Macallan 1926: The owner of the most expensive whiskey in the world raises his glass at the festive table

The Macallan 1926 bottle became a hot topic among collectors after setting a world record at Sotheby's, selling for an impressive $2.7 million.

Before the auction, Sotheby's head of whiskey department, Johnny Fowle, told AFP that he had sampled a small sample of this unique drink. "I tasted a tiny drop, tiny for this whiskey, but big for the world of spirits. It's very rich, with bright notes of dried fruit, lots of spice and wood," he noted, describing the whiskey as something "incredible" that is not to be trifled with.

The Macallan 1926 was distilled in 1926 at the historic Macallan Distillery in the Scottish village of Craigellachie. At this time, whiskey began to acquire status and recognition in world culture. The Macallan production process has always been characterized by the highest quality and careful selection of raw materials.

Of the remaining bottles in 1986, twelve were labeled by the pop artist Sir Peter Blake, whose work depicted the most notable events of that year in the Roaring 20s in black and white sketches and photographs. In 1993, labels for another 12 bottles were designed by Italian artist Valerio Adami.

The rarity factor is enhanced by the fact that one of the bottles bearing the Adami label is believed to have been destroyed during the 2011 Japan earthquake and the remaining unlabeled bottle has gone missing. It is also believed that at least one of the 40 bottles was opened and drunk, which is confirmed by images taken in Japan.

What makes this offering even more special is the fact that it is the first bottle to be restored at The Macallan Distillery before going up for auction. The process involved replacing the capsule and stopper, applying new adhesive to the corners of the bottle labels and taking a 1ml sample of the liquid for comparison with another 1926 bottle at Edrington's Glasgow office.

The 1926 Adami Macallan bottle offered at Sotheby's is now the basis for all other 1926 bottles that may be tested in the future.

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