Macallan 1926 whisky sets new world record at auction – Christie’s
A single bottle of The Macallan 60 Year Old single malt Scotch whisky has set a new world record at auction after selling for £1.2 million, according to Christie’s.
The bottle of ‘The Macallan 1926 60 Year Old’ has a unique design, hand-painted by Irish artist Michael Dillon, and was sold for £1.2m at a Christie’s wine and spirits auction in London today (29 November), the auction house said.
Christie’s said that it marks a new world record for a bottle of whisky sold at auction.
Last month, auctioneer Bonhams reportedly sold a bottle of the same single malt Scotch whisky, with a label design by Italian artist Valerio Adami, for £848,000.
The Macallan 1926 60 Year Old with design by Michael Dillon. Credit: Christie’s.
While the limited-edition nature of the whiskies likely had an impact on bidders, the news is more evidence of high-end Scotch generating interest among fine wine and spirits collectors.
‘The sale represents a landmark moment in the whisky market,’ said Tim Triptree MW, international director of wine at Christie’s.
Christie’s said it also sold several other Macallan whiskies direct from the distillery, including a bottle of The Macallan 50 Year Old, which fetched £72,000.
‘The results confirm the strength of the market for whisky,’ added Triptree.
How The Macallan 1926 60 Year Old came about
Dillon’s design depicts the Easter Elchies House of The Macallan, against the backdrop of the Scottish Highlands, said Christie’s.
According to the auction house, Macallan asked both Peter Blake, who designed the album cover for the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Valerio Adami to design labels for its 1926 60 Year Old malt.
Twelve individually numbered bottles from each artist were released after the whisky had spent 60 years maturing in ex-Sherry casks prior to bottling in 1986, Christie’s said.
Dillon was also commissioned, but only did one bottle, rather than 12.
