Whisky Auction Update April 7, 2023: The 20 Highest Hammer Prices for March

April is here, so we can now reveal the 20 highest single bottle hammer prices for March 2023. Sotheby’s and Whisky Auctioneer excelled with 6 bottles on the March Top 20 list, while Sotheby's also gained the highest single bottle hammer price so far this year. Scotch Whisky Auctions also did well, scoring the second-highest sale of the month. The total value of these 20 bottles auctioned in March was $1,089,202, making this the first month this year where this list has topped $1 million.

March 2023 – Top 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices

Results converted to dollars using xe.com

20. Macallan The Red Collection 40 year old
Sold on: March 14^th at Whisky.Auction
Hammer price: $24,901

19. Port Ellen Casks of Distinction 1979 40 year old
Sold on: March 7th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $25,478

18. O.F.C. Old Fashioned Copper Vintage 1982
Sold on: March 17^th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $26,000

17. Karuizawa Gold Geisha 40 year old Cask No. 3626
Sold on: March 6th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $26,503

16. Bowmore 1964 35 year old Cask No. 3709
Sold on: March 6th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $26,503

15. Karuizawa Noh Whisky 1977 32 year old Cask No. 4592
Sold on: March 6th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $27,105

14. Karuizawa 1967 The Whisky Exchange 10^th Anniversary Cask No. 6426
Sold on: March 6th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $28,310

13. Macallan The Red Collection 40 year old
Sold on: March 17^th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $30,000

12. Macallan Millennium 1949 50 year old
Sold on: March 22^nd at Whisky Online Auctions
Hammer price: $30,574

11. Karuizawa Platinum Geisha 1984 38 year old Cask No. 4365
Sold on: March 26^th at Whisky Hammer
Hammer price: $30,575

10. Karuizawa Platinum Geisha 1982 40 year old Cask No. 1650
Sold on: March 26^th at Whisky Hammer
Hammer price: $30,575

9. Brora 40 year old
Sold on: March 7^th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $35,669

8. Hibiki 35 year old Kutani Decanter
Sold on: March 14^th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $40,747

7. Macallan The Red Collection 50 year old
Sold on: March 27^th at The Grand Whisky Auction
Hammer price: $44,203

6. Karuizawa 1965 50 year old Cask No. 2372
Sold on: March 6th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $45,777

5. Macallan The Red Collection 50 year old
Sold on: March 12^th at Scotch Whisky Auctions
Hammer price: $50,547

4. Macallan Genesis in Lalique 72 year old
Sold on: March 26^th at Whisky Hammer
Hammer price: $68,489

3. Karuizawa 1965 Japonisme Edition LMDW 60th Anniversary
Sold on: March 6th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $72,280

2. Macallan Genesis in Lalique 72 year old
Sold on: March 12^th at Scotch Whisky Auctions
Hammer price: $81,837

1. Yamazaki 55 year old
Sold on: March 14th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $343,129

Whisky Advocate’s International Auction House League 2023 Season - Results after Round Three

In this competition, auction houses earn 1 point for each bottle that makes the monthly list of 20 highest hammer prices. Extra points are awarded for landing a bottle in the top three places. A first-place finish earns an extra 3 points, second place gets 2 extra points, and third place gets 1 extra point. Over 12 rounds, those extra points could make all the difference to determining which auction house wins the league.