The practice of distilling spirits has been around for thousands of years, but what about the art of harvesting spirits? Some say it can be traced back to the 1400s. Even though we can’t enjoy a 600-year-old bottle, most of us spirits producers are leaning into the premium and ultra-premium trend by releasing their oldest and most impressive spirits to date. Brands such as The Glenlivet in Scotland and Delamain in France have celebrated their 200th anniversaries with rare, small-production artisanal bottles with hefty price tags. The Glenlivet 55-Year Old, the first in The Eternal Collection and the brand’s oldest expression yet, is priced at $55,000. Delamain’s prestigious Grande Champagne cognac, L’Oiseau Rare or “Rare Bird”, was launched last June and comes in a dame-jeanne finish covered in gold and precious stones. The mix comes from many vintages that the former cellarmaster has set aside as “rare birds” throughout his career, and a similar figure is expected to come up at auction this December.

For many of these legacy brands, rare items aren’t just for show; They are symbols of the past, present and future of old souls. “There was a time when $75 was a lot to spend on a bottle, now in the premium space it’s pretty average. Price, more than anything else, determines what’s ultra and what’s premium,” Ben Wald, The Flatiron Room’s head of beverage programming and spirits expert, told the Observer. a says: There are tons of luxury whiskeys that don’t fall under ultra due to their SRP.

Surprisingly, despite the rise in prices, the attitude towards investing in luxury spirits is shifting away from simply collecting and towards consuming. To meet this need, distillers produce a variety of quality bottles, from unusual barrel finishes to long age expressions. Many are widely available, and more are being released every year. Not everyone wants to bid at an auction, and for the connoisseur looking to splurge on a premium bottle without raising the shovel, the good news is that 2024 has brought us plenty of special editions to peruse. Whether you choose to enjoy your bottle on the shelf or in your glass, the year’s most exciting whiskey launches are a good investment either way.