The Macallan 1926 60 Year Old Valerio Adami has just broken the World Record for the most expensive bottle of whisky in the world selling for a record £2,187,500. Image: Mark Littler (free for re-use if credited)
A new world record has been established for a bottle of whisky, with the record now standing at an impressive £2.187 million, surpassing the previous record by over £700,000. The record-breaking bottle is a 1926 60-year-old Macallan Valerio Adami edition, originating from the legendary Cask Number 263. Notably, the former world record was also held by a bottle from this same cask, specifically the Macallan Fine and Rare collection.
This new world record underscores the elevated status that whisky has attained. While the market as a whole remains relatively subdued, it highlights that the demand for the finest whiskies remains as robust as ever.
Mark Littler, an independent whisky consultant and market analyst, commented on the record-breaking sale: “The new record price is simply incredible, marking a significant milestone in the whisky market. While certain segments of the market may be softer, this sale unequivocally demonstrates that there is still a strong appetite for exceptional bottles. The new world record is a fitting homage to David Holmes and the team at Macallan, who originally released this series in the late 1980s and 1990s.”
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About The Macallan 1926 60 Year Old Valerio Adami
Released in 1993, the Valerio Adami edition represents the second chapter in the series of the Macallan 1926 60 Year Old. The collaboration was suggested by Macallan’s Italian agent Armando Giovanetti in the 1980s, leading to Valerio Adami, an Italian painter known for his fragmented, abstract style, being commissioned to design the labels for this limited release.
Adami’s contribution to the Macallan legacy involved the creation of 12 labels for the 1926 60 Year Old bottles. However, the rarity of these bottles has been heightened by the loss of at least two of them—one reportedly consumed and another destroyed during a 2011 earthquake in Japan—leaving at most only ten in existence.
The Valerio Adami edition can now be described as the most coveted bottle of whisky in the world having just set the world record sale price of £2,187,500 (including commission). This staggering sum underscores not only the quality of the whisky but also the cultural and artistic value that Adami’s involvement brings to the table.
The Macallan 1926 60 Year Old, in all its iterations, continues to captivate collectors and enthusiasts alike, cementing its status as the pinnacle of whisky craftsmanship and artistic collaboration. As Mark Littler, an independent whisky consultant and market analyst, notes, these remarkable sales and the stories behind them contribute significantly to the rich tapestry of whisky history.
The Macallan 1926 60 Year Old History
The Macallan 1926 60 Year Old from the legendary Cask #263 encompasses a series of five distinctive editions, each with a unique story and record-setting auction values. The first, the Peter Blake edition, released in 1986 with labels designed by the renowned British pop artist, previously set a world record with a sale of £800,000. Following this, the Valerio Adami edition, unveiled in 1993 and adorned with labels by the Italian painter, has just shattered records with a staggering sale of £2,187,500. This new record highlights the extraordinary value and rarity of the Adami edition. Additionally, two bottles were released unlabelled, with one notably hand-painted by Michael Dillon and sold for £1.2 million in 2018, while the whereabouts of the other remains a mystery.
Completing the collection is the Macallan Fine & Rare series edition, which held the record for the most expensive single bottle of whisky ever sold at auction with a price of £1.5 million at Sotheby’s in 2019 until it was recently surpassed by the Adami edition. The Macallan 1926 60 Year Old series, in all its forms, continues to exemplify the pinnacle of Scotch whisky craftsmanship and artistry, symbolising the distillery’s enduring legacy as a producer of luxurious and historically significant whiskies.
