Auction Update: 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices for July

July’s combined 20-highest hammer prices totaled $400,321; the lowest monthly total of the year so far, in purely numerical terms. However, the list was rich with interesting bottles, especially those selling for hammer prices between $10,000 and $15,000. No single brand or style dominated proceedings; Dalmore Constellation Collection 1964 46 year old was the highest winning bid, Macallan, Bowmore, and Willett each had three bottles on the list, and three Japanese whiskies from three separate distilleries secured places. Among other whiskies, Fettercairn, Heaven Hill, A.H. Hirsch, and WhistlePig all made their first appearance of the year.

When the market is hopping, bottle sales generally must be at least $20,000 to make the list, and sales of rare private barrel picks from Willett, classics like Black Bowmore, and modern collectibles such as WhistlePig The Boss Hog often hover just below that. There were fewer spectacularly rare bottles on July’s list compared to most months as some auction houses took a summer break and other bottles failed to sell. The highest-value lots left unsold included a bottle of Macallan in Lalique 50 year old at Whisky.Auction (despite bids exceeding $100,000) and a trio of Macallan The Red Collection 71, 74, and 78 year old at Just Whisky (bidding reached over $120,000).

The first week of August will see interesting auctions at Whisky Auctioneer and Sotheby’s, New York. Whisky Auctioneer has Macallan The Red Collection 50 year old, and multiple Geisha bottlings of Karuizawa including Platinum, Golden, Aika, and Ruby.

On the block at Sotheby’s are 312 lots including the newly released bottles of I.W. Harper 34 year old, Macallan in Lalique 65 year old, and a 10-bottle lot comprising the WhistlePig The Boss Hog I-X Collection.

The action will continue throughout the second half of the year, with highlights including The Distillers One of One auction at Sotheby’s, Edinburgh, in October, and Gordon & MacPhail’s attempt to retake the world record for the oldest bottle of whisky ever sold at auction at Christie’s, New York, in November.

July 2025’s 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices

Results converted to dollars using xe.com

20. Yamazaki Age Unknown 1989 Release

Sold on: July 27^th at Australian Whisky Auctions
Hammer price: $11,177

19. A.H. Hirsch 17 year old Reserve

Sold on: July 14^th at Unicorn Auctions
Hammer price: $11,300

18. Karuizawa Aika Geisha 29 year old Cask No. 8897

Sold on: July 27^th at Whisky Hammer
Hammer price: $11,352

17. Macallan Select Reserve 1946 52 year old

Sold on: July 27^th at Whisky Hammer
Hammer price: $11,622

16. Black Bowmore 1964 Final Edition 1995 Release

Sold on: July 22^nd at Whisky.Auction
Hammer price: $11,897

15. Fettercairn 50 year old

Sold on: July 7^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $12,545

14. WhistlePig The Boss Hog 1st Edition Rye

Sold on: July 28^th at Unicorn Auctions
Hammer price: $13,100

13. Willett Family Estate 18 year old Bourbon Private Barrel (No. 1789b)

Sold on: July 21^st at Unicorn Auctions
Hammer price: $13,300

12. Macallan The Red Collection 40 year old

Sold on: July 21^st at Just Whisky
Hammer price: $13,361

11. WhistlePig The Boss Hog 1st Edition Rye

Sold on: July 28^th at Unicorn Auctions
Hammer price: $13,700

10. Willett Family Estate 21 year old Bourbon Private Barrel "The Wheated Warrior"

Sold on: July 21^st at Unicorn Auctions
Hammer price: $13,700

9. Michter’s 20 year old Single Barrel Bourbon 2012 Release

Sold on: July 28^th at Unicorn Auctions
Hammer price: $13,800

8. William Heavenhill Signature 2012 Release

Sold on: July 21^st at Unicorn Auctions
Hammer price: $13,900

7. Gold Bowmore 1964 44 year old

Sold on: July 13^th at Scotch Whisky Auctions
Hammer price: $14,207

6. Willett Family Estate 22 year old Rye "Doug’s Green Ink"

Sold on: July 7^th at Unicorn Auctions
Hammer price: $15,000

5. Bowmore Premier Range 1967 40 year old

Sold on: July 7^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $17,045

4. Hanyu Ichiro’s Malt Card Series 1985 Monochrome Joker

Sold on: July 7^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $19,773

3. Brora 1972 40 year old

Sold on: July 22^nd at Whisky.Auction
Hammer price: $26,362

2. Macallan in Lalique 62 year old

Sold on: July 7^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $47,727

1. Dalmore Constellation Collection 1964 46 year old

Sold on: July 7^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $95,453

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.