Matured for 78 years: Oldest age statement whisky up for auction
A bottle of Macallan whisky matured for 78 years will be sold at auction - making it the oldest 'age statement whisky' ever to go under the hammer.
The high end booze is par t of a set of six whiskies, including The Macallan 40 Years Old, The Macallan 50 Years Old and The Macallan 60 Years Old, as well as 71 Years Old and 74 Years Old.
The 78-Years Old whisky is also the oldest yet to be sold by Macallan. The term "age statement” denotes length of time it has been matured for in oak casks, while "vintage” refers to the year the spirit was distilled.
Previously the oldest “age statement whisky” to be sold a t a u c t i o n w a s a 75 - y e a r - old whisky, which was not a Macallan.
The collection of six single malt whiskies, known as the Red Collection, will be sold by auction house S otheby's, to raise money for charity, and is estimated to sell for between £200,000-800,000.
I t wi l l b e s o l d o n 3 1 Oc t o - ber after being given by The Ma c a l l a n D i s t i l l e r y t o C i t y Harvest to raise funds for the food charity which redistribu te s s u r p l u s f r o m t h e f o o d industry to vulnerable people across London.
Each bottle in The Red Collection is encased in a handcrafted oak box created from the same sustainable Euro - pean oak used to make The Macallan's oak casks.
The boxes are upholstered with sustainably sourced soft red leather from Scottish supplier Bridge of Weir Leather, which creates upholstery for luxury car brands.
Jonny Fowle, Sotheby's Spiri t s S p e c i a l i s t , s a i d : "We a r e thrilled to par tner with The Ma c a l l a n t o o f f e r T h e R e d Collection, alongside our second offering of The Ultimate Whisky Collection, as part of our inaugural Halloween Spirits sale.
"This is the only opportunity for whisky collectors to own a truly special Red Collection set with labels hand-signed by Javi Aznarez.
"T h i s u n i q u e e v e n t a l s o m a r k s o u r t h i r d c h a r i t y - related partnership with The Macallan in recent years, following record-breaking prices for The Macallan M Constantine and The Macallan in Lalique Legacy Collection in Hong Kong.
"We look forward to continuing this success with the sale of The Red Collection, the proceeds of which will benefit City Harvest London."