It’s whisky galore as Scotland’s rarest tipples fetch thousands at auctions

Bottle of Scotch bought for just £35 two decades ago fetches £2,200 when it goes under the hammer

Abottle of whisky that sold for just £35 in 1996 has been snapped up by a collector for £2,200 at auction.

The rare Private Eye Macallan was bottled in 1996 for the 35th anniversary of the satirical magazine. And the 1961 bonded bottle features a screen-printed label by the legendary artist Ralph Steadman. It is number 216 in a limited run of 5,000.

Another similar bottle fetched £2,000 in the same auction in Glasgow.

Laurie Black, whisky specialist at auctioneers Mctear’s, said: “This is one of the most collectable Macallan of all time and there was significant interest in both lots prior to the auction.

“Anyone who snapped up a bottle for £35 in 1996 made a very shrewd investment, with bottles now selling for over 60 times their original value.”

Other Macallan in the sale included a 25-year-old 1968 Anniversary Malt, which fetched £2,200, and a 1970 18-year-old which was sold for £1,500. Laurie added: “Six of our top ten bottles in the auction were Macallan, proving yet again the investment potential in rare examples from this distillery.”

Last week, one of the rarest whiskies in the world was sold at auction for £14,534.

The oldest official bottle of Brora whisky was distilled in 1972 and has been ageing in an ex-sherry butt in Scotland for the last 44 years.

The “exceptionally rare” bottle has now been sold in Hong Kong by an unnamed buyer. As the only bottle to have been drawn from the cask, its sellers said it would offer its new owner a taste of true rarity.

Richard Walker, Global Head of Malts at Diageo, said: “The 1972 Brora is an exquisite single malt with unparalleled history and heritage.

“It represents the pinnacle of Diageo’s single malt Scotch whisky reserves and appeals to epicureans, collectors and investors alike.

“Over the last few years we’ve seen a rapid growth of interest in rare and collectable whiskies. High-end whisky collection is a growing trend and as such we’ve seen an increase in the auction market for this kind of rare bottling,” he added.

0 The £14k bottle of Brora whisky