The Macallan 1926 Leads Sotheby's Speyside Auction 2026

Sotheby's First Auction at The Macallan Estate

Sotheby's will hold its first auction at The Macallan Estate in Speyside, Scotland, on 9 October 2026. The sale marks 100 years since the 1926 vintage was distilled and brings together more than 40 lots, almost all drawn from private collections.

Leading the sale is the Fine and Rare 60 Years Old 1926, with an estimate of approximately €2.0 million to €2.6 million. Spiritory's catalog lists the Macallan 60 Years Old 1926 Cask Nr.263.

The 1926 Cask and Its Bottles

The bottle is one of 14 Fine and Rare examples from cask number 263, which The Macallan first released in 2002. The Macallan drew 40 bottles from the sherry seasoned oak cask in 1986, after the whisky had matured for 60 years. Twelve received labels designed by Sir Peter Blake and another 12 featured designs by Valerio Adami. Two were left unlabelled, and Irish artist Michael Dillon later hand painted one of them.

No bottle from the 1926 cask has appeared at auction since an Adami labelled example set the whisky auction record at Sotheby's in London in 2023. The forthcoming sale returns a bottle from the cask to the estate where its whisky was made.

More Lots in the Sale

The Macallan will also consign a version of its Romantica Collection made for the auction, a three bottle set at 42.6% ABV with artwork by Blake, Adami and Dillon. The Reach 81 Years Old, a single malt distilled in 1940, is offered in a mouth blown decanter inside a bronze sculpture of three hands. Further lots include a complete Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection and a 1937 Golden Age of Travel Ocean Liner.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the Sotheby's Macallan auction?

Sotheby's will hold its first auction at The Macallan Estate in Speyside, Scotland, on 9 October 2026.

What is the Macallan 1926 expected to fetch?

Sotheby's estimates the Fine and Rare 60 Years Old 1926 at approximately €2.0 million to €2.6 million.

How many bottles came from the 1926 cask?

The Macallan drew 40 bottles from cask number 263 in 1986, after 60 years of maturation. Twelve carry Peter Blake labels, 12 carry Valerio Adami designs, and two were left unlabelled.

What else is in the sale?

The sale has more than 40 lots, including a three bottle Romantica Collection made for the auction, The Reach 81 Years Old, a complete Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection and a 1937 Golden Age of Travel Ocean Liner.