Whisky Auction Update January 3rd 2024: 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices of December

The final month of the year delivered the 20-highest hammer prices with a combined value of $1,189,554, and a balanced spread of Japanese, scotch, and American whiskies. Yamazaki topped the chart for the first time since March, with a bottle of Yamazaki 55 year old. Rare rye and bourbon placed highly, led by a new record for LeNell’s Red Hook Rye. Ardbeg made its first appearance of the year, as did one bottle of Blair Castle whisky sold at Whisky Auctioneer.

We have reported the 20 highest hammer prices every month this year, and using this as our guide, we can reveal that Macallan, Karuizawa, and Bowmore were the top high-value bottlings at auction in 2023. The 240 bottles that made the monthly lists throughout 2023 sold for a combined sum of $15,630,931, and a median hammer price of $34,027.

December 2023 – Top 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices

Results converted to dollars using xe.com

20. Old Rip Van Winkle 23 year old
Sold on: December 10^th at Unicorn Auctions
Hammer price: $23,600

19. Karuizawa 50 year old Cask No. 8636
Sold on: December 1^st at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $23,980

18. Karuizawa 50 year old Cask No. 2372
Sold on: December 1^st at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $23,980

17. D.H. Cromwell 15 year old
Sold on: December 9^th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $24,000

16. Blair Castle Whisky
Sold on: December 4^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $24,629

15. Highland Park 54 year old
Sold on December 19^th at Just Whisky
Hammer price: $25,264

14. Highland Park 54 year old
Sold on December 19^th at Just Whisky
Hammer price: $25,264

13. Karuizawa 1965 Streams of Time Cask No. 8852
Sold on: December 1^st at Christie’s
Hammer price: $25,582

12. Lottas Home Papa’s Private Family Reserve 13 year old
Sold on: December 9^th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $28,000

11. Rathskeller Rye 1983
Sold on: December 9^th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $30,000

10. Old Rip Van Winkle 25 year old
Sold on: December 9^th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $30,000

9. Ardbeg 1974 Cask No. 2742
Sold on: December 4^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $31,576

8. Bowmore 1961 50 year old
Sold on: December 4^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $37,891

7. Brora 1972 40 year old
Sold on: December 4^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $37,891

6. LeNell’s Red Hook Rye
Sold on: December 9^th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $45,000

5. Macallan in Lalique 57 year old
Sold on: December 9^th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $50,000

4. Samaroli Laphroaig 1967 15 year old
Sold on: December 4^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $57,467

3. Glenturret Eight Decades by James Turrell
Sold on: December 9^th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $160,000

2. Macallan The Reach 81 year old
Sold on: December 12^th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $161,810

1. Yamazaki 55 year old
Sold on: December 12^th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $323,620

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