London — A bottle of the world’s most sought-after Scotch whisky has sold for a staggering £2.1 million ($2.7 million) at an auction held by Sotheby’s in London. The Macallan 1926, aged for 60 years in sherry casks, is considered the oldest Macallan vintage ever produced. With only 40 bottles in existence, its scarcity and exceptional quality contributed to its record-breaking sale. Sotheby’s had anticipated a price range of £750,000 to £1.2 million ($934,274 to $1.4 million), but the final sale price exceeded all expectations, setting a new auction record for any bottle of spirit or wine. The auction house revealed that the bottle’s uniqueness and limited availability added to its allure, with none of the bottles being made available for purchase.
Before the auction, Jonny Fowle, head of whisky at Sotheby’s, had the privilege of sampling this exquisite whisky, describing it as very rich with notes of dried fruit, spice, and wood. Fowle emphasized that this extraordinary whisky should be cherished and not taken lightly. The Macallan 1926 was highly sought after due to its exclusivity and prestige, evidenced by previous sales of other bottles from the collection. In 2019, Sotheby’s auctioned a bottle of The Macallan 1926 with a Fine and Rare label for £1.5 million ($1.9 million), which was then the highest price ever paid for a bottle of wine or spirit at auction.
The bottle sold at this most recent auction was one of 12 covered with a label designed by Italian painter Valerio Adami. Interestingly, one of Adami’s labeled bottles is believed to have been destroyed during the 2011 Japanese earthquake. This particular bottle also underwent reconditioning by The Macallan Distillery in Scotland before being put up for auction. The remaining 12 bottles were labeled by renowned pop artist Sir Peter Blake, while two were released without labels. Among the unlabelled bottles, one was hand-painted by Irish artist Michael Dillon, which became the first whiskey bottle to surpass £1 million ($1.2 million) when it was sold in 2018 for £1.2 million ($1.5 million).
The sale of The Macallan 1926 at Sotheby’s further solidifies the whisky’s status as a highly valued investment and collector’s item. Its astronomical price reflects its rarity, age, and unmatched quality. Whisky enthusiasts and collectors from around the world eagerly awaited the auction, recognizing the immense significance of owning a piece of Scotch whisky history. With this groundbreaking sale, The Macallan 1926 has indisputably earned its place among the most coveted spirits in the world.
