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09.10.2026
The Macallan Fine & Rare 1926 Becomes the Most Valuable Whisky Ever Sold in US Dollars at Sotheby's
The Macallan Fine & Rare 1926 Becomes the Most Valuable Whisky Ever Sold in US Dollars at Sotheby's
A Record in US Dollars
On 9 October 2026, Sotheby's held its first live auction at The Macallan Estate in Speyside. The headline lot, a bottle of The Macallan Fine & Rare 1926, sold for a final price of $2.81 million. Sotheby's auctioneer Jonny Fowle conducted the sale.
Sotheby's says the result makes it the most valuable whisky ever sold in US dollars. With it, the auction house now holds the top three prices ever achieved for a bottle of whisky at auction.
Above the Estimate
Before the sale, Sotheby's estimated the bottle at £1.7 million to £2.2 million. The previous auction record was set in 2023, when a bottle from the same cask with a label by Valerio Adami sold at Sotheby's in London for £2.2 million ($2.7 million).
The sale, titled Live from The Macallan Estate, marked 100 years since the 1926 vintage was distilled and offered more than 40 lots, almost all from private collections.
One Cask, Forty Bottles
The whisky comes from cask number 263, filled in 1926. The Macallan drew 40 bottles from it in 1986, after 60 years of maturation. At most 14 received the Fine and Rare label. Others carried labels by Sir Peter Blake and Valerio Adami, which is why bottles from this single cask have repeatedly set auction records.
The bottle is listed in Spiritory's catalog as the Macallan 60 Years Old 1926 Cask Nr.263.
The Rest of the Sale
Other lots included a Romantica Collection Unique Artists Edition, The Reach 81 Years Old, a complete Lalique Six Pillars Collection and a Golden Age of Travel Ocean Liner. Sotheby's had not published results for the other lots at the time of writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did the Macallan 1926 sell for?
The Macallan Fine & Rare 1926 sold for a final price of $2.81 million at Sotheby's on 9 October 2026.
Is it a whisky auction record?
According to Sotheby's, it is the most valuable whisky ever sold in US dollars. Sotheby's now holds the top three prices achieved for a bottle of whisky at auction.
What was the estimate?
Sotheby's estimated the bottle at £1.7 million to £2.2 million.
Where did the auction take place?
At The Macallan Estate in Speyside, Scotland, the first live auction Sotheby's has held there.
About the author
Spiritory Team
Spiritory is a team of dedicated Whisky, Rum and Spirits Enthusiast. Our passion for the product, craftmanship and art of producing the finest spirits in the world will be represented in every article we write on our blog-page. Our goal is to produce content which is interesting to read and for a broad base of consumers, enthusiasts, investors and collectors.