The highly coveted bottle of “the most-sought-after Scotch whisky” will grace the auction stage next month, captivating whisky enthusiasts and collectors alike. Sotheby’s, the renowned auction house, announced on Thursday that the 96-year-old bottle of Macallan single malt, known as The Macallan Adami 1926, will be up for bidding in London on November 18th. Experts estimate its value to be as high as 1.2 million pounds ($1.4 million), with an initial price estimate exceeding 750,000 pounds. The excitement is palpable as advance bidding opens on November 1st.
This is not the first time The Macallan 1926 has drawn attention at auction. In 2019, Sotheby’s successfully sold a version of this exceptional vintage for a staggering 1.5 million pounds, securing a place in history as the most expensive bottle of wine or spirits ever sold. The remarkable nature of this whisky is further highlighted by the fact that three distinct variations of the bottle appeared at auctions in both 2018 and 2019, each setting a new record.
Renowned as the quintessential whisky every auctioneer dreams of selling and collectors long to possess, The Macallan 1926 continues to captivate the spirits industry. Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s global head of spirits, expressed his enthusiasm, sharing, “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.”
Crafted over six decades in sherry casks, only forty precious bottles of The Macallan 1926 were ever produced, making them the distillery’s oldest vintage. A select few were originally available exclusively to Macallan clients, and up to fourteen of these rarities were adorned with Macallan’s iconic Fine and Rare label, including the groundbreaking record-breaker.
What sets the forthcoming auctioned bottle apart is its remarkable journey of rejuvenation. It has undergone meticulous reconditioning by the distillery, ensuring its pristine allure for prospective buyers. This process involved the careful replacement of the cork and the precise application of new glue to the corners of the bottle labels.
As whisky aficionados prepare for this extraordinary event, all eyes will be on The Macallan Adami 1926, a testament to the unrivaled craftsmanship and legacy of Macallan’s finest whiskies.