This weekend is set to be an exciting one for whisky drinkers across the globe as Sotheby's in New York is planning to auction off their most expensive spirit in history.
The rare bottle of The Macallan 1926, "60 Year Old," Sir Peter Blake Label, is expected to fetch anywhere from $700,000 to $1.2 million. Only 40 bottles were ever created, 12 of which were labeled and signed by renowned British artist Peter Blake—known for designing the cover art for artists like Eric Clapton, The Who, Oasis, and The Beatles.
Aside from their rarity, the bottles are considered to be some of the best whiskys ever produced. Aged in sherry casks for sixty years, it has a discernable flavor. "The whisky is more on the spicy side," said Jamie Ritchie, worldwide head of Sotheby’s wine. "Macallan is known for having a reasonably voluminous flavor, and with the sherry casks it has a spiciness, a complexity that they’re renowned for."
For those who consider themselves more wine drinkers, don't worry. Sotheby's will also be auctioning off a number of rare wines, including a collection of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wines from the personal cellar of Robert Drouhin, of Maison Joseph Drouhin.
With such a high bidding price for these bottles, how can Sotheby's guarantee the quality of the product? Prior to the auction, Sotheby's representatives sample other wines from the same cellar to make sure they taste as expected. Ritchie said those sampled from the Drouhin collection were "unbelievably fresh."
The auctions will take place on October 12 at 1 p.m. and October 13 at 11:30 a.m. Those interested in bidding don't have to be present to do so, they can also place their bids online.
Wondering what the bottles will actually sell for? According to Ritchie, "In terms of whisky, The Macallan 1926 has sold three times recently for over $1 million."
