'Forgotten' cask of rare whisky becomes most expensive ever sold

‘Forgotten’ cask of rare whisky becomes most expensive ever sold

A cask of rare whisky that lay forgotten for more than 30 years has broken a new world record after being sold for £1m.

Whisky enthusiasts bid on the 374-litre cask in an online auction on the Whiskey Hammer site, where it sold for $1,295,000 (£1,017,000).

The cask was distilled at The Macallan on 5 May 1988 and had been held in bond at the distillery in Moray for almost 34 years.

It had been bought on a whim by an expert who forgot about it until the distillery reminded them it was still maturing in the warehouse.

“When this cask was listed in our auction, we knew it had the potential to make history,” according to Daniel Milne, co-founder of the Whiskey Hammer site.

“To come across a cask of this age, quality and size is extraordinary in itself, enhanced by the fact the liquid was distilled at The Macallan which is reflected in the global attention the cask has attracted.

“It’s been incredibly exciting for everyone at Whisky Hammer to have represented what has become the most expensive cask ever to be sold at auction.”

The cask was bought by a private individual based in the US and would yield 534 70cl bottles of single malt whisky if bottled today.

The sale price included a buyer’s premium.

It broke the previous world record set in 2021 by Bonhams for the sale of a 30-year-old, re-racked Sherry hogshead from Macallan, which sold for $574,000 (£439,000).

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