,000 a bottle and is at least 50 years old. Made in limited quantities, it has a mixed flavor with notes of citrus and apricot.