Whisky Auction Update October 4th 2024 : 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices for September

Macallan extended its grip over other brands last month, securing 10 of the 20-highest hammer prices of September. Sotheby’s, New York auctioned the three highest hammer prices of the month: all were Macallan. The combined value of September’s list was $690,213, $400,000 of which were Macallan. Securing 10 positions on the list is no easy feat, and Macallan is the first distillery to do it since November 2023, when Karuizawa dominated. Macallan tops this year’s leaderboard, and it has now had more bottles in the monthly 20 hammer price lists across 2024 than its five closest rivals: Karuizawa, Yamazaki, Van Winkle, Bowmore, and Dalmore. Bottles of Macallan have a combined year-to-date total of $3.3 million, a figure that’s greater than the combined sum of the bottles from the next 16 distilleries on the list.

October, traditionally the richest month for whisky auctions, looks set to deliver in style with Whisky Auctioneer selling a bottle of Macallan The Red Collection 60 year old and a bottle of Samaroli Laphroaig 1967 15 year old Sherry Wood while Sotheby’s, Hong Kong is offering a rare bottle of Karuizawa 1960 52 year old and a bottle of Macallan The Reach 81 year old. After a quiet August, and a solid September, we could be looking at a bumper month in October.
20. Macallan 1949 50 year old Millennium Decanter

Sold on: September 12^th at Sotheby’s, New York
Hammer price: $20,000

19. Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 15 year old Husk Private Barrel Selection
Sold on: September 16^th at Unicorn Auctions
Hammer price: $20,800

18. Rathskeller Rye
Sold on: September 12^th at Sotheby’s, New York
Hammer price: $22,000

17. Macallan 40 year old 2016 Release
Sold on: September 9^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $23,549

16. Glendronach 50 year old
Sold on: September 29^th at Whisky Hammer
Hammer price: $23,944

15. Macallan 40 year old 2016 Release
Sold on: September 2^nd at WVA Whisky Auctions
Hammer price: $25,635

14. Bowmore 1969 50 year old
Sold on: September 8^th at Scotch Whisky Auctions
Hammer price: $26,264

13. Macallan Fine & Rare 1978 39 year old
Sold on: September 9^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $27,082

12. Glenfarclas 1954 62 year old Pagoda Ruby Reserve Gold Edition
Sold on: September 2^nd at WVA Whisky Auctions
Hammer price: $27,279

11. Glenfarclas 1953 63 year old Pagoda Saphire Reserve Gold Edition
Sold on: September 12^th at WVA Whisky Auctions
Hammer price: $28,451

10. Macallan in Lalique 62 year old
Sold on: September 12^th at Sotheby’s, New York
Hammer price: $30,000

9. Karuizawa 1965 50 year old Cask No. 8636
Sold on: September 9^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $30,745

8. Karuizawa 50 year old Cask No. 538
Sold on: September 9^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $32,707

7. Macallan The Red Collection 50 year old
Sold on: September 29^th at Whisky Hammer
Hammer price: $36,116

6. Old Rip Van Winkle 25 year old
Sold on: September 16^th at Unicorn Auctions
Hammer price: $36,400

5. LeNell’s Red Hook Rye 23 year old Barrel No. 1
Sold on: September 12^th at Sotheby’s, New York
Hammer price: $42,000

4. Macallan 1946 56 year old Masters of Photography Albert Watson
Sold on: September 16^th at Just Whisky
Hammer price: $42,241

3. Macallan Anniversary Malt 1928 50 year old
Sold on: September 12^th at Sotheby’s, New York
Hammer price: $55,000

2. Macallan in Lalique 60 year old
Sold on: September 12^th at Sotheby’s, New York
Hammer price: $65,000

1. Macallan in Lalique 57 year old
Sold on: September 12^th at Sotheby’s, New York
Hammer price: $75,000

Each month, we publish the 20-highest hammer prices for single bottles of whisky. This table ranks the 20 brands by the sum of their 20-highest hammer price sales and shows the latest month’s results.