High-age-statement whiskies are highly sought after by collectors. By virtue of their age, these whiskies are rarer and often more valuable than younger or lower-age-statement spirits. The prestige, investment potential, and rich history tied to these bottles make them the crowning jewels in a whisky collector’s arsenal.
To help you discover some high-age-statement whiskies for your collection, I’ve curated a list of some of my favorite 20 Year Old whiskies available at The Whiskey Wash Shop. From official bottlings to independent releases, scotches to bourbons, and cask finishes to cask strength expressions, these 20 Year Old whiskies will be valuable additions to any collection.
Auchentoshan 1988 20 Year Old Bordeaux Cask Finish
BUY NOW: $676
Auchentoshan Distillery, located in the Lowlands of Scotland near Glasgow, is known for its unique triple distillation process, which sets it apart from most Scottish distilleries that typically distill twice. This extra step creates a lighter, more delicate spirit, making Auchentoshan an excellent canvas for a variety of cask finishes. Established in 1823, the distillery has built a reputation for crafting smooth, approachable single malts with a distinctive Lowland character, often showcasing floral and citrus notes.
The Auchentoshan 1988 20 Year Old Bordeaux Cask Finish is a fine example of the distillery’s innovative approach to whisky maturation. After spending 8 years maturing in ex-bourbon casks, this whisky was finished in Bordeaux wine casks from St. Julien for a further 12 years. Bottled at 52.5% ABV, this limited edition of 1,00 bottles was released in 2008 and is now highly sought after by collectors for its rarity and unique cask finish.
The expression is incredibly rare at auction, having appeared in the UK and Europe just 35 times since its release.
Glenfarclas 20 Year Old Port Pipe
BUY NOW: $847
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Glenfarclas Distillery, one of Scotland’s few remaining family-owned distilleries, is renowned for its rich, sherried single malts and traditional approach to whisky making. Situated in the heart of Speyside, Glenfarclas has been operated by the Grant family since 1865, making it synonymous with continuity and craftsmanship. The distillery prides itself on using direct-fired stills and exclusively maturing its whisky in high-quality European oak casks, predominantly ex-sherry casks, giving their whiskies a signature robust, fruitcake-like character.
The Glenfarclas 20 Year Old Port Pipe bottling is a unique and rare expression from the distillery, diverging from its usual sherry-matured style by employing a Port pipe cask finish. This special release spent two decades maturing, absorbing deep flavors from the Port pipe cask, resulting in a whisky that balances Glenfarclas’ signature rich, malty backbone with luxurious notes of dark berries, dried fruits, and sweet wine tannins. Port cask finishes can lend a deeper ruby hue and an extra layer of complexity, enhancing the whisky’s depth and finish.
The whisky was bottled from a single cask, #1355, into just 600 beautiful Glencairn decanters.
Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 Year Old Pre-2007
BUY NOW: $3,342
You say “rare bourbon”, I think “Pappy Van Winkle”.
Pappy Van Winkle 20-Year-Old Family Reserve is one of the most revered and sought-after bourbons in the world, and this particular bottling, distilled before 1992 at the legendary Stitzel-Weller Distillery, holds a special place in bourbon history.
Stitzel-Weller, which closed in 1992, was renowned for producing some of the finest wheated bourbons, known for their smooth, rich, and complex profiles. Pappy Van Winkle, named after Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr., the distillery’s founder, became an iconic representation of this storied distilling heritage. The expression was eventually bottled at the Buffalo Trace Distillery after the plant began producing the brand in the early 2000s.
This pre-2007 edition of the 20 Year Old Family Reserve is a rare gem, coveted not only for its age but also for its link to Stitzel-Weller’s renowned craftsmanship. Aged for two decades, this bourbon delivers a remarkably smooth yet robust flavor, characterized by deep notes of caramel, vanilla, oak, and dried fruits. The wheated mash bill softens the palate, allowing for a rich, velvety mouthfeel with a long, lingering finish.
In addition, the Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Old Family Reserve gained something of a cult status when 35 three-bottle cases were stolen during the Pappygate scandal in 2013. For bourbon collectors, it doesn’t get better than having a bottle of Pappy on the shelf.
Macallan 1989 20 Year Old Old Malt Cask
BUY NOW: $1,219
The Macallan 1989 Douglas Laing 20-Year-Old 60th Anniversary bottling is a remarkable single malt, released to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Douglas Laing & Co., an independent bottler renowned for the Old Malt Cask series.
Matured for 20 years, this single malt was distilled at The Macallan Distillery in 1989 and bottled in 2009 as part of a limited edition. It had spent more than 10 years finishing in a sherry hogshead. Bottled at 54.3% ABV, this is an extremely rare example of single cask, cask-strength Macallan. Only 199 bottles of this whisky were produced, and only 20 sales have ever been recorded at auction in the UK and Europe.
Douglas Laing & Co., founded in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing, is one of Scotland’s leading independent whisky bottlers. Known for selecting and bottling exceptional single cask and small batch whiskies, Douglas Laing has a reputation for preserving the natural character of each whisky, bottling without coloring or chill-filtration.
Talisker 1981 20 Year Old Cask Strength
BUY NOW: $3,114
The recent news that Diageo is planning to demolish and rebuild Talisker Distillery is bound to encourage whisky collectors to seek out rare Talisker bottlings; whiskies that were distilled at the original distillery.
Located on the rugged and beautiful Isle of Skye, Talisker Distillery stood as the only distillery on the island until the opening of Torabhaig in 2017. Since its founding in 1830, Talisker has developed a dedicated following thanks to its unique maritime profile.
This Talisker whisky was distilled in 1981 and matured on Skye for 20 years before being bottled at cask strength in 2002. It was released as part of Diageo’s Special Releases, which replaced the Rare Malts Selection in the company’s portfolio in 2001. The 2002 Special Releases included high-aged expressions from Port Ellen, Brora, Lagavulin, Dalwhinnie, and Oban.
Whilst the run of bottles was quite high, at 9,000 bottles, the whisky remains fairly elusive on the secondary market. This is bottle number 1,477.
The Diageo Special Releases series is ongoing. You can see the 2024 releases here.
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