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‘Most valuable’ whisky collection to auction for £4m

Sotheby’s is gearing up to sell the “most valuable collection of whisky ever to be offered at auction”, comprising 467 bottles and nine casks that are forecast to fetch £4 million (US$4.8m).

The ‘ultimate whisky collection’ includes multiple Silvano Samaroli bottlings

Dubbed the “ultimate whisky collection”, the sale – made up of 394 lots – will be led by The Macallan 1926 60 Years Old from cask #263, which is expected to sell for between £350,000-£450,000 (US$430,325-US$553,275).

This is Sotheby’s first spirits offering from a single owner, who has only been named as the ‘ultimate whisky collector’. Online bidding will open on 27 September, finishing with a live auction on 24 October at Olympia in West Kensington, London.

Half of the ‘ultimate whisky collection’ is made up of The Macallan Scotch whiskies, with a combined estimated value of more than £2.2m (US$2.7m). Sotheby’s described the range as the “most comprehensive collection of The Macallan Fine and Rare series ever offered at auction”.

Other notable bottlings include Balvenie 50-year-old 1937, Glenfiddich 50-year-old (first and second releases), and Glenfiddich 64-year-old 1937.

Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s spirits specialist, said: “The ‘ultimate whisky collection’ comprises what is undoubtedly the most comprehensive catalogue of whisky ever to be offered by a single owner in a single auction.

“Not only is it a joy to be able to present some of the most sought-after bottlings such as The Macallan 1926 60 years old and the Springbank 1919 50-year-old, as well as such rarities as bottle number one of the Bowmore 54-year-old (of which only 12 were released), above all it is extraordinary to see amongst these iconic bottlings so many expressions that have received the highest critic scores over the years, particularly the Samaroli bottlings of Bowmore and Laphroaig, The Macallan Red Ribbons and all of the Black Bowmores.

“Whilst collecting whisky can appeal to different people in different ways, it is clear that this collector is a true fan of the liquid within the bottles as well as the bottles themselves. Ultimately, it is the enjoyment and appreciation of whisky that has made this collection what it is.”

The Macallan represents half of the collection, worth more than £2.2m

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