A bottle of The Macallan 1926 went under the hammer recently at a Sotheby's auction held at The Macallan Estate in Speyside for £2.1m – that’s almost $4m Australian dollars.
The first to be held at a Scottish distillery, the auction drew the world’s most avid whisky collectors.
The 60-year-old Macallan 1926 Fine & Rare is one of a mere 40 bottles drawn from Sherry seasoned oak cask number 263 in 1986.
Despite the eye-watering price tag, the bottle isn’t the most expensive bottle to ever go under the hammer.
Here are four more whiskies and collections that are the most highly sought after on the globe.
The Emerald Isle whiskey, The Craft Irish Whiskey Co
The Craft Irish Whiskey Co sold a bottle of The Emerald Isle whiskey to American collector Mike Daley for a whopping $2.8 million USD, making it the world’s most expensive whiskey or whisky ever sold.
Daley is one of the US' most prolific whisky collectors, with a collection consisting of several thousand bottles of Irish, American, and Scotch whiskeys/whiskies.
Whisky: The Emerald Isle whiskey, The Craft Irish Whiskey Co
Auction price: $2.8 million USD ($3.99 million AUD)
Why it’s so valuable: The ultra-rare 30-Year-Old Irish single malt whiskey is one of only seven bottles ever produced. The Emerald Isle's comes in a walnut case and includes a single decanter, alongside a bespoke Fabergé egg — containing an actual emerald gem — a custom timepiece, and a pair of Cohiba cigars.
The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 60 Year Old, The Macallan
While The Emerald Isle is the most expensive whisk(e)y ever sold, The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 60 Year Old remains the record holder for the most expensive bottle ever sold at auction.
In 2023, The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 60 Year Old surpassed expectations and sold for a staggering £2,187,500 ($4,146,985 AUD).
Whisky: The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 60 Year Old, The Macallan
Auction price: £2,187,500 ($4,146,985 AUD)
Why it’s so valuable: Distilled in 1926 and bottled in 1986, a mere 40 bottles were produced. The 40 bottles featured custom labels, and just 12 of those bottles were designed by renowned Italian painter Valerio Adami.
Yamazaki 50 Year Old Club Natsume
In May 2026, the Yamazaki 50 Year Old Club Natsume set a new world record for Japanese whisky at Bonhams Hong Kong when it sold at auction for $1.05 million USD ($1,499,400 AUD).
Whisky: Yamazaki 50 Year Old Club Natsume
Auction price: $1.05 million USD ($1,499,400 AUD)
Why it’s so valuable: Fully matured in Japanese Mizunara oak, it was distilled in the mid-1950s. The one-off bottle was created for Club Natsume, a private members’ club in Japan to mark its 50th anniversary by Yamazaki, the oldest and most prestigious Japanese distillery.
Hanyu Ichuro’s Full Card Series
Japanese whisky doesn’t get any more sought after than this: Hanyu Ichiro Full Card Series.
In November 2020, the mythic Hanyu Ichiro Full Card Series sold at Bonhams’s Fine & Rare Wine and Whisky auction in Hong Kong for $1,520,000 USD ($2,170,684.64 AUD).
Whisky: Hanyu Ichuro’s Full Card Series – complete set of 54 bottles
Auction price: $1,520,000 USD ($2,170,684.64 AUD)
Why it’s so valuable: Established in 1941 by Isouji Akuto, Hanyu distillery operated from 1941 to 2000. After an economic recession, the distillery stopped operating in 2000. In 2004, the distillery was demolished and Akuto’s grand son Ichiro Akuto secured 400 whisky casks from the distillery.
Of those casks, Ichiro selected the liquid and bottled the 54 releases in the Card Series. The 54 releases in the series represent a full deck of playing cards. These bottles are so scarce, and when a complete set became available at the Hong Kong auction house, whisky collectors battled to get their hands on these mythic bottles.
We’ve got good news for you, Whisky Clubbers. We’ve got a Member exclusive from this legendary whisky house: Ichiro’s First Fill Oloroso Single Cask #BB0041.
This is a super rare opportunity to get your hands on an exclusive from the whiskymaker whose releases are so hugely sought after among whisky collectors. And don’t worry, you don’t need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to get your hands on a bottle.
Only 257 bottles exist, and they’re only available to Members of The Whisky Club from Friday November 6th. If you’re keen to get a bottle, join the Club free now to get yours.
