Booze nerds, get out your bucket lists - and make sure to add New York's Copper & Oak. This whiskey bar is the ultimate destination for any whiskey lover, with hundreds of bottles of different whiskeys from all over the world on offer. Make no mistake, this isn't a bar for trendy whiskey cocktails. This is a bar for serious whiskey lovers, and everything should be carefully sipped, not taken as a shot. If you don't know that much about whiskey, though, don't be intimidated! The bartenders here are happy to make you a tasting flight and teach you about this beautiful brown spirit - anyone interested in whiskey is welcome!
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However, if you are already a connoisseur, you may want to come here for something else - the absolute best of the best when it comes to whiskey. If you are willing to spend hundreds on a single ounce of single malt, these are the best (and most expensive) offerings at Copper & Oak.
10 Laphroaig 32 years ($129)
Any casual Scotch drinker has probably heard of Laphroaig - this is a well-known, excellent Scotch. However, not many may have sampled the 32 year, sherry cask Laphroaig, which was released in 2015, to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the distillery. This special scotch is 93.4% proof and described as having an intense flavor... not to mention an intense price, as a single shot costs $129, and a double is $258.
9 Brora 35 years, limited edition ($140)
The Brora distillery is actually set to re-open in 2020, and the current Brora whiskeys are produced at the Clynelish distillery... but it's located in the same place, and has the classic Brora flavor, so whiskey snobs need not fret! The limited edition bottled in 2014 might not be the most expensive whiskey Brora has ever made, but it's the most expensive one at the Copper & Oak bar, with a price tag of $140 for a single, and $280 for a double.
8 Heaven Hill 27 years, Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon ($180)
Twenty seven years is a shockingly long time to age a bourbon, but apparently Heaven Hill have figured out how to do it while keeping the complexity of the flavor - and it's definitely worth a try.
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It's also worth noting that this is an extremely limited edition whiskey, as there was a fire at the distillery - which cost Heaven Hill over 90,000 barrels that were aging. This small batch is made from a blend of what's left - and maybe that's why it costs $180 a measure (or $360 a double).
7 Karuizawa “Spirit of Asama”, 1999 & 2000 ($210)
Karuizawa is the first Japanese whiskey to make this list - and there are plenty to choose from at Copper & Oak. Japanese whiskey has become increasingly popular, although Scotch snobs might turn up their noses! Karuizawa is one of the rarest Japanese whiskeys on the market, though, as the distillery no longer exists - it was shut down in 2001, and razed in 2016. Which means that the 'Spirit of Asama' is the final vintage of Karuizawa... and that drinkers should raise their glasses to the destroyed distillery (even if those glasses are $210 a measure, or $420 a double).
6 Pappy Van Winckle’s Special Reserve 20 Years ($210)
Most bourbons are aged for somewhere between four and twelve years, but some higher end brands have started to experiment with a longer aging process - like this Pappy Van Winckle Special Reserve (90.4% proof). This bourbon comes with an award pedigree, too - at the World Spirit's Championship, it racked up an incredible 99/100 points - that's a record breaking bourbon. And that record-breaking taste? Is going to cost you. A single measure of this will cost $210, while a double is $420.
5 Old Fashioned Copper “Vintage 1985”, Bourbon ($220)
This pricey bourbon is actually released by Buffalo Trace Distillery, but under the name Old Fashioned Copper, to pay homage to the original distillery name (a National Landmark). This particular vintage is extremely rare, as the 1985 barrel only produced a tiny 61 bottles - no wonder it costs $220 a measure (or, of course, $440 a double).
4 Komagatake 30 years “American Oak” ($250)
Mars Shinshu has the honor of being Japan's highest distillery - and while purists can argue about the effect that the elevation has on the product, all we will say is that they make an incredible drink! Many of their whiskeys are award winning, and the Komagatake 'American Oak' is an extremely rare one. Although you couldn't buy a full bottle at Copper & Oak, should you decide to pick one up after tasting a single shot (at $250 for a single, $500 for a double), it comes in a wooden box with a design by Japanese painter Mr. Yasunori Ikenaga.
3 Double Eagle Very Rare, 20 years, Kentucky Straight Bourbon ($275)
As well as enjoying the taste of this bourbon, have a look at the bottle... because this isn't just any old glass bottle. The Double Eagle Very Rare comes in a special edition crystal decanter.
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The name says it all, really - there are two crystal eagles on this bottle: one on the stopper, and one inside the bottle itself. How very American! And, like the other bourbons on this list, this is a seriously aged bottle - and will set you back $275 a single measure, or $550 a double.
2 Michter’s 20 years, Limited Release 2018 ($285)
There's just something about the words 'limited release' that makes serious drinkers swoon - although this isn't the first time that Michter's has released a bourbon aged 20 years. The last 20 year aged batch was in 2016, and while that may not seem too long to wait, for drinkers who fell in love with the taste, it was more than long enough... and is more than worth the price tag. At Copper & Oak, a single measure of the Michter's 2018 limited release costs $285, and a double is $570.
1 Craigellachie 33 years, Limited Release ($330)
Finally, the most expensive whiskey on the menu at Copper & Oak comes in at over three hundred dollars for a single measure (and $660 for those treating themselves to a double). Unsurprisingly, this is a true Scotch, from Speyside - an area of the Highlands known for its whiskey. The 33 years limited release is known for having a surprisingly sulfurous flavor; while other distilleries work hard to remove all sulfur, Craigellachie chooses to work with it, and creates something totally unique.