The Macallan 1926 bottle sets US dollar auction record

A bottle of The Macallan 1926 Fine & Rare sold for £2,125,000 ($2,807,975) during a Sotheby’s auction held at The Macallan Estate in Speyside, Scotland, on October 9, 2026. The sale marks the most valuable bottle of whisky ever sold at auction when measured in US dollars, although it ranks as the second most valuable in sterling.

The auction, titled ‘Live from The Macallan Estate’, was the first to be held at the distillery to commemorate the centenary of the 1926 distillation. The event featured 42 lots primarily from private collections, achieving a total sale of approximately £3.3 million, exceeding the initial estimate of £2.4–3.2 million. Approximately 86% of the lots sold for prices above their high estimates.

The 1926 vintage was bottled in 1986 at 60 years old and originated from a single sherry-seasoned oak cask, number 263. Only 40 bottles were produced from this cask, with a limited number featuring the Fine & Rare label.