Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

These are the 5 most expensive bottles of cognac to hit the market

Cognac can empty the pockets of the richest collectors. Here are the most expensive bottles of all time

Three exquisite bottles of Remy Martin Louis XIII L'Odyssee D'un Roi Cognac
Photo Credit: Luxurious Magazine Image used with permission by copyright holder

High-end French goods can fetch astronomical prices, whether it’s a vintage bottle of Champagne, a dusty old crate of Bordeaux, or its most famous brandy export. Yep, the most expensive cognac offerings of all time cost about as much as a brand-new sports car.

This list is far from definitive, as a lot of these pricy bottles sell in private and can be passed around from wealthy bidder to wealthy bidder (without much of a paper trail). But like the most expensive Scotch whiskies, or special release one-off bourbons, the rarest cognacs can attract big, big dollars. Collectors see it as an investment as much as something they might crack open one day, as they should, as it’s not uncommon for the most coveted expressions to crack the six-digit mark.

Here are the five most expensive cognacs we’re currently aware of.

A bottle of Croizet Cognac Leonie 1858 in a case.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Croizet Cognac Cuvée Léonie 1858 – $156,760

The granddaddy of them all, this bottle went for well over $150K at auction in China in 2011. It’s the work of a lauded producer out of the Grande Champagne region of cognac, which launched in 1805. It’s impressive to think that this bottle predates Phylloxera. Perhaps even cooler, it is believed to be what Eisenhower and Churchill enjoyed as they devised the victory of the joint allies in World War II.

A bottle of Cognac Brugerolle 1795 on white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Cognac Brugerolle 1795 – $149,943

Oh, Napoleon. The iconic French ruler loved all the expensive things from Champagne to this very cognac. Part of the reason the price for this puppy blew open the roof is that it was the last remaining bottle out there. Apparently, French military officers would specifically request the work of Brugerolle, especially in the 18th century, before it set up its still-standing shop in Matha, back in 1847.

Related Reading: The best Champagne for all your celebrations

A bottle of Gautier Cognac 1762 on a tray.
Photo Credit: Wealth Solutions Image used with permission by copyright holder

Gautier Cognac 1762 – $144,525

Unsurprisingly, one of the most expensive bottles of cognac sold to date is also the oldest. At the time of sale, this ultra-luxurious offering was 258 years old. Perhaps more impressively, it went for $144,525. Just three of these almost-priceless bottles are believed to still be in existence, all wearing their original labels. What a thrill it would be to sip something that was crafted fourteen years before the U.S. was even a country. It’s practically a natural history artifact that you can drink.

Three empty glasses and a nearly empty glass beside a bottle of Remy Martin Louis XIII L'Odyssee D'un Roi Cognac.
Photo Credit: Montecristo Magazine Image used with permission by copyright holder

Remy Martin Louis XIII L’Odyssee D’un Roi Cognac – $134,750

This bottle of Louis XIII was sold in 2016 and comes in its own custom Hermes leather trunk, along with a crystal decanter. What’s in the bottle? A blend of the oldest eau du vie brandy at the time and allegedly tasted only by the cellar master. Like the Gautier, just three bottles are in orbit.

Related Reading: Cognac vs. brandy: What’s the difference?

A bottle of Remy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl Grande Champagne Cognac in its casing.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Remy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl Grande Champagne Cognac – $30,000

Apparently, a handful of these has sold, with the price tag generally falling around $30,000. It seems like a big drop off from the four spots on the list, but that’s mainly because of quantity. No matter, it comes in a metallic bottle you’d expect to find in an art gallery and the stuff inside is likely liquid gold. The Black Pearl Grande Champagne Cognac came about in 2007 as an extra-special release honoring some of the producer’s best and earliest offerings.

Editors' Recommendations

Mark Stock
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
Basil Hayden brought back a popular limited edition bourbon — where you can get it
Basil Hayden brings back a smoky favorite
Whiskey

Not only is Basil Hayden one of the all-time coolest names, but he was a whiskey pioneer who is often referred to as the “father of high-rye bourbon.” You also might not realize that his image adorns the bottle of Old Grand-Dad sitting on your home bar. His grandson opened a distillery and named the whiskey after him. Oh yeah, and his name is literally also used for a fairly popular whiskey brand. You might have heard of it. It’s made by Jim Beam (like Old Grand-Dad), and it’s called Basil Hayden (formerly Basil Hayden’s).

We love everything this whiskey brand makes. Its Kentucky Straight Bourbon is one of the first bourbons we ever tried. Its Dark Rye is great and so is its toasted barrel bourbon aptly named Toast. But, back in 2022, Basil Hayden released a truly unique, memorable whiskey that we couldn’t get enough of. And then, it was gone. We’re talking, of course, about Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke.
What is Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke?

Read more
Here’s our perfect Pisco Sour recipe
Homemade pisco sour cocktail with lime and bitters

Claimed as a national drink by both Peru and Chile, the pisco sour has captivated cocktail lovers for over a century. Tart and sweet, with herbaceous and earthy notes and a rich, smooth finish, this South American gem suits any occasion. The success of this foamy, vibrantly hued beverage owes everything to pisco, its bold, complicated base spirit. Like brandy, pisco is a high-proof spirit made by distilling fermented grape juice, and it comes in a dizzying array of varieties.
Pisco sour recipe

Ingredients:

Read more
The best spritz cocktail recipes to drink this spring
Spring is the perfect time to mix it up with spritz cocktails. Let us show you how to make some tasty ones
Grapefruit sprtiz cocktail

The spritz is liquid springtime, using the power of sparkling wine and the floral nature of this time of year. The classic involves prosecco and Aperol, but that's merely one of countless permutations to make and enjoy this iconic sipper. Think of it as a fizzy cooler, a drinkable bouquet cut to your liking based on your favorite accents, aromatics, and mixers.

While we advise you to go with the Italian classic and use the famous bitter apéritif at least some of the time, we also want you to be curious and inventive. Like the Old Fashioned or a classic Negroni, the spritz is so much more than one thing, and it's very much worth plunging into and fully exploring. And there's no better time to do so than the thawing, rejuvenating, increasingly thirsty days of spring.

Read more