London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 27, 2025

How good is the world's most expensive whisky?

A rare bottle of Scotch whisky hit the headlines this week after it was sold for a world record £1.45m at auction in London.

The Macallan 1926 60-year-old single malt from cask number 263 had been described by Sotheby's as the "holy grail" of whisky.

At more than £50,000 a dram, you might expect it to taste spectacular.

We tracked down one of the few people in the world to have tried the whisky to give us his verdict.

David Robertson tasted it a number of times between 1994 and 2000 when he was distillery manager and then master distiller at The Macallan.

Mr Robertson, who is now a co-director of whisky experts Rare Whisky 101 (RW101), recalls: "My boss and I were lucky enough to have a few samples in the nosing room that we had to ensure were 'ok'.

"From memory it was an incredibly rich, intense spirit - full of dried fruits, of prunes and dates and tons of incredible spicy notes of cloves, ginger and cinnamon.

"I also recall zesty orange marmalade, hints of peat and smoke, finished with a delicious drying oak tannin from the sherry cask, and waxy, linseed oil and leather notes."


And his overall verdict?

"It's a great whisky - but I've had better. The Macallan 1979 Gran Reserva, for example, was truly a stunning dram. There are other bottles from other distillers that are at least as good."


Facts about cask number 263

The Spanish oak sherry cask was distilled in 1926 and bottled in 1986.

Only 40 bottles were produced.

Macallan commissioned pop artists Peter Blake and Valerio Adami to design labels for a limited edition of 24 bottles - 12 Adami and 12 Blake.

One bottle was hand-painted by Irish artist Michael Dillon.

The rest of the bottles form part of The Macallan Fine and Rare Collection, which includes the Macallan 1926.

Experts believe at least one of the bottles has been consumed.

The new owner of the Macallan 1926, who has not been identified, may never get round to tasting this particular bottle.

RW101 co-director Andy Simpson says purchasers of rare whisky fall into three categories - the drinker, the investor and the collector.

Mr Simpson thinks it unlikely that the bottle was bought to be consumed, given its value.

Nor does he think an investor is behind the purchase.

He explains: "The investor is looking to leverage value in a bottle by buying low and selling high, which is clearly not the case here.

"In my opinion - and I could be wrong - this bottle was bought by a collector who simply didn't care about the price because they needed it to complete a collection."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
×