10 Rare Bourbons That Will Elevate Your Collection

Let’s be honest: you already know your way around a top-shelf bourbon. Pappy? Had it. Weller? Been there. Blanton’s? Please. But there’s rare—and then there’s rare. The kind of bottles you don’t see in stores, at bars, or even on most collector shelves. The kind of bourbon that whispers, not shouts. If you’re looking to graduate from the usual suspects to something a little more elusive, this list was built for you.

These aren’t just expensive or old. They’re meaningful. They come from shuttered distilleries, pre-modern production methods, or tiny celebratory runs. They’re pieces of American whiskey history—and if you haven’t heard of a few of them, even better. You’re in the right place.

(And if you’ve got all ten? We should probably be friends.)

What Actually Makes a Bourbon Rare?

Some are rare because the distillery is long gone. Others were bottled in minuscule quantities—often decades ago. Sometimes it’s the age, the label, the provenance, or even the specific barrel. But real rarity can’t be manufactured. These bottles weren’t created to be collectable. They simply endured, and the world caught on.

10 Ultra Rare Bourbons Available at The Bourbon Concierge

1. A.H. Hirsch

No serious discussion of rare bourbon is complete without A.H. Hirsch. Distilled in 1974 at the fabled Michter’s distillery in Pennsylvania, these bottles weren’t appreciated in their own time—but today, they’re legendary. With age statements ranging from 16 to 20 years and a reputation for hauntingly smooth, rich flavor, the Hirsch lineup has become holy grail territory. The distillery is gone, the supply is finite, and the buzz hasn’t faded. It’s not just one bottle—it’s a rabbit hole. If you’ve never tasted one, start now. If you’ve had one, you already know: nothing else drinks quite like it.

2. Stitzel-Weller Bottlings

The name alone is enough to set collectors’ hearts racing. Once home to the original Pappy Van Winkle lineup, the Stitzel-Weller distillery closed its doors in 1992—but the bourbon it left behind is considered among the finest ever produced. Known for wheated mashbills and incredible aging potential, surviving bottles are vanishingly rare and fiercely coveted. Whether it’s a vintage Old Fitzgerald, Rebel Yell, or a Van Winkle from the golden era, Stitzel-Weller juice offers a glimpse into bourbon’s soul. If you’ve never tasted bourbon with real history in the glass, this is the one to chase.

3. Old Rip Van Winkle 25-Year Decanter

Only 710 bottles of this 25-year-old expression were ever released—and every one of them came in a hand-blown crystal decanter nestled in a wooden display box crafted from reclaimed Pappy barrels. This isn’t just a bottle; it’s an heirloom. The whiskey inside is sublime—deep oak, leather, spice, and caramelized fruit—all the hallmarks of perfectly aged wheated bourbon without the bitterness that can come with time. Released in 2017, it marked the oldest Van Winkle bourbon ever bottled. For those who think they’ve seen it all, this is the final boss of the Pappy world.

4. Double Eagle Very Rare

The Buffalo Trace team doesn’t use the phrase “very rare” lightly. This ultra-limited 20-year-old Eagle Rare expression comes in an exquisite hand-cut crystal decanter, housed in a bespoke display case with an illuminated eagle in flight. But beneath the luxury lies serious substance. Aged two full decades, it balances richness and elegance with notes of candied orange peel, dark oak, and vanilla cream. With only 199 bottles released per year, Double Eagle isn’t just hard to find—it’s nearly mythical. It's one of those bottles that earns a spot in your collection on presence alone, even before the cork is pulled.

5. Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash

Released only in select years, Michter’s Celebration isn’t just a showpiece—it’s a masterwork of blending and aging. Drawn from barrels aged up to 30 years and selected by Michter’s Master Distiller, this non-traditional sour mash bourbon has layers of flavor that shift and evolve in the glass. Every release comes in a sleek gift box and a gold-labeled decanter, but what truly sets it apart is how it drinks: rich, spicy, and impossibly smooth. With fewer than 300 bottles in some vintages, Celebration lives up to its name. It’s a toast to excellence—and a nod to those who know.

6. WhistlePig Boss Hog II: The Spirit of Mortimer

The first release in WhistlePig’s Boss Hog series is where it all began. A tribute to founder Raj Bhakta’s late pet pig, Mortimer, this edition quickly earned cult status. It’s 100% rye, bottled at barrel strength, and oozing with character—think cinnamon, molasses, maple, and heat. Later Boss Hogs got flashier, but collectors still hold Spirit of Mortimer as the purest, most essential edition. It’s less about gimmicks and more about grit: a powerful, unfiltered rye that changed how the world looked at American whiskey. If you can find it, don’t hesitate—it’s the Boss Hog collectors always come back to.

7. Weller’s Antique Reserve 10-Year (1960s)

Before Weller became a modern phenomenon, it was already laying down some of the best wheated bourbon in the game. This 10-year-old Antique Reserve from the 1960s is a time capsule: bold, oaky, and sweet with a rounded edge that only age can deliver. Bottled before today’s strict regulations and massive popularity, these vintage Weller expressions are almost extinct—and all the more beautiful for it. If you believe great bourbon comes from a moment in time, this one delivers the goods and then some. It’s a taste of the past that still manages to feel ahead of its time.

8. Redemption 36-Year Bourbon

Thirty-six years. That’s an almost impossible age for a bourbon to reach without collapsing under the weight of oak—but Redemption pulled it off. This unicorn release yielded just 18 barrels, making it one of the oldest bourbons ever commercially bottled. The result? A deep, brooding profile of saddle leather, charred wood, tobacco, and black cherry. It’s not for beginners. This is bourbon at its most contemplative—a slow sipper that rewards quiet attention and serious respect. If you’re looking to round out your collection with something that defies the odds, Redemption’s 36-Year is your final form.

9. Jefferson’s Presidential Select 17-Year

Back when Jefferson’s sourced whiskey from the old Stitzel-Weller stocks, magic happened. The 17-Year expression is a prime example—made with wheated bourbon from the golden age of American distilling. Soft, complex, and impossibly smooth, it delivers a luxurious balance of maple, vanilla, and dried fruit. With those original barrels long gone, this release has become a ghost bottle for serious collectors. It’s the kind of pour you open with reverence, knowing there won’t be another quite like it. If you believe great bourbon is equal parts art and time travel, this is your ticket back.

10. The Last Drop 1980 Bourbon

A bottle that lives up to its name. The Last Drop 1980 Bourbon was uncovered from long-forgotten barrels aging in undisclosed Kentucky rickhouses—bottled decades after its distillation, in quantities so small you could count them by hand. Every release from The Last Drop Distillers is meticulously curated, and this one is no exception. It’s velvety, layered, and luxuriously long on the finish. But more than that, it’s rare in the truest sense: unscripted, unrepeatable, and nearly gone. If you want a bottle that starts conversations and ends evenings, this is the rare bourbon that delivers both.

Want to Test Us? Try Naming a Rarer Bourbon.

At The Bourbon Concierge, our private reserve is just the beginning. Our team sources bottles from across the country (and occasionally the world), tracking down long-lost labels and single barrels so rare they’re barely whispers. If there’s a bottle on your wishlist that you’ve never seen available—send us a message. We love a challenge, and we love impressing fellow collectors even more.

Try us. We dare you.

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The Value of Something You Can’t Just Buy

Rare bourbon isn’t just about what’s in the bottle—it’s about everything that led up to it. The risk, the wait, the craft. Some bottles are too unique to repeat, too limited to resell, or too meaningful to open casually. And that’s exactly why they matter.

You don’t need a holiday to enjoy something special. But if National Bourbon Day gives you an excuse to open a unicorn, share a pour with someone who’ll appreciate it, or finally hunt down that impossible bottle—well, that’s a reason worth raising a glass to.

Explore our rare bourbon collection. Or better yet, let us find your next obsession.

Preview image by Tony Chen on Unsplash