On November 18, 2023, a bottle of Scotch whisky billed as “the most sought-after” in the world has set a new auction record, selling for almost 2.2 million pounds ($2.7 million). The Macallan Adami 1926 sold at Sotheby’s in London after a bidding war between eager buyers on the phone and in the room.
The Macallan 1926 is a rare find, with only 40 bottles bottled in 1986 after being aged in sherry casks for 60 years. What sets this bottle apart is its label, designed by Italian painter Valerio Adami. This particular bottle is one of twelve with Adami’s label, with another bottle from the same cask selling for almost 1.5 million pounds at Sotheby’s in 2019, a record for wine or spirits at the time.
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,” and described the record-breaking sale as “nothing short of momentous for the whisky industry as a whole.”
Interestingly, the bottle that sold on Saturday is the first to have been reconditioned by the distillery ahead of the auction, including the replacement of the cork and applying new glue to the bottle labels.
The final price of 2,187,500 pounds ($2,714,250) included a buyer’s premium on top of the sale price of 1.75 million pounds, far exceeding the pre-sale estimate of 750,000 pounds to 1.2 million pounds.
Kirsteen Campbell, Macallan’s Master Whisky Maker, described the $2.7 million whisky as containing notes of “rich dark fruits, black cherry compote alongside sticky dates, followed by intense sweet antique oak.” She added, “Dark chocolate, treacle, ginger…the notes go on and on. It was a very special moment to experience the opening of this iconic 60 Years Old single malt, first bottled 37 years ago, and I hope the new custodian will enjoy the same privilege.”
With the sale of the Macallan Adami 1926 setting a new record, it’s clear that the market for rare and vintage whiskies remains as strong as ever.