A 93-year-old whisky was one of over 460 bottles that went under the hammer when the The Ultimate Whisky Collection auction was held on October 24 at Sotheby's London. The auction resulted in a so-called ‘white glove sale’ – when the entire collection is sold, and set a new auction record set.
The collection of bottles landed on the astonishing sum of $10 million, the highest total for any whisky collection at auction, and bidders from all over the world participated in the sale.
The Macallan Fine & Rare 60-Year-Old 1926 set a new auction record for a single bottle of wine or spirits with the unbelievable price of $1.9 million – which was a big increase from the estimated price of $450,000-575,000. The previous record was $1.5 million, set by another bottle from the same cask in November last year.
"There were cheers when the hammer fell on the Macallan Fine and Rare 1926," said Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s spirits specialist, calling it "one of the most exciting moments in the history of whisky sales."
The bottle became the highlight of the auction and was one of many whisky varieties that belonged to a private American collector. International bidders drove the prices to the skies and not a single item remained unsold.
In this custom-made wooden box there are 46 miniature bottles of the brand Macallan. A collection that runs from 1937 to 1991, the price landed at $435,000, which was six times as much as the estimated price.
Among the more than 460 bottles there was a Bowmore 54 year old 42.1 ABV 1957, number 1 of 12 bottles ever made. The beautiful glass bottle was hand blown by a Scottish glass artist and represents a wave that breaks off the Scottish island of Islay. The bottle sold for $466,000.
