Whisky Auction Update: 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices of November

Whisky Auction Update: 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices of November

December 1, 2023 –––––– Jonny McCormick, , , ,

November delivered a new world record for whisky at auction with the Macallan Valerio Adami, and the total hammer price value for the 20 highest single bottle sales reached nearly $3.3 million. While the Valerio Adami got the spotlight at the top of the list, Japanese whiskies made up more than half of the top 20, with the sale of the Karuizawa 1960 52 year old Daikoku God and the Yamazaki 50 year old 2nd release in second and third place. That made November the highest monthly total of 2023—though the year isn’t over quite yet, with auctions running through December. Competition for December's top slots may come from the upcoming sale of a bottle of Macallan The Reach 81 year old and a bottle of Yamazaki 55 year old in Paris.

November 2023 – Top 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices

Results converted to dollars using xe.com

Whisky-Auctioneer-Macallan-1979-Fine-and-Rare-40-Year-Old-2803.jpg20. Macallan Fine & Rare 1979 40 year old
Sold on: November 6th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $21,558

19. Karuizawa 1965 50 year old Cask No. 8636
Sold on: November 11th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $23,612

18. Karuizawa 1965 50 year old Cask No. 8636
Sold on: November 11th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $24,233
Whisky-Auctioneer-Karuizawa-38-Year-Old-Single-Sherry-Cask-4365-Platinum-Geisha.jpg17. Karuizawa Platinum Geisha 38 year old Cask No. 4365
Sold on: November 6th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $24,780
Sothebys-Macallan-Millennium-Decanter-50-Year-Old-1949_300.jpg16. Macallan Millennium 1949 50 year old
Sold on: November 18th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $24,913
Whisky-Auctioneer-Karuizawa-38-Year-Old-Single-Sherry-Cask-4365-Platinum-Geisha-0001.jpg15. Karuizawa Platinum Geisha 38 year old Cask No. 4365
Sold on: November 6th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $25,399

14. Karuizawa Ruby Geisha 38 year old Cask No. 7582
Sold on: November 12th at Scotch Whisky Auctions
Hammer price: $25,670
Sothebys-Karuizawa-50-Year-Old-Sherry-Cask-2372-1965_300-0001.jpg13. Karuizawa 1965 50 year old Cask No. 2372
Sold on: November 11th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $27,340

12. Karuizawa 1965 50 year old Cask No. 2372
Sold on: November 11th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $27,340
Whisky-Auctioneer-Karuizawa-Noh-1971-41-year-old_300.png11. Karuizawa Noh 1971 41 year old Cask No. 1842
Sold on: November 11th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $29,825
Glenturret-1972-Lalique-Decanter-50-Year-Old_300.jpg10. Glenturret 1972 50 year old
Sold on: November 6th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $34,691
Sothebys-Karuizawa-50-Year-Old-Japonisme-Casks-2372-8636-1965_300.jpg9. Karuizawa 1965 50 year old Japonisme Cask No. 2372 & No. 8636
Sold on: November 11th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $39,767
Macallan-65-Year-Old-Lalique-Six-Pillars-Collection_300.jpg8. Macallan in Lalique 65 year old
Sold on: November 24th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $44,910
The-Macallan-62-Year-Old-in-Lalique,-Six-Pillars,-Fifth-Edition-300.jpg7. Macallan in Lalique 62 year old
Sold on: November 24th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $57,741
Sotheby-The-Macallan-72-Year-Old-in-Lalique-Genesis-Decanter_300-0001.png6. Macallan Genesis in Lalique 72 year old
Sold on: November 7th at Whisky.Auction
Hammer price: $61,476
Sothebys-Bowmore-Arc-52-Year-Old-1968_300.jpg5. Bowmore Arc-52
Sold on: November 18th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $62,284
Sothebys-Macallan-The-Red-Collection-78-Year-Old_300.jpg4. Macallan The Red Collection 78 year old
Sold on: November 18th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $62,284

3. Yamazaki 50 year old 2nd Release
Sold on: November 24th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $198,887
Sothebys-Karuizawa-52-Year-Old-Cask-5627-1960_300.jpg2. Karuizawa 1960 52 year old Cask No. 5627 Daikoku God
Sold on: November 11th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $298,251
The-Macallan-Adami-1926_300_2.jpg1. Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 60 year old
Sold on: November 18th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $2,179,927

This table ranks the 20 brands by year-to-date total and also shows November’s results.

Brand

# of bottles in November

$ in November

# of bottles YTD

$ YTD

Macallan

7

$2,452,809

83

$7,151,603

Karuizawa

10

$546,217

39

$1,597,596

Bowmore

1

$62,284

21

$1,495,902

Yamazaki

1

$198,887

7

$1,193,864

Brora

0

0

5

$524,348

Glen Grant

0

0

4

$374,827

Hanyu

0

0

10

$306,791

Midleton

0

0

8

$271,100

Van Winkle

0

0

9

$266,500

Laphroaig

0

0

4

$258,893

Port Ellen

0

0

3

$102,887

Hibiki

0

0

2

$94,778

Glenturret

1

$34,691

2

$92,163

Highland Park

0

0

3

$83,574

Old Pulteney

0

0

1

$66,926

Red Hook

0

0

2

$57,900

Hakushu

0

0

1

$57,453

Springbank

0

0

2

$54,492

Glenlivet

0

0

2

$52,896

O.F.C.

0

0

2

$48,000

Michter’s

0

0

2

$47,016

House of Hazelwood

0

0

1

$46,240

Kandoblanc

0

0

1

$43,806

Mortlach

0

0

1

$27,495

Balvenie

0

0

1

$25,496

Ben Nevis

0

0

1

$25,016

Glendronach

0

0

1

$24,714

Glengoyne

0

0

1

$24,711

Willett

0

0

1

$24,300