What's the most you have spent on a single bottle?

@newreverie, looks like PHC10th and PVW23 are now going to the top of your most-paid list.

I paid $215 in 2006 for a bottle of Laphroaig 30yo. And I paid $237 in 2007 for a bottle of Lagavulin 21yo. But, the most I have ever paid was around $350 for a bottle of Brora. I was living in Seattle (2009 it was) and I had heard a rumor that the luxury tax on spirits was about to go up. So I pulled the trigger. The following week the new price was $436.95 for the same bottle.

Sadly, it was the 25yo Brora. It was a steep drop in the "Brora" experience from all the 30yo bottles just before (2002-2007) and the "lesser 30yo Broras" after (2009, 2010). I wish I would have sprung for the bottle of 2005 30yo Brora that was still at the BC Liquor store on Cambie Street (and 41st) in Vancouver B. C. a month later for $426.66 CAD (notice the 25yo next to it for $479.79) I still have that picture . . . and the searing regret in my heart. That 2005 bottle is my white whale . . .

If I could taste before I bought I might pay up to $1,000 for a bottle of liquid. But basing my purchases on reviews (even reviewers that I trust on places like Connosr) I would be hard pressed to pay over $250 for something I haven't tried.

@Nock , I'd be all over those bottles (the Laphroaig, the Lagavulin, and the Brora) at those prices like stink on a monkey.

@Ol_Jas Yes, those were the "glory days" of whisk(e)y drinking. I will say that getting my hands on the Laphroaig 30yo and the Lagavulin 21yo were extremely difficult. Thankfully, Washington State was Liquor Controlled at the time. And they were able to get a single bottle of each for me. I remember when I went to pick up the Laphroaig 30yo at the #1 Store in downtown Seattle the manager came out and told me that they didn't have the box for the bottle. She thought it might be the last. Did I still want it? Yes. At $215 (including tax) I knew it was a bargain at the time.

The Lagavulin 21yo was similar. The Malt Maniacs had recently named it their 2008 top award winner for the year. I pounced when I could. And I am glad I did. I still have yet to crack that one. By all accounts it is monster. It is saved for a special occasion . . .

@Nock, you didn't say, "What? NO BOX? Of course I want it, but you need to take 25% off the price." ?

Yes, box or no box, if the price is right, you buy the bottle. A state liquor monopoly is very unlikely to bargain with you compared to a private store. That state monopoly clerk doesn't give a damn whether or not any bottles are sold.

Master of malt just opened 3cl bottle lottery for this years BTAC at £10 for 3cl bit rich for my budget. Debating if it is worth looking at full bottle price later today.

Read through the terms of lottery and seems it is intended to get as much into hands of whisky drinkers as possible they are splitting some allocation down into drams and some full bottles going for sale to lottery winners but their names are going to be written on the labels prior to dispatch to reduce the value for flippers and encourage people to open the bottles. Also going to be an auction with profits to charity price is still out of my range but applaud the idea of defacing the bottle so no longer collectible at least it will should get opened.

@Pete1969, it is interesting to note that the 2016 total BTAC releases exceed the total 2015 BTAC releases by 9,922 bottles. (Detail: + 5,640 WLW, + 1,120 THH, - 1,423 Saz 18, + 3,799 GTS, + 786 ER17). Increased demand makes any supply increases seem non-existent to most interested purchasers.

Interestingly also is that the two 90 proof bottles, Sazerac 18 Rye and Eagle Rare 17 bourbon, are by far in the shortest supply among the five.

@Victor Yes, I believe this years release reflects the general desirability of the different expressions. The WLW far out in demand, the GTS second, and the ER17 in last place.

PS congrats on your bottle of T. H. Handy 2016. Well done.

Entered the lottery chances are so slim I get a bottle will take the flak from the wife if I win the chance to buy one there are very limited number of bottles. 5 bottles of WLW 1 bottle of THH rye 2 GTS 2 Sazerac rye 1 ER 17 Best chance will be the Weller odds will be in excess of 1000/1 at a guess with the others over 5000/1 Do I care if the bottle is marked like this Please note: On the back of of these bottles we'll be adding the message “I, [your lucky winning name], hereby swear not to sell this bottle – but to drink it with my chums. May my taste-buds and olfactory bulb shrivel and die if I should break my word.” Not at all hopefully other retailers will follow suit.

@Pete1969, if you make it over here with that bottle of Four Roses you said you would bring me, I will give you a bottle of Thomas H. Handy, or Van Winkle 10 yo, your choice. :-)

@Victor You can be sure when I get over, there will be a bottle for that trade.

@Nock, perhaps it is the age that makes Saz18 and ER17 more scarce.

@paddockjudge, yes I do think it is the age that is the primary issue of scarcity. Stagg at 15 years is doing pretty well these days, though.

Still kick myself for not picking up some HP25 when it was bottled at cask strength for $180 when I was at a tasting years ago.....

The most I've spent on a bottle is for a Caol Ila 25yr cask strength at just over $200. Still nursing that one... and it's still my favorite.

My favorite Bourbon is my EH Taylor Warehouse C Tornado Surviving. Got it before everyone discovered it, so it's not my most expensive, but probably is my most valuable.

@paddockjudge and @Victor

You are probably both correct. This is the first year for the new "untanked" version of the Saz 18yo from the 80's. So my bet is that this is all they could scrape together from their stocks laid down in 1998. After all, who was interested in rye whiskey in the late 90's? No one.

As to the Eagle Rare 17yo . . . I think they understand the market. It is the least of the BTAC. Perhaps tied with desire for the T.H. Handy. There are those of us out there (@Victor at the top of the heap) eager for more Handy. I can only imagine that most of the juice that might have gone toward ER17yo is now going toward Pappy 20 and 23.

All of the BTAC have finished in the top three WWoftY from Jim Murray in the Bible with the exception of the Eagle Rare 17yo.

GTS: 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2012 Saz: 18 2010 and 2015 Handy: 2011, 2013 and 2014 WLW: 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 Eagle Rare 17yo: 0 Pappy: 0 Ardbeg: 3

That is really astounding when you think about it. Or is just proves the Murray bias for BTAC . . . however you want to process it.

@Nock, well, ER17 is standard rye-bourbon, so it cannot go to Van Winkle. If any of the five were to go to Van Winkle, it would be William Larue Weller.

I am always fascinated by how often people (not you) who disagree with anyone's whisk(e)y 'preference' defame that preference by calling it a "bias". There is a lot in the taste of almost everyone with which I would not agree, but I never call that disagreement "bias". It is a lot like the tendency of many to call people with a will of their own 'stubborn' when what they really mean is that they cannot get them to do what they want them to do.

This 2016 BTAC release is quite interesting for several reasons: 1) first, and most obvious is that Sazerac 18 is a new vatting for the first time in years and there isn't much of it, 2) there is very little Eagle Rare 17 yo again this year, 3) there is a bumper crop of William Larue Weller this year, and it tastes great, 4) George T. Stagg is a much larger batch than last year's smallish batch too, while getting some very lukewarm comparative reviews, and 5) Thomas H. Handy is another large-ish batch, which is expected for a 6 yo whiskey in the company of 12, 15, 17, and 18 yo companions.

@Victor dang you cought me in a huge blunder. You are without a doubt correct that the ER17yo is a rye and not wheat recipe. Hence it could never be used for the Pappy line. And another great point is that the William Larue Weller is in competition with the Pappy line and the W.L. Weller 12yo and OWA107. My understanding is that it is all the same recipe (including yeast strain). So it is just down to cask selection. And there are less and less around for all those lines. No wonder the W. L. Weller 12yo has become scarce. 7 years ago it had one line with one premium expression in the BTAC. Now there are 6 premium expressions beyond the standard 12yo.

And yes, I did use the word "bias" because so many of his detractors throw that around. Personally, I think he has a flavor profile to which he is true. And I love being able to really "read" him. I can tell from his description if I am going to love is 96 point score or hate it.

Granted it has taken over 10 years of reading the man.

For example, his review of the new Ardbeg 21yo tells me straight away I need to avoid it even though I am tempted (and it is still within my grasp for $499). The only review that concerns me is his review of the Ardbeg Dark Cove Committee Release. 90 points? I thought he would have been all over it with a 95 or 96. Oh well.

@Victor how do you get all that info on batch size?

@casualtorture, in this case my one-stop shopping was:

breakingbourbon.com/buffalo-trace-antique-c…

Oh well another year without BTAC :-( Would have broke my previous high at £142.50 for the Stagg but didn't win the lottery at least the wife is happy.