Sotheby’s Largest Online Spirits Sale

Achieves £1.2 Million / $1.6 Million

Established Collectors and First-Time Buyers Compete for 250 Lots

Comprising Whiskies from Scotland and Japan

First Offering at Auction of Set #1 of the First Release of

The Prima & Ultima Collection Brings £26,840

“We are delighted to have finished the summer with a successful online auction where 47% of buyers were new to Sotheby’s and 40% of bidders were under 40 years old. It was also a privilege to offer the first release of The Prima & Ultima Collection with the proceeds being donated to WaterAid. The staggering values we achieved on the Macallan Fine & Rare collection are testament to the current strength of the spirits market. We look forward to continuing our success into October when we offer the Ultimate Whisky Collection Part II.”

Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Spirits Specialist 

LONDON, 3 September 2020: Distilled | The Macallan Fine & Rare and The Prima & Ultima Collection, an online sale featuring some of the very rarest whiskies to be offered at auction, closed on Wednesday, raising a total of £1.2 million, and just tipping over the pre-sale high estimate. Headlined by The Macallan’s most sought after releases, an array of rare Italian import Scotch, and the first set from the new Prima & Ultima Collection series, this was Sotheby’s largest online spirits sale by lot.

KEY FACTS AND FIGURES: 

• Sale realises £1,201,590 / $1,580,989 (pre-sale estimate: £860,750 – 1,176,600 / $1,132,661 – 1,548,288)
• 44% of lots sold achieve prices in excess of high estimate
• 47% of buyers were new to Sotheby’s and 40% of bidders were under 40 years old 

NOTABLE PRICES 

• Set #1 of the first release of The Prima & Ultima Collection sold for £26,840 / $35,249 (est. £16,000-28,000). The sale marked the first opportunity to acquire this collection at auction, following the recent inaugural launch of a new series of single vintage malt whiskies by distillery owner Diageo. Proceeds will be donated to Diageo’s charity partner WaterAid.

• Over 90 Macallan lots brought a combined total of £876,976 / $1,154,013 against a pre-sale estimate of £617,960 – 838,450 / $813,174 – 1,103,316, led by The Macallan Fine & Rare Collection featuring the most iconic whiskies from The Macallan distillery, including vintages spanning 1940 to 1976.

• Achieving the top price in the sale was a bottle of The Macallan Fine and Rare 56 Year Old 1945, sold for £46,360 / $60,885 (est. £35,000-48,000) – this is the second oldest age statement in the Fine & Rare Collection after the record-breaking 60 year old 1926, and one of only 152 bottles of this whisky to exist.

• The selection of independent bottlings was led by three bottles of Laphroaig Samaroli 16 Year Old 1970, all of which surpassed their pre-sale estimate, with two bottles selling for £17,080 / $22,431 each and a third realising £15,860 / $20,829 (est. £9,000-13,000) – final prices indicative of the rarity of seeing three bottles of this whisky in a single auction.

• An exceptional selection of Japanese whiskies was distinguished by 27 Karuizawa lots made up of Single Cask bottlings and vattings from Japan’s most popular closed distillery. Together they sold for a combined total of £113,018 / $148,720 (est. £74,300 – 98,100 / $97,771 – 129,090), led by Karuizawa Sapphire Geisha 36 Year Old Cask #5077, sold for £18,300 / $24,034 (est. £11,000-15,000).

• Eleven Port Ellen lots were 100% sold, with several bottles reaching prices in excess of their pre-sale high estimates, including Port Ellen Fourth Annual Release 25 Year Old 1978 (sold for £2,684 / $3,525, est. £1,000-1,400), and Port Ellen Tenth Annual Release 31 Year Old 1978 (sold for £2,318 / $3,044, est. £750-1,200). Leading the group was a bottle of Port Ellen 1979 40 Year Old Casks Of Distinction #1883, which realised £21,960 / $28,840 (est. £20,000-26,000).