Why You Shouldn't Buy Whiskey Based Solely On The Packaging

Whiskey is among the most high-brow spirits out there, and its quality plays an integral role in its allure. When it comes to asserting the quality of a bottle, packaging can lure people in — but does luxury packaging always equate to a good product? To find out, Food Republic spoke with Will Fabry, head distiller at CraftCo Brands, who revealed that looks can sometimes be deceiving. 

"Attractive bottles, ornate labels, and elaborate packaging can create an impression of age, craftsmanship, or exclusivity," Fabry explained. Sure, a beautifully ornate cut-glass bottle, or a bottle covered in diamonds, will add flair to your home bar, but premium packaging alone is in no way a reliable indicator of whether a bottle of whiskey will taste of exceptional craftsmanship when sipped neat. 

Instead, Fabry recommends looking out for several more reliable markers of quality: "Age statements, Mash bills, distillation methods, and cask type/maturation details." Factors such as age or whether the whiskey is bottled directly from only one aging barrel don't determine quality, but maturation in certain cask types, such as a European oak sherry butt or an American oak barrel, can dramatically change flavor intensity, giving you a clearer picture of what to expect from the whiskey. Similarly, the mash bill offers insight into the whiskey's character by revealing the balance of grains used. The type of still, its design and size, and the number of distillations can all also influence the concentration of desirable flavor compounds. Taken together, these details can help you understand how the whiskey was shaped from grain to glass, giving you a far clearer sense of its overall quality and flavor.

The assumption that premium packaged bottles contain high-quality whiskey isn't an outlandish notion, and is somewhat logical. You'd expect a brand who puts effort into their presentation to also put the same level of effort into their product. As for whether premium packaging ever truly correlates with high-quality, according to Will Fabry, the answer is "sometimes, but not always."

"Some respected distilleries present their whiskey in refined packaging, but many exceptional whiskeys come in simple, understated bottles," Fabry explained. All in all, whether premium packaging equals quality depends on what brand you're buying your whiskey from. For example, take the winner of the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Rosebank 31 Year Old, whose whiskey comes in a beautiful, tall, and slender bottle with a rose motif on the bottle neck and an engraved gold medallion. In this case, packaging and quality genuinely come hand in hand. Meanwhile, some brands prioritize flashy designs over quality. This is particularly evident among celebrity whiskey brands, such as Drake's Virginia Black whiskey, which came in a flashy bottle but was criticized for lacking any meaningful character.

The most expensive bottle ever sold — the Macallan Valario Adami 1926 60 Year Old — sold at auction for a whopping $2.7 million in 2023. This bottle was considered to be the pinnacle of excellence, yet featured a rather understated design and a standard whiskey bottle shape. Ultimately, premium packaging can be a helpful signal, yet it still remains a far guarantee from quality.