A Macallan 50-year-old in a Lalique-designed decanter achieved £65,210 ($83,644) at auction last month.
That’s a record sum for a bottle of whisky in a UK auction.
Glass maker Lalique collaborated with Macallan on this presentation bottle
The lot is from the first 470 issued in 2006.
Many of these were opened and consumed. By the time of the second release, buyers were aware of the investment potential of the bottles and so the majority of the later issues are unopened.
The sale follows the auction of a complete set of six Macallan-Lalique crystal decanters that achieved $993,000 in a charity sale in Hong Kong on April 1.
Auction house Whisky-Online comments: “There’s been a lot of chatter about the charity sale of the full Lalique set in Hong Kong recently, but this record result is more impressive for the fact this was not a charity sale which makes this not only the most expensive Macallan auctioned in the UK to date but also the most expensive non-charity bottle sold at any UK auction thus far.”
While the Lalique Macallan is one of the most sought after bottles on the market, Whisky-Online believes that it’s a matter of time before the record is broken.
“What would top the Lalique?" it asks.
“Possibly certain Japanese bottles and definitely the Peter Blake 60-year-old Macallan – if one ever surfaces again – and the 1926 Fine & Rare would certainly be the other strong contender.”
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