The first part of The Ultimate Whisky Collection fetched £7.6 million/US$9.8m in total when the auction, comprised of 391 lots, concluded in October 2019. During the sale, a bottle of Macallan 1926 60-year-old Scotch whisky set a new world record after fetching £1.5m (US$1.9m). The sale was Sotheby’s first spirits offering from a single owner.

On 31 October 2020, Sotheby’s will offer The Ultimate Whisky Collection Part II as part of a larger sale. This year’s offering will present 190 lots of Scotch, Japanese and Irish whiskies, estimated to sell for £800,000 (US$1m) in total.

Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s spirits specialist, said: “After launching Sotheby’s spirits business last year, this segment of the wine and spirits market has seen the fastest growth, not least during these past six months, with three new world auction record prices, and an increase in buying and bidding from both new and young collectors.

“The appreciation for whisky is incredibly diverse and our younger collectors are showing a keen interest in understanding the nuances of age, rarity and provenance, whether acquiring bottles for current drinking, special occasions, or to treasure for the future.

“This season, we are thrilled to present the first of our annual spirits sales to take place on Halloween, not least with the second part of the Ultimate Whisky Collection and an opportunity for collectors to get their hands on a complete set of The Macallan’s new collection, so soon after its official launch.

“Our sale of part one a year ago – our first-ever single-owner spirits auction – marked a historic moment for the spirits market, with new benchmark prices and a fresh approach to selling whisky.

“This year’s offering, though lower in value, is testament to the quality of the collection in its depth and breadth. With The Macallan continuing to take the dominant pole position in our spirits sales, it is a real pleasure for us to open the auction with one of the most exciting launches in the world of collectible whisky in recent years.”

Macallan partnership: 

Sotheby’s has collaborated with The Macallan to mark the launch of a new collection of single malts from the Speyside distillery. The sale will kick off with a complete set of six whiskies aged from 40 years old to the oldest expression ever released by the brand. Full details of the series will be revealed on 15 October to coincide with The Macallan’s official launch.

Read more at source: thespiritsbusiness

Image source: thespiritsbusiness