'Most-sought-after' Scotch whisky to be auctioned for over 1.2 million

19 October 2023 , 14:21

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A similar bottle of The Macallan 1926 was sold by Sotheby's in 2019 for a record-breaking £1.5 million. (Image: PA)

A bottle of "the most-sought-after Scotch whisky" is set to go under the hammer at Sotheby's in London next month.

The 96 year old single malt from Macallan, known as The Macallan Adami 1926, could fetch up to £1.2 million ($1.4 million), according to the auction house.

Sotheby's revealed that advance bidding for this rare tipple will kick off on November 1st. A similar bottle of The Macallan 1926 was sold by Sotheby's in 2019 for a record-breaking £1.5 million.

Jonny Fowle, Sotheby's global head of spirits, said: "The Macallan 1926 is the one whisky that every auctioneer wants to sell and every collector wants to own."

He added, "I am extremely excited to bring a bottle to a Sotheby's auction for the first time since we set the record for this vintage four years ago."

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After maturing in sherry casks for over six decades, only 40 bottles of The Macallan 1926 were ever produced, making it the distillery's oldest vintage.

Sotheby's revealed that some of the 40 bottles were offered to Macallan clients, with up to 14 decorated with Macallan's iconic Fine and Rare label, including the record-breaker. Twelve of the bottles, including the one being sold next month, had their labels designed by Italian painter Valerio Adami.

The bottle going up for sale is the first to have undergone reconditioning by the distillery ahead of auction. This included replacing the cork and applying new glue to the corners of the bottle labels.

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Steve Charnock