15 Rare Bourbons To Add To Your Collection (If You Can Find Them)

Stocking your home bar can be a lot of fun, and collecting rare bourbons can be doubly fun. For anyone who loves the thrill of the chase, we've got some thoughts on some of the best bourbons to keep an eye out for.

Sure, there are a lot of cheap bourbons worth buying, but let's talk about the other end of the spectrum now. Let's take a look at some of the rare, the expensive, and the unicorn bottles that you should definitely grab if you happen to find them out in the wild, and the good news is that in some cases, you might have a chance to do precisely that. We're going to include some bottles that you might have to chase down at auction sites, sure, but we're also going to talk about some that you might find on shelves ... if you're very, very lucky.

We'll give you tips on the when and the where, share stories of people who have scored big on some of these bottles, and maybe just give you an advantage in your own collecting. (And if our tips pan out and you do find these? Maybe just buy yourself a lottery ticket, too.)

It's no secret that a lot of bourbon hails from Kentucky, so calling a bourbon King of Kentucky is a pretty big boast. Those lucky enough to get a bottle of the incredibly limited releases of this particular bourbon say that it absolutely lives up to the hype, though, and it's as highly-rated as it is rare and expensive. 

Just how many bottles hit the market varies by the year, but typically there are no more than 4,000 to 5,000. Releases are specially-selected single barrels, thoroughly detailed, hand-numbered, and they've been released annually since Brown-Forman took over the 19th-century label back in 2018. You can expect to drop a few hundred bucks on a bottle if you're lucky enough to find one out in the wild (and into the thousands if you're buying from a reseller), but Reddit users report occasionally finding these on the shelves at Costco. The bad news is that it's all down to luck: Some say they've spent years looking and have yet to find one.

When it comes to the bottles that are respectable options for home bar staples, Buffalo Trace has a lot of great options. There are also some rare bottles here, and let's start with the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Initially starting with just three bottles, a sixth was added in 2025: E.H. Taylor Bottled in Bond Bourbon. That's an addition to a lineup that now includes Eagle Rare 17, George T. Stagg, Sazerac 18, Thomas H. Handy, and William Larue Weller, for a combination of limited-edition bourbons and whiskeys that hits shelves in the fall and presents a pretty neat walk through history. 

Each bottle pays tribute to part of the distillery's past, and it's a must-have for collectors who are interested in history. The Antique Collection tends to sell out quick, so keep an eye out for the release announcements if you're interested in getting this one. 

Similarly, Buffalo Trace also has a Prohibition Collection that brings back Prohibition-era liquors. The first series is still out there, but it'll set you back a few thousand dollars. The second was announced in early 2025, with some Reddit users saying that they scored a set by getting friendly with their neighborhood liquor stores — and getting on email lists for new releases.

Even newcomers to the world of bourbon collecting have heard of Pappy Van Winkle, and it's kind of a strange thing. There are a series of bottles that only date back to 1972, but have an air of mystique about them. These particular bourbons are highly praised by big names — including Anthony Bourdain — and they're named for one of the founding fathers of the industry, Julian Van Winkle. 

It was Van Winkle's son who founded the label, and if you see a bottle, grab it — because let's just talk about how wild the market for these bottles are. On one hand, some Reddit users have posted that they've picked up a bottle of 10-year-old Pappy at Costco for just around $80. When another Reddit users asked for help in finding one for a wedding present, they were directed to a site that was reselling that same bottle for a sale price of $779.99 — down from $899.99, and it was the most affordable Pappy there. A charity-only bottle from 2007 went to auction in 2025 and sold for $125,000, so basically? Keep an eye out.

Old Fitzgerald is another bourbon that lives up to its name, founded back in 1870. It was given status as a medicinal liquor to allow it to survive Prohibition, and in 1999, it was folded into Heaven Hill. Even when it was a newcomer on the scene, it had a reputation for high-quality exclusivity that meant it wasn't even sold to the public until the early 20th century. It, too, has a connection to the legendary Julian Van Winkle, as he's the one who turned it into a wheated bourbon. 

At the time of this writing, the Bottled-in-Bond 10-year-old sells for an average of around $400 a bottle, and other expressions can creep up to around a grand or so ... give or take. Older bottlings sail right back that thousand-dollar mark and keep right on going, and every so often, Reddit users will post some fun pictures of bottles that have been handed down through families. 

Just how long bourbons are aged at the Buffalo Trace Distillery varies based on the bourbon, and that brings us to Eagle Rare 17. The 17 refers to the minimum number of years this one's been aging, and occasionally, it's even older. The 2023 release was just over 19 years old, and while every person is going to have their own opinion on whether or not a bourbon is worth the price, this one, without a doubt, should be grabbed at MSRP. Why? It's limited, rare, hits shelves in the fall for a price point that's usually around $125 a bottle, and easily resells for more than a grand. 

The thing we like about this one is that getting a bottle isn't the unattainable pipe dream. Keep an eye out for release dates, and we have some other suggestions, too. Some Reddit users report that it's appeared on the shelves of Buffalo Trace's gift shop, with others saying they've spotted other rare bottles there, too. Others suggest getting friendly with liquor store staff, and see if they're willing to reserve bottles for you.

Four Roses is another great distillery for home bar staples, and it also puts out an ultra-limited, annual release that gets high praise and has a ton of people scrambling to find bottles when they hit shelves. The Limited Edition Small Batch releases are always different, and have included things like 2018's 130th anniversary bottle, the 2022 release featuring bourbons aged from 14 to 20 years, and a vanilla- and citrus-heavy 2024 release. Generally speaking, the releases are blends; they're completely unique, and in 2024, there were only 16,680 bottles made.

Rare? Yes. Attainable? Absolutely. Releases are generally announced in the fall and hit in September, and if you're ready for a road trip, they're always available at the Four Roses facilities in Kentucky. While the MSRP varies — 2024's was $220, up from the prior year's $199.99 — you can find them being resold for $500 or so (at the time of this writing).

Heaven Hill's Parker's Heritage Collection is named for a very real person: Parker Beam was Jim Beam's grand-nephew, Heaven Hill's Master Distiller, and the creator of Evan Williams. Beam was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease in 2009 and died of complications in 2017, the same year that the 11th bottle in his collection was released. That was an 11-year-old single-barrel bourbon, but it's worth noting that not everything in the collection is a bourbon.

Other years have featured rye whiskey, malt whiskey, and wheat whiskey, but there's also been wheated bourbons, a 27-year-old bourbon, and various barrel-finished offerings. The variety means that there's something for everyone, and some Reddit users count some of these bottles among their wish-upon-a-star sort of finds. Interestingly, some who have tried many of the releases say that even if they're not the type to count a particular style among their favorites, these bottles are always outstanding examples.  Earlier releases are — of course — more difficult to find, with auction prices drifting past the $2,000 mark for some.

Let's put some things in context here, starting with just how many bottles of Michter's 20 hit the open market. First, we'll set the standard here by saying that Maker's Mark produces somewhere around 34 million bottles of bourbon a year, and that's a lot of hand-dipping those famous red wax drips. Now, compare that to Michter's 20, which has — at most — about 700 bottles released every year. Not only is it rare, but it's renowned for being pretty magical, too, a rare aged bourbon that retains flavors that aren't overpowered by the one that we can only describe as "the flavor of that really neat stick your dog found." 

Barrels are carefully curated for this specific release, and even if you happen to find one on the shelf at MSRP, you can expect to pay more than a grand for a bottle. Looking for something from a reseller? Multiply your budget by about 10, and you're getting into the right ballpark. Those fortunate enough to get a bottle say it's among the best of the best, and when bourbon connoisseurs can't quite find the words to describe it, you know it's outstanding.

Black Maple Hill has a fascinating history, and it's connected with another big name: Pappy Van Winkle. When Black Maple Hill appeared just at the turn of the 21st century, it was sourced and bottled by Julian Van Winkle III, and there's a lot of speculation about just where he got the bourbon from. Word on the street is that he used barrels that his family had distilled ages ago, meaning Black Maple Hill was basically Pappy Van Winkle. 

Maybe. Probably. Things changed after 2002, when sourcing and bottling fell to Kentucky Bourbon Distillers — and again in 2014, when it got shifted to an Oregon distillery. Regardless, it's not only rare but it's regarded as some of the best bourbon out there ... if, that is, you can find it. Even if you do, you'll be paying a premium. At the time of this writing, we found the rare bottles averaging around $6,000 each. That said, here's a little tip: Look for something on the label that says where it was bottled. If you find a "Bottled in Lawrenceburg, KY" bottle, congrats! That's a Van Winkle-era bottle.

Single-barrel bourbons are a little unique in that they aren't blended to create a particular flavor profile, and instead, they develop characteristics from the barrel aging process. Surprisingly, this is a fairly new type of bourbon that first debuted in 1984 with Blanton's Single Barrel. Blanton's changed the industry and when it did, it set the bar really, really high. Along with that goes rarity: There are only between 200 and 250 bottles that can be made from a single barrel, after all. Add in the popularity of this particular award-winning bourbon, and finding one in the wild isn't always easy. 

Fortunately, we do have a really good tip for you, on how you can get one of these bottles at a reasonable price ... if you're lucky, that is, and if you happen to be in one of the states where you can purchase liquor at Costco. While we wouldn't go as far as to say that Blanton's is commonly found on Costco shelves, Reddit users do say that it happens regularly enough that it's worth taking a stroll through the shelves if you're there.

While some of the rare bottles we've been talking about include annual releases that you can keep an eye out for and look forward to, this one's a little different. It's a 17-year-old bourbon that's notable for its connection to Pappy Van Winkle, and the connection is that it came from the same distillery just before it closed. The Stitzel-Weller Distillery was active from 1935 to 1992, and although it would later be reopened, some of the last product put out by that earlier incarnation ended up in these bottles, named for Thomas Jefferson.

And yes, you can still find them floating around. At the time of this writing, they're selling for an average of about $2,500, with some sites selling bottles for upwards of $3,000. Those fortunate enough to try it say that it's smooth, balanced, and befitting the legendary distillery that it came out of.

Every so often, we read news stories that bring some serious excitement and a little bit of jealousy, instead of the standard sort of overwhelming dread. Back in 2020, a couple remodeling their home found some Prohibition-era whiskey tucked away in a secret passage, and honestly, that's just cool. If you don't happen to have a handy bootlegger's stash yourself, you can still get an idea of what pre-Prohibition bourbon tasted like, thanks to Buffalo Trace and the E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof releases. 

Why does this stand apart? As the name suggests, it's bottled just as it comes out of the barrel, so expect a massive kick. Batches are released annually, (usually in the fall), and exactly what you can expect from that bottle varies. Yes, getting it can be a challenge, but this is another case in which it pays to be on a first-name basis with those working in your favorite liquor store. Should you try? Absolutely, because it's lauded as being pretty amazing.

Eagle Rare often gets a shout-out as one of the widely available and much more affordable alternatives to Pappy Van Winkle, and there's a high-end version that collectors might want to keep an eye out for. Double Eagle Very Rare is aged for 20 years — hence the "double" portion of the name — and it's released annually. Unlike some of the bourbons on our list, even finding this on the shelf at MSRP is going to set you back a pretty penny. It'll set you back around 200,000 pennies, in fact, as this starts at $2,000.

At the time of this writing, an average price for these bottles is more along the lines of $6,000 or so, which kind of puts things in perspective. Reddit users posting pictures of their open bottles get comments alternating between the incredulous and the jealous, and one Reddit-based review from 2024 specified that the tasting had come from a bar that sourced and opened bottles for tastings. Don't feel like handing over a few grand? Don't forget, that's an option, too!

Here's another one from Heaven Hill, and it's an annual release that varies a bit in terms of what you might expect in each bottle. That makes sense, after all, and this one's a little unique in that barrels are specifically chosen with an eye toward the impact of charring on the final product. That makes sense: Aging in charred barrels was first done way back in 1789, by the bourbon's namesake, Elijah Craig. 

Different batches are released at different times throughout the year, clocking in at different proofs and different ages. Rarity depends on the release, but there are plenty of options out there for picking up one of these limited bottles for an almost surprisingly affordable price point. At the time of this writing, bottles can be found for as low as around $50, which makes this a great entry into collecting some of the more obscure bourbon releases. Some Reddit users also report having good luck finding these at their local liquor stores, particularly in the weeks around the release date. (Generally, those happen in January, May, and September, so keep an eye out.)

In 2017, Four Roses released a special small batch limited edition bottle that deserves a shout-out of its own. It was named for Al Young, distillery manager, brand ambassador, bourbon historian, and author who had been with the brand since 1967. Young died in 2019, and you could argue that the bottle is just as significant in terms of Four Roses history as it is as a bourbon. Young had a hand in creating the blend for the bourbon, and the throwback bottle design (and blend) is meant to harken back to Young's early years with the distillery. 

Because this was such a specific release, it makes sense that there are fewer and fewer bottles out there still waiting to be found. You can, however, still get them, and at the time of this writing, they seem to average just under about $2,000 a bottle. We'd argue that for those who love the history of bourbon as much as they love a classic Paper Plane cocktail, this is a great bottle to look for.

In order to put together recommendations of rare bourbons to keep an eye out for, we did a few things. We started with looking through news and press releases from previous years to confirm what bourbons had been released in small batches, and cross-referenced that with reviews, ratings, and opinions from collectors on Reddit. After confirming a general consensus that bourbons were worthy of a place in any collection. Then, we researched where you can find these, so we could also give you some tips on where to start looking.