Regarded as the “Holy Grail” among single malt whisky lovers, a bottle of Macallan Anniversary Malt has recently been sold for a hefty £57,500 at Brightwells auction house.
The buyer originally paid £80 for the 50th birthday gift for his father, who subsequently put the bottle away with the intention of drinking it when he turned 80. When it came to their attention that the bottle may be worth quite a bit more than the original price, it was decided to put the whisky to auction.
The Macallan Anniversary Malt was distilled in 1928 but was not bottled until 1983, giving the whisky a 50-year maturity. There were only 500 bottles released for sale, and it is believed that most will have been drunk. Consequently, when the bottle was put to auction, interest was high among whisky lovers, and it attracted bidders from all over the world.
Brightwells auction house spokesperson, Paddy Shave, told the Daily Record:
“This release has acquired mythic status as the best tasting Macallan ever produced. It’s described as the Holy Grail for malt whisky lovers, so we knew there would be worldwide interest.”
The Macallan whisky brand is well-known for breaking records. The 60-year-old Macallan Fine and Rare 1926 malt is the most expensive whisky in the world, with a bottle selling for £1,452,000 in 2019. While this is probably out of most people’s price range, a nice bottle of malt whisky, paired with a specially engraved crystal whisky glass, makes a lovely Christmas present.
