The most expensive whisky sold at auction

We were interested to read an article from the HIConsumption magazine listing the most expensive whiskies ever sold at auction.

The list relates to bottles rather than casks, but of the ten bottles it’s a significant achievement that 6 were from Scottish distiller The Macallan from its 1926 cask of 40 bottles, which means they were produced in an impressively small number.

Of these, 12 bottles had labels created by the artist Peter Blake, another 12 were from artist Valerio Adami, who also did work for Moet & Chandon. Two had no labels, although one of these bottles acquired a hand-painted label designed by artist Michael Dillon.

So, what about the final 12 bottles from this 60-year-old cask? These were given a label of Fine and Rare with one selling in 2019 for a record price of £1,452,000 ($1,769,156).

Here are the auction prices for six bottles from The Macallan distillery:

• The Macallan 1926 60-year-old Peter Blake – Numbered 7 of 12, sold for £615,062 ($749,515) at auction in 2019.
• The Macallan 1926 60-year-old Peter Blake – Numbered 8 of 12 sold for HK$7,962,500 ($1,014,523) sold in 2018.
• The Macallan 1926 60-year-old Valerio Adami – Numbered 2 of 12 HK$8,636,250 ($1,100,377) sold in 2018.
• The Macallan 1926 60-year-old Valerio Adami – Numbered 5 of 12 £848,750 ($1,034,465) sold in 2018.
• The Macallan 1926 60-year-old Michael Dillon – Sold for £1,200,000 ($1,461,876) in November 2018.
• The Macallan 1926 60-year-old Fine and Rare – Maintains the record for any wine or spirit sold at auction. Sold for £1,452,000 ($1,769,156) in 2018.

Why investors are turning to cask whisky

As you can see from the list, whisky is ‘liquid gold’!

But it’s not just about individual bottles of whisky increasing in value. As the market for whisky is growing every year, due in part to the increasing demand for the drink, whisky casks are providing investors with an attractive avenue for growth.

Whisky cask investment has become increasingly popular in recent years as investors look for alternative assets that offer the potential for high returns. Cask whisky is a physical asset that can be stored and enjoyed, making it a more tangible investment than stocks or bonds.

Whisky casks are particularly attractive to investors due to the fact that they can be stored for long periods of time and their value is not subject to the same volatility as other asset classes.

Cask whisky is a relatively liquid asset; it can be easily sold or traded on a secondary market to other investors at a premium. As a result, whisky casks have become sought-after investments at auctions.

Add cask whisky to your portfolio

As more and more people discover the unique flavour of Scotch whisky, the demand for it will continue to grow making it an excellent addition to any investor’s portfolio.

Contact us today to learn more about investing in cask whisky.