Scroll down to see some of the extremely rare whiskies we have been lucky enough to sell.
Welcome to the world of whiskey at Colonial Spirits!
We love whiskey and we’ve got a pretty decent selection – enough to fill well over 200 feet of shelving. There’s a lot to say about all of the single malt scotch we carry and the huge amount of bourbon and rye we have, but sometimes what you find on the shelf isn’t quite the type of thing you are looking for…
There are many sought-after whiskies out there and the best bottles in the world are hard to come by. For those in search of Pappy Van Winkle, Weller, Stagg and the like check out our lottery page. It’s a fair shot at getting one of these bottles at a reasonable price. If you are looking for that rare, collectable bottle or something truly special to celebrate an occasion, our ‘rare whiskies that cost a lot’ are an unusual chance to acquire the bottle of a lifetime, when we are lucky enough to have something in stock.
As the proprietor, my store’s reputation of having fair prices is very important to me. As the title implies, these bottles cost quite a bit. I feel quite lucky to have had these bottles to sell but, as you may imagine, it was much more than luck that got them here.
Bottles can be reserved with a down payment of 25% but must be picked up in store where the balance shall be paid (shipping just isn’t worth the risk). All cancelled orders, for any reason, are subject to a 10% fee. Reservations not picked up within 3 weeks will be considered cancelled. All completed sales are final.
Many of these bottles are difficult to date. Educated guesses have been placed on anything that isn’t holding a date on it already.
Orphan Barrel Set of 6 Limited Edition – $2950
A rare set in a beautiful display case containing 6 limited release bottles from the Orphan Barrel line.
Available for $2950 – a 25% deposit reserves this item for you. In-store pickup only.
Blanton’s – 8 bottle set – $890
Blanton’s is hard enough to come by these days, but 8 bottles that make up the entire set of toppers is a prize. Of course these are full bottles, so you can enjoy 8 delicious bottles of bourbon and mount your collectible toppers or just keep the lineup as a show piece on your bar. The included bottles may or may not be in boxes and are not necessarily from the same barrel and/or dump date. There is no special packaging, just 8 sweet bottles of Blanton’s with all 8 letters (and, yes the two ‘N’s are different).
Available for $890 – a 25% deposit reserves this item for you. In-store pickup only.
Nikka Single Malt Miyagikyo Limited Edition 2019 – $3050
Nikka’s Miyagikyo 2019 ‘Decades’ blend is an extremely rare offering commemorating 50 years of world class distilling and single malt production. 70 bottles were made available to the US market so this is about as rare as it gets.
SOLD – a 25% deposit reserves this item for you. In-store pickup only.
Bourbon Heritage Collection: (I.W. Harper 15yr, W.L. Weller 10yr, Old Charter 13yr, George Dickle 10yr, Old Fitzgerald 12yr) – $2100
A picture is worth a thousand words and this one certainly shows a prestigious line up of bourbon better than I can describe it. As much as the picture is worth, this collection is worth more. Finding just one bottle from this display would be miraculous, but all 5 originals are accounted for with the chained placard that declares them ‘bourbon’.
SOLD – a 25% deposit reserves this item for you. In-store pickup only.
Old Fitzgerald 1849 8yr – $695
This ‘wheated’ bourbon was created in the ‘70s and, as stated on the label, is, “expressly for connoisseurs of fine bourbon”. It’s not clear to me what year this bottle is from, but tax strips went away in 1984, so it is older than that.
SOLD – a 25% deposit reserves this item for you. In-store pickup only.
Collector’s Edition 21yr (from Dowling) – $250
Likely from 1980 (although it’s hard to say for sure) the color on this is quite dark. This is a rarity with a great history in Bourbon making. Some stories and distillery background can be found online but in the end, just like the name on the bottle, it’s a Collector’s piece.
SOLD – a 25% deposit reserves this item for you. In-store pickup only.
Old Rip Van Winkle Rye 12yr – $1995
Any rye from Van Winkle is a prize and this one presents a unique problem… because you know it would be so incredibly delicious to drink but once it’s gone you’ll never see a bottle again. We think that the transition from this package to Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye was in 1998 so this bottle is likely from 1997 or prior.
SOLD – a 25% deposit reserves this item for you. In-store pickup only.
Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13yr – $1895
The replacement for the rarity listed above is surely as delicious. The numbered bottle (1881). It looks like bottles from 1998 came out with no letter in front of the number so, that year is the guess for this bottle. A rare, first release might be difficult to crack open, but you know it will be delicious!
SOLD – a 25% deposit reserves this item for you. In-store pickup only.
Sazerac Rye 18yr Fall 2006 – $495
This rye continues to set the bar for quality. Back in ’06 it is rumored that limited production lead to a small batch bottling of not too many of these. Bottled at 90 proof – here is a link to the letter included in the package from Buffalo Trace.
SOLD – a 25% deposit reserves this item for you. In-store pickup only.
Sazerac Rye 18yr Fall 1981 – Summer 2000 – $1995
This sought after release is apparently quite rare. Individually selected barrels bottled at 90 proof – here is a link to the letter included in the package from Buffalo Trace.
SOLD – a 25% deposit reserves this item for you. In-store pickup only.
AH Hirsch 16yr Gold Foil – $2750
AH Hirsch was, and maybe still is, regarded as the best, rarest and most expensive collector’s bottle out there. History of the brand and stories are all over the web. There is even a book dedicated to this bourbon: The Best Bourbon You’ll Never Taste
SOLD – a 25% deposit reserves this item for you. In-store pickup only.
Pappy Van Winkle 20yr – $1995
As far as Pappy’s go, the 20 yr is generally the best rated of the bunch. This bottle is likely from the 1990s but there’s not much evidence of exactly how old it is. With consistent high ratings these bottles are usually consumed and this one is waiting to be matched with a fine rock glass.
SOLD – a 25% deposit reserves this item for you. In-store pickup only.
Van Winkle Selection 16yr Lot ‘H’ Gold Wax – $3995
If there was a way to make Pappy Van Winkle more rare it would be to find a store’s private barrel selection. The 1978 founder of Europvin, Christopher Cannan somehow had the privilege of selecting his own barrel for his fine shop in Bordeaux. The lot ‘H’ may signify that stocks are from the Hirsch distillery and the bottle does look quite similar to the original Hirsch 15yr offering. This is likely to be 1 of less than 200 bottles produced.
SOLD – a 25% deposit reserves this item for you. In-store pickup only.
Elmer T Lee – Old Bottle Plastic Cap – $495
What a cool bottle of Elmer T Lee. A throwback to when good bourbon was just on the shelves and a plain bottle with a plastic cap was acceptable branding. Elmer T Lee is delicious and quickly becoming yet another Bourbon that you used to be able to get. This bottle is a stand out in any collection.
SOLD – a 25% deposit reserves this item for you. In-store pickup only.
Elijah Craig 18yr Single Barrel 1996 – $295
Bottled in 1996 and as good or better than what bourbon hunters seek today. EC18 is consistently excellent and can actually still be found from time to time. This bottle should be shared with friends!
SOLD – a 25% deposit reserves this item for you. In-store pickup only.
Eagle Rare 17yr 2006 – $495
Eagle Rare’s most delicious bourbon is the rich and flavorful 17yr. This 2006 bottle is probably something that should finally be enjoyed.
SOLD – a 25% deposit reserves this item for you. In-store pickup only.
