May's 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices at Auction

May’s 20 highest hammer prices produced a total of $1,878,488, the first month of the year to top a million dollars, with rare Japanese whiskies doing most of the heavy lifting. Yamazaki 50 year old Club Natsume set a new Japanese whisky record with a winning bid of $842,169 at Bonhams, Hong Kong. Like the first million dollar Macallan, this only qualifies as the first million dollar Yamazaki with the addition of the buyer's premium. Close behind, Karuizawa 1960 52 year old Cask No. 5627 Treasure Ship sold for $638,007, becoming the second-highest hammer price of 2026 and setting a new brand record for Karuizawa. Until May, only five Japanese whiskies appeared on the monthly lists so far this year. The total for the month is up 108% compared to May 2025, which was notable for the Bowmore vs. Dalmore showdown.

Speaking of Bowmore, the Islay distillery secured a quarter of the bottles in this month’s 20 highest hammer price list, led by a winning bid of $32,722 for Bowmore 1966 50 year old at Scotch Whisky Auctions. Bowmore’s high value single bottle sales this month moved it up the table as the second-highest scotch, overtaking Dalmore. Macallan still holds the lead but has yet to break through the $1 million mark for its combined value of the 20 highest single bottles sold at auction this year, though it came close with May’s sales of Macallan The Red Collection 60 year old for $70,379 and Macallan Sir Peter Black Anecdotes of Ages 1967 Down to Work for $28,422. Its gains were cut by Yamazaki and Karuizawa, and with further rare Japanese whiskies going under the hammer in June, Macallan’s lead could be vulnerable, depending on how it all plays out. Lower down May’s list, independent bottlings of scotch whisky fetched high prices, with bottlings from Caol Ila, Laphroaig, Clynelish, and Talisker. Eagle Rare 30 year old, and Old Rip Van Winkle 25 and 23 year old decanters were the highest-placed bourbons in May, with Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash 2013 Release making the list on the final weekend. Coming close to making May’s 20-highest list, Unicorn Auctions handled its first sale of Black Maple Hill 20 year old Single Barrel No. 8 (Lawrenceburg). This was selected by Julian Van Winkle III in the days before California Vineyards Inc. sourced their Black Maple Hill bottlings from Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, which became Willett.

Looking ahead, June’s auction calendar promises to be another highly competitive month, fuelled by a high number of rare and valuable bottles going under the hammer. Sotheby’s, Hong Kong sale included an eight-bottle set of Macallan The Red Collection releases, a Yamazaki 1960 single cask, Ichiro Malt Card Series Hanyu 1985 Ace of Spades Cask No. 9308, and a Balvenie 50 year old. Sotheby’s, London sale includes a Bowmore Arc-54 distilled in 1968, an eight-bottle set of Diageo’s Prima & Ultima Second Release, and a Glenfarclas 1950 60 year old Cask No. 1820. This sale also marks the auction debut of Macallan Tree of Life 1979 46 year old, created in collaboration with the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society. Macallan did not disclose its retail price at release, but Sotheby’s has estimated its secondary market value at $47,0000–$108,000. Whisky Auctioneer’s Kisetsu Seasons of Japanese Whisky sale includes another Karuizawa 1960 52 year old, and the first appearance of Yamazaki 55 year old since one sold for $200,000 in June 2025. Finally, Unicorn Auctions has a Macallan in Lalique 55 year old, and look out for Wild Turkey Austin Nichols Archives 16 year old Gold Foil Edition bottles flocking to auction in June.

May 2026 –20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices

Results converted to dollars using xe.com

20. Glenfiddich 50 year old First Release
Sold on: May 4^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $14,888

19. Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash 2013 Release
Sold on: May 31^st at Unicorn Auctions
Hammer price: $14,900

18. Macallan Select Reserve 1948 51 year old
Sold on: May 18^th at Just Whisky
Hammer price: $15,099

17. Macallan Fine & Rare 1979 40 year old
Sold on: May 4^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $15,565

16. Black Bowmore 1964 29 year old First Release
Sold on: May 13^th at Whisky Online Auctions
Hammer price: $16,223

15. Old Rip Van Winkle 23 year old Decanter
Sold on: May 31^st at Unicorn Auctions
Hammer price: $16,900

14. Berry Brothers & Co. Talisker 8 year old
Sold on: May 4^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $17,730

13. Corti Brothers Clynelish 1965 21 year old
Sold on: May 4^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $18,271

12. Bowmore Vault Series 1969 50 year old
Sold on: May 4^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $18,271

11. Black Bowmore 1964 29 year old First Release
Sold on: May 2^nd at Whiskyauction.com
Hammer price: $18,398

10. Bowmore 1969 50 year old
Sold on: May 14^th at WVA Whisky Auctions
Hammer price: $18,871

9. Samaroli Laphroaig 1970 Natural Strength
Sold on: May 4^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $18,948

8. Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila 1966
Sold on: May 4^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $19,625

7. Old Rip Van Winkle 25 year old Decanter
Sold on: May 25^th at Unicorn Auctions
Hammer price: $21,300

6. Eagle Rare 30 year old
Sold on: May 8^th at Bonhams, Edinburgh
Hammer price: $21,800

5. Macallan Sir Peter Black Anecdotes of Ages 1967 Down to Work
Sold on: May 4^th at Highland Whisky Auctions
Hammer price: $28,422

4. Bowmore 1966 50 year old
Sold on: May 10^th at Scotch Whisky Auctions
Hammer price: $32,722

3. Macallan The Red Collection 60 year old
Sold on: May 4^th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $70,379

2. Karuizawa 1960 52 year old Cask No. 5627 Treasure Ship
Sold on: May 30^th at Bonhams, Hong Kong
Hammer price: $638,007

1. Yamazaki 50 year old Club Natsume
Sold on: May 30^th at Bonhams, Hong Kong
Hammer price: $842,169

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 prices and shows the latest month’s results.