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Whisky goes for record-breaking price

Macallan-1926-60 year old Blake and Adami  Bonhams .
Macallan-1926-60 year old Blake and Adami Bonhams .

Two rare bottles of Scotch described as the “Holy Grail of Macallan” set new world records for any whisky sold at auction.

The Macallan Peter Black 1926 60-year-old went under the hammer first, selling for £751,703 to a phone bidder during yesterday’s auction at Bonhams in Hong Kong.

And the record was further pushed when the Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 60-year-old sold for £814,081 to a bidder in the room.

The bottles were two of only 24 of their kind produced, and featured different labels specially designed by leading pop artists Sir Peter Blake – who co-created the Beatles’ Sgt Pepper album cover in 1967 – and Valerio Adami.

Unseen in public for more than 30 years, the bottles were each estimated to fetch £330,000-425,000 at Bonhams’ Fine and Rare Wine and Whisky sale.

Daniel Lam, Bonhams’ head of fine wine and whisky in Asia, said the bottles were “incredibly rare” and the blend of exceptional whisky and wonderful artwork represented “a unique marriage of excellence”.

He added: “These two bottles are the most significant whiskies ever produced in 20th century and truly presented a once-in-a-generation opportunity for collectors to acquire the Holy Grail of Macallan.

“Active bidding came in from around the world but we saw new bidders from Southeast Asia including Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia reflecting the growing appetite and appreciation for whisky among Asian collectors and further reinforcing Bonhams market leadership in Hong Kong in the field of whisky.”

The whisky was bottled in 1986, and Macallan commissioned Blake and Adami to design labels for very limited editions, to offer as corporate gifts to the distillery’s most valued customers.

Only 24 bottles, 12 of the Blake label and 12 of the Adami, were produced, elegantly presented in specially commissioned cabinets or Tantaluses, based on the traditional “Brass and Glass” distillery spirit safe.

The previous auction record for any single malt whisky was the sale of a Macallan six-litre “M” Decanter by Lalique, which fetched £463,149.