Bottle of luxury Scotch whisky sells for over $2M at auction, breaking records (2024)

A bottle of Scotch whisky barreled in 1926 and bottled in 1986 sold at auction for over $2 million, shattering records for spirits of its kind.

The bottle of Macallan 1926 sold for a staggering $2.1 million on Saturday, far surpassing organizers' expected selling price.

Sotheby's, the historic auction house that oversaw the sale, originally expected the bottle to sell somewhere between $934,000 and $1.4 million.

NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER, WINE, SPIRITS SALES SURGING IN US

Bottle of luxury Scotch whisky sells for over $2M at auction, breaking records (2)

After being aged in sherry casks for six decades, just 40 bottles of the Macallan 1926 were bottled in 1986. (Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Sotheby's)

At that price point, the whiskey is worth approximately $131,000 per shot.

Only 40 bottles of Macallan 1926 have ever been produced, and they are not for sale. Instead, the 40 luxury bottles of Scotch whisky have been distributed as gifts to clients and top customers of the distillery.

Sotheby's previously sold a bottle of the elusive liquor in 2019, when it was purchased for $1.9 million — a record price held until Saturday.

NEW BOB DYLAN BOURBON, 'DEFINITIVE' 608-PAGE BIOGRAPHY SLATED FOR JOINT OCTOBER RELEASE

Bottle of luxury Scotch whisky sells for over $2M at auction, breaking records (3)

Sotheby's Global Head of Spirits, Jonny Fowle, poses with a bottle of Macallan 1926 Adami, the world's most valuable whisky, during a photocall at Sotheby's auction house in London, United Kingdom before it sold for over $2 million. The bottle was of (Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images / Getty Images)

"The Macallan 1926 has always been recognized as the most sought-after Scotch whisky, as illustrated by the sum of £1.5m ($1.9m) achieved by Sotheby’s in 2019, for the Fine & Rare version, which set a new auction record for any bottle of wine or spirit," the auction house wrote ahead of the auction.

The bottle was the first of its kind to undergo a restoration process overseen by the Macallan distillery in Scotland.

Bottle of luxury Scotch whisky sells for over $2M at auction, breaking records (4)

A selection of bottles from the most valuable collection of Japanese whisky ever to be offered at auction at Sotheby's is shown in London, England. (Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Sotheby's / Getty Images)

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

The Macallan 1926 was only one of dozens of whiskies that went up for auction at Sotheby's this month.

The event, titled the "Weekend of Whisky," brought together collections of the most exclusive and expensive spirits from around the world.

Bottle of luxury Scotch whisky sells for over $2M at auction, breaking records (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Eusebia Nader

Last Updated:

Views: 6117

Rating: 5 / 5 (80 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Eusebia Nader

Birthday: 1994-11-11

Address: Apt. 721 977 Ebert Meadows, Jereville, GA 73618-6603

Phone: +2316203969400

Job: International Farming Consultant

Hobby: Reading, Photography, Shooting, Singing, Magic, Kayaking, Mushroom hunting

Introduction: My name is Eusebia Nader, I am a encouraging, brainy, lively, nice, famous, healthy, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.