World record whisky costs £43,000 a glass

A BOTTLE of 92-year-old whisky has sold for a world record price of £1.2million – or £43,000 per glass.

The single-malt scotch was produced in 1926 by The Macallan distillery in the Highlands.

It spent the next 60 years maturing in a former sherry cask before being bottled in limited number in 1986. It is claimed to be the finest cask of whisky ever matured.

Peter Blake, the artist behind the album cover for The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Italian painter Valerio Adami were asked to design a label for 12 bottles each.

One bottle with the Adami label sold for a then world record price of £848,000 in Edinburgh in October.

In addition, Irish artist Michael Dillon hand painted one bottle, pictured, with an image depicting the Easter Elchies estate near Craigellachie in Moray where the distillery is situated. This bottle has just been sold by auctioneers Christie’s in London for a hammer price of £1million. With fees added on, the total price paid by the anonymous overseas buyer was £1.2million – the equivalent of £43,000 per shot. Tim Triptree, of Christie’s, said: ‘I would like to think the new owner will drink it. The Macallan is undoubtedly the leading distiller of all single malt whisky. ‘And this bottle is the holy grail for whisky collectors. Some 40 bottles were produced from this cask but this record-breaking bottle was completely unique. ‘The auction market for single malt whisky is red hot at the moment.’