The Most Expensive Macallan is Going Up For Auction Next Month
Last month we covered the most expensive whiskies to ever sell at auction, and the bottle that came out on top actually made several appearances on this list: The Macallan 1926. Next month, this extremely rare whisky is hitting the auction block once again, and for the first time ever that auction will take place at the Macallan Estate where the whisky was made 100 years ago.
The Macallan 1926 was bottled in 1986, 60 years after it was produced at this distillery located in the Speyside region of Scotland. Just 40 bottles were released at the time, with the whisky drawn from a single single sherry-seasoned cask (number 263), and then divided up into sets that would set it onto its trajectory of becoming the most expensive whisky in the world. Fourteen bottles were given the Macallan’s Fine and Rare label; 12 were adorned with labels designed by artist Sir Peter Blake, co-creator of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album sleeve; and 12 were designed by Italian artist Valerio Adami. The two remaining bottles were left unlabeled, though one would later be painted by the Irish artist Michael Dillon.
The Macallan Fine and Rare 60 Years Old 1926 that is going up for auction next month is one of the original 14 bottles to be given the Fine and Rare designation that was originally released in 2002. “The Macallan 1926 stands as one of the most iconic and coveted spirits ever produced, revered not simply for its rarity, but for the extraordinary story it represents,” said Sotheby’s global head of whisky and spirits, Jonny Fowle, in a statement. “To celebrate its centenary with the first-ever auction held at a scotch whisky distillery is a landmark moment for the world of whisky collecting. Bringing exceptional examples of the Macallan together at the estate where their story began offers collectors a truly unique opportunity to engage with one of the most legendary names in spirits.”
It’s not just this extremely rare Macallan bottle that is going up for auction at this first-ever event in October. The Macallan Romantica Collection, which was first revealed in May with artwork from Sir Peter Blake, Valerio Adami, and Michael Dillon will also be available for bidding. This particular collection of bottles was filled with whisky at 42.6 percent ABV, and is meant to match the original 1926 vintage (conceptually, not literally). The Reach 81 Years Old will also be up for bidding, once the oldest whisky release in the world (that record is now held by the Balvenie 88 Year Old). Also, the Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection, release from 2005 to 2016, will be included.
In total, more than 40 individual lots will be available to bid on, and the overall total is expected to bring in around £2.3 million (about $2.6 million). The Macallan Fine and Rare 60 Years Old is expected to go for £1.7 to 2.2 million, which could very well surpass the approximately $2.3 million that the Valerio Adami edition sold for in 2023. The sale will take place on October 9 in person at the distillery.
