We're a family-run whisky shop in Stamford Bridge, open since 1995, and old and rare whisky is a key focus for us. This collection brings it together: bottles from distilleries that have closed, single casks, old vintages and limited releases. Each listing gives the age, strength and size, plus the cask and the number of bottles where we have them, so you can see what makes it rare. Every customer is treated the same, whether you're buying a £60 bottle or a £60,000 one. Can't see the bottle you want? Ask us and we'll look to source it.
Some of the rarest bottles here come from distilleries that no longer make whisky. Once a distillery closes, the casks left behind are all there will ever be, and every bottling uses some of them up. Two you'll find in the collection now are Caperdonich, a closed Speyside distillery, and Karuizawa, a closed Japanese one. There's more rare Japanese whisky in our Japanese whisky collection.
Single casks and old vintages
A single cask bottling is whisky from one barrel, bottled on its own rather than mixed with others, so there are only as many bottles as that cask held. Many listings here give the cask number, the year it was distilled and the year it was bottled. Macallan's Fine & Rare and Exceptional Single Cask bottlings are good examples, and there are more in our Macallan whisky collection. There are Springbank bottlings here too, and the rest are in our Springbank collection. If you're looking for vintage whisky from a particular decade, start with our 1970s whisky and 1980s whisky.
Independent bottlings and limited releases
Not every rare bottle carries the distillery's own label. Independent bottlers buy casks from distilleries and bottle them themselves, often in small numbers and sometimes at cask strength. Cadenhead's and Gordon & MacPhail are two you'll see here; our Gordon & MacPhail collection has the full range. Further up are the distilleries' own limited releases, where the bottle count is printed on the listing.
Not all collectable whisky is Scotch, either. Alongside rare single malt whisky from Speyside, Islay and the Highlands, you'll find old Japanese whisky and rare American whiskey.
Buying rare whisky from us
When people ask us why a bottle costs so much, the answer is usually that it's a single cask, a limited edition or a collaboration bottle. We'd rather show you the facts than talk it up, which is why each listing gives the age, strength and size, plus the cask and bottle count where we have them. If you'd like to know more about a bottle before you buy, ask us.
We deliver across the UK and worldwide. See our delivery information for the details.
Old and rare whisky FAQs
What makes a whisky rare?
Usually, a supply that can't be replaced. That might be a single cask, a limited edition or a collaboration bottle, whisky from a distillery that has since closed, or an old vintage bottled years ago and never repeated. Once those bottles are gone, there are no more of them.
Where can I buy rare whisky online?
From a specialist who can tell you exactly what you're buying. We've sold whisky from our family-run shop in Stamford Bridge since 1995, and each listing gives the age, strength and size, plus the cask and number of bottles where we have them. We deliver across the UK and worldwide, and if the bottle you want isn't listed, ask us and we'll look to source it.
How do I sell a rare whisky?
Send us the details through our Sell my whisky form. We don't buy bottles outright; we sell them for their owners on consignment. We'll tell you what we think, and if you'd like to sell, we can sell it for you. No obligation either way.
Is rare whisky a good investment?
We don't give investment advice, and we can't tell you what a bottle will be worth in future. What we can tell you is what drives the price today: its age, whether it's a single cask or a limited release, how many bottles were made, whether the distillery is still running, and the condition of the bottle and its box. If you're buying, choose a bottle you'd be happy to own whatever happens to its price.
