VIDEO: Scotch Whisky Breaks World-Record Again, With $1.2 Million Macallan 1926 Sale

APR 26, 2018 

Scotch Whisky Breaks World-Record Again, With $1.2 Million Macallan 1926 Sale

George Koutsakis 

Two of the rarest Macallan bottles in existence recently sold for $1.2 million at the Dubai-Airport retailer, Le Clos, breaking the record for the most expensive whisky retail sale in history. The bottles were bought by an international businessman for $600,000 each and will be added to his collection.

Whisky consultant Martin Green from Christies Auction House inspects an extremely rare 60-year-old bottle of Macallan (Photo by Ben Curtis - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)

According to Scotchwhisky.com, the whisky was distilled back in 1926, and aged for a long 60 years in ex-sherry wood, before being bottled in 1986. The liquid alone defines the expression's value, making it one of the rarest in the world. However, the label designs make the release even more unique. The artwork was designed by Sir Peter Blake, best-known for his artwork for The Beatles and Italian artist, Valerio Adami. Only 40 bottles were ever produced, and the aforementioned artists designed the labels for only 12 bottles each. They were priced at around $27,000 upon release, initially offered to the Macallan's most loyal customers. Since then, the bottles have slowly disappeared, with the last known sale taking place in 2007, where a bottle sold for  $75,000 at auction by Christie's.

'These represent some of the most exclusive bottles ever produced, making this an iconic sale that will be remembered worldwide for years to come,' said Geoff Kirk, Macallan’s director of prestige. 'It is incredibly rare for The Macallan 1926 to be made available for purchase, and the sale offers whisky connoisseurs the chance to secure historic bottles emblematic of 20th-century pop culture.'

'Le Clos has built a long-standing relationship with both The Macallan and Dubai Airports and we are thrilled to be able to celebrate our 10year anniversary with another world-record sale.' said Iain Delaney, managing director of Le Clos. 'This success is a testament to the commitment of our partners who have supported the vision of Le Clos in becoming one of the world’s leading luxury retailers, not just in Dubai Airport but globally.'

The Macallan distillery is known far and wide and has broken more than a few records over the years. The producer holds the record for most expensive whisky bottle sold at auction with The Macallan M Imperiale. It sold in 2014 for $628,000 at Sotheby’s Hong Kong. Last year, a single cask of Macallan broke records once more, taking the title of 'the most expensive single cask in the world' sold at auction. Last month, the producer released 200 bottles of Macallan 50 Year-Old for approximately $35,000 each. Needless to say, Macallan whisky is quite popular.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/georgekoutsakis/2018/04/26/scotch-whisky-breaks-world-record-again-with-1-2-million-macallan-1926-sale/#21cfcf0a2976

kcontents