Where to buy the rarest and most expensive whiskies in Hong Kong – up to US$638,000 – without attending an auction

Any whisky lover will know that Hong Kong is the global hub for live whisky auctions, where reserve prices are surpassed and world records on single bottle sales smashed. Whisky auctions are continuously in the spotlight, but what of the off-the-shelf retail whisky scene in Hong Kong?

Where do the hidden collectors shop, who don’t want to be under the auction world spotlight, or pay the substantial buyer and seller fees? Here are some of the most expensive and rarest whisky bottles found across stores in Hong Kong, so you know where to shop next time you happen to miss, or would rather skip, a whisky auction.

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Glendronach 47 Year-Old Single Cask – HK$68,000 (US$8,700)

A single bottle of the rare Cask 5837 by the Glendronach distillery is currently available in Hong Kong. The prized liquid here spent 47 years in a Pedro Ximénez sherry cask, and was finally bottled in 2016.

One of only 301 bottles, this specific Glendronach has received numerous stellar reviews by international critics. The brand has grown increasingly popular in Asia over the years, as the small batch, dark liquid is greatly sought after by Asian collectors.

Hanyu Ichiro’s Malt Card Series: Queen of Spades – HK$70,000 (US$8,900)

Part of the famed Hanyu Playing Cards series of bottles, which most recently broke a world record at an auction in Hong Kong, the Queen Of Spades is currently available for purchase in Hong Kong.

The “face” playing cards are the rarest in the set – naturally – alongside the monochrome and coloured jokers and the aces. While a full set is near impossible to find, many collectors begin buying the cards one by one, looking at it as a fun ongoing project as they hunt down all 54 bottles.

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Yamazaki 1979 Mizunara Oak Cask – HK$390,000 (US$49,800)

This rare single cask whisky from Suntory’s famed Yamazaki distillery in Japan yielded only 294 bottles at a high 55 per cent strength.

Distilled in 1979, the liquid rested in a cask for 29 years before being bottled in 2008. However, what makes this particular whisky even rarer is the type of cask it matured in. Mizunara Japanese oak is known throughout the whisky industry as one of the hardest types of oak to acquire and harder still to work with.

The casks tend to leak during the first few years of maturation making it necessary to keep refilling the cask. However, with Mizunara maturation, the whisky becomes as Japanese as it gets.

Paired with the Yamazaki’s stellar cask management, this single cask has become one of the most sought after by the loved Suntory distillery.

The Macallan 52-Year-Old – HK$780,000 (US$99,500)

Aged for over half a century, The Macallan 52-Year-Old is one of the most anticipated annual releases by the Scottish distillery. At Liquid Gold’s new Hong Kong store at K11 Musea you can find this and many other rare Scotch and Japanese whiskies at, of course, a premium price.

After all, only 250 bottles were released globally – making it one of the hardest expressions for whisky fanatics to find.

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The Macallan 72 Year-Old – HK$1,200,000 (US$153,000)

Next on the list is the epitome of Scotch whisky collecting, The Macallan 72-Year-Old created in collaboration with Lalique. Over the years The Macallan has grown to become the most collected single malt Scotch whisky and this expression, matured for a minimum of 72 years, stands at the top of collectable Macallan bottlings.

Only 600 bottles were released globally, bottled at 42 per cent. In most cases, to purchase one buyers need to be loyal, long-time Macallan customers, or lucky enough to win the chance to buy one at one of the draws held across Duty Free stores in the UK and other countries.

Karuizawa 1960 52-Year-Old The Dragon – HK$5,000,000 (US$638,000)

The Karuizawa distillery in Japan shut down in the year 2000 due to plummeting whisky consumption in Japan. However, some smart individuals went on to purchase the remaining stock from the distillery, rebrand it, and release it to the world as a luxury whisky. Today, Karuizawa whisky is known as the rarest whisky in the world. After all, it will never be produced again.

Here we have the oldest and rarest of all Karuizawa bottlings, the 1960 52 Year-Old. Only 41 bottles were released, each featuring a unique netsuke (small ornament) that hangs from the bottle. This one features the Dragon. Cask number 5627, bottled at 51.8 per cent ABV – and available at the K11 Musea Liquid Gold Store.

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