Whisky collection sells for $9.1m at auction

A set comprised of 3,900 bottles of whisky has become the highest value private collection sold at auction from a single collector – with a bottle of The Macallan 1926 Fine and Rare setting a new record at US$1.4 million.

‘The Perfect Collection’, which contains more than 3,900 bottles of mostly single malt Scotch, has been built up by the late American private collector Richard Gooding.

Perth-based Whisky Auctioneer split the collection between two separate auctions, with the second part closing on Monday (22 February). The first part of the collection sold for US$4.2m last year – with a Macallan 1926 Valerio Adami bottle setting a new record when it sold for US$1m. The second part of the sale attracted 1,557 bidders from 54 countries. In total, The Perfect Collection sold for US$9.1m

Part two of the sale featured more than 1,900 bottles of whiskies, including The Macallan 1926 Fine & Rare 60 Year Old. The sale of The Macallan 1926 was the first time a single bottle of whisky has sold at an online-only auction for £1m (US$1.4m).

Iain McClune, founder of Whisky Auctioneer said: “This auction was solely dedicated to one collector’s magnificent library of whisky – a man who was dedicated to building The Perfect Collection. As enthusiasts of whisky ourselves, we knew that this collection deserved its own spotlight to allow us to truly convey the rarity and sheer scale of something so historic. In total, Mr Gooding’s collection has sold for over US$9m at hammer price, with two bottles breaking US$1m each.

“With so many incredible bottles attracting the attention of high value investors and passionate collectors across the world, the sale is one for the record books – not just for Whisky Auctioneer but for the whisky industry as a whole.”

Other highlights of the sale included record prices for closed Scottish distilleries, including a Dallas Dhu 1921 Private Cask 64 Year Old #296 bottle, which sold for US$21,855.

A 29-year-old bottle from the Macallan Fine and Rare range sold for US$42,300, while a 37-year-old from the same range fetched US$39,480 at auction. In addition, a Bowmore 1967 Largiemeanoch 12 Year Old bottle sold for US$32,430.

Pat’s Whisk(e)y Collection, the “world’s largest” private whisky collection to be offered at auction, is expected to sell for around US$5m when it concludes in June 2021.