THEY are 90 years old and no-one really knows what they taste like, and probably no-one ever will, but two extremely rare bottles of whisky have just set a world record.
The bottles of Macallan 1926 have become the most expensive pair of whisky bottles ever sold after they changed hands for just shy of £1 million.
It was not actually the water of life in the bottles which were the main attraction but the fact that the pair are labelled with original artworks by renowned artists Sir Peter Blake and Valerio Adami.
The bottles were sold by Le Clos, the Dubai Airport-based luxury spirits retailer, to an unnamed international businessman for his private collection.
Le Clos said: “These two bottles are two of the most unique bottles of whisky ever produced.
“The whisky itself is The Macallan 1926, which was distilled in 1926 then aged 60 years in sherry-seasoned oak barrels before being bottled and released in 1986.
“Of the 40 bottles produced, just 12 were given to British artist Sir Peter Blake, famed for co-creating the Beatles’ album cover for Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and 12 released in 1993 were given to the Italian artist Valerio Adami, one of the most acclaimed pop artists of the 21st century.
“Each artist created a bespoke label for the bottles, making them highly sought after by art lovers and whisky collectors alike.”
Each bottle originally retailed at £20,000, and the last known individual bottle sold in 2007 at Christie’s for $75,000.
Geoff Kirk, director of prestige at The Macallan, said: “These represent some of the most exclusive bottles ever produced making this an iconic sale that will be remembered worldwide for years to come.”
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