LONDON.- This autumn, Sotheby's and The Macallan will present the first auction ever to take place at The Macallan Estate in Speyside, Scotland – Live from The Macallan Estate.

Scheduled for 9 October 2026 and expected to attract the world’s most dedicated whisky collectors, the sale will comprise whiskies from The Macallan drawn almost exclusively from private collections. Conceived to mark the centenary of the distillation of The Macallan 1926, the auction will bring together a selection of the brand’s finest and most sought-after single malts, spanning decades.

The Macallan Estate in Speyside, Scotland, where Sotheby’s and The Macallan will present the first auction ever to take place at The Macallan Estate. The Macallan 1926 will lead the landmark sale.

Leading the sale is a bottle of The Macallan 1926 – an expression that has come to define whisky at its most rarefied. Bottled in 1986 at 60 Years Old, it has become the benchmark for collectible whisky, its extraordinary value driven as much by its rarity as by its enduring place in the history of Scotch whisky collecting.

Jonny Fowle, Global Head of Whisky & Spirits, Sotheby’s, said: “The Macallan 1926 stands as one of the most iconic and coveted spirits ever produced, revered not simply for its rarity, but for the extraordinary story it represents. To celebrate its centenary with the first-ever auction held at a Scotch whisky distillery is a landmark moment for the world of whisky collecting. Bringing exceptional examples of The Macallan together at the Estate where their story began offers collectors a truly unique opportunity to engage with one of the most legendary names in spirits.”

Jaume Ferras, Creative Director, The Macallan, added: “To host Sotheby’s first ever auction at The Macallan Estate is a very special milestone for our brand. The Estate is our home and the place where our story began more than two centuries ago; it is where our whisky is crafted, matured and brought to life through the people, place and mastery that define The Macallan. Welcoming collectors and guests here in Speyside for this landmark sale is a fitting way to celebrate 100 years of the enduring legacy of The Macallan 1926, while reflecting the creativity, craftsmanship and sense of possibility that continue to shape our future.”

After maturing for six decades, just 40 bottles of The Macallan 1926 were drawn from a single sherry seasoned oak cask (cask number 263) in 1986, representing the oldest vintage ever bottled by The Macallan. A maximum of 14 were decorated with the Fine and Rare label, 12 were designed by Sir Peter Blake, and a further 12 by Italian artist Valerio Adami. Two bottles were left unlabelled – one was later hand-painted by Irish artist Michael Dillon; the other is the last unlabelled Macallan 1926 in existence.





The bottle to be offered by Sotheby’s this October is The Macallan Fine and Rare 60 Years Old 1926, one of the 14 bottles initially released in 2002 which became the anchor for The Macallan’s iconic ‘Fine and Rare’ series. The appearance of any of these 1926 bottles at auction over the years has resulted in extraordinary results, setting successive auction records. This is the first of these famed 1926 vintage bottles to return to auction since the record for any bottle of whisky was set at Sotheby’s in London in 2023 with The Macallan Adami 1926, which sold for £2.2 million ($2.7 million).

Carrying an estimate of £1.7-2.2 million, The Macallan Fine and Rare 60 Years Old 1926 is poised to become one of the most valuable bottles of whisky ever sold.

The Macallan 1926 Fine & Rare, 60 Years Old — one of 40 bottles drawn from sherry seasoned oak cask number 263 in 1986.

This extraordinarily rare offering will be complemented by a special presentation of The Macallan Romantica Collection, consigned directly by The Macallan and featuring exclusive liquid and packaging created specifically for Sotheby's auction (est. £60,000-100,000). Unveiled in May, the collection, conceived in honour of the centenary of The Macallan 1926, unites Sir Peter Blake, Valerio Adami and Michael Dillon. Each artist was commissioned to create an original work celebrating the passage of time from 1986 to 2026, interpreting four decades of maturation.

The version created especially for the sale comprises three bottles filled at a bespoke strength of 42.6% ABV, deliberately selected to match the 1926 60 Years Old and distinct from the limited edition of 258 bottles released earlier this year at 48.6% ABV. Just two examples of each artist edition have been produced at this strength, with the companion set retained permanently in The Macallan Archive. Enhancing the offering is a bespoke oak display cabinet created for the auction, housing original artist-donated artefacts including studio-used materials, preparatory artworks, personal letters and unpublished collage elements associated with the creation of the Romantica Collection.

Also presented for sale by The Macallan is The Reach 81 Years Old single malt (est. £90,000-140,000), which was crafted from a single sherry seasoned oak cask and presented in a mouth-blown glass decanter, cradled by a bronze sculpture of three hands representing figures from the Distillery's history.

Originally unveiled in February 2022, the release captures an extraordinary moment in The Macallan’s history. The spirit was laid down during a period of increasing hardship in the Second World War, shortly before the distillery was compelled to close its doors for the first time. The cabinet housing the decanter has been crafted from the wood of a fallen elm tree believed to have stood on The Macallan Estate in 1940, the year the spirit was distilled. In place of the cream leather lining featured on the original release, the display cabinet is lined in deep red leather, reflecting the red thread that has run through The Macallan since the distillery was founded over 200 years ago.

The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection was among the first true luxury collections in the whisky world. A collaboration between The Macallan and renowned French crystal maker Lalique, it was released over a decade, from 2005 to 2016. The result was an exclusive series of six limited-edition decanters containing some of the rarest and oldest single malt whiskies ever released, ranging from fifty to sixty-five years old.

The decanters have become highly sought after, both individually and as complete collections, which are far rarer to appear on the market. For many collectors, the Six Pillars Collection represents one of the most important intersections of The Macallan’s ultra-aged whisky stocks and design-led special releases. A complete set comes to auction with an estimate of £260,000-350,000.

Further elevating the sale is The Macallan in Lalique Golden Age of Travel Ocean Liner, marking the first time this release has ever been offered by Sotheby’s. Estimated at £30,000-60,000, this 1937 vintage was the first in the series and is one of the rarest bottles ever produced by the distillery.

Comprising more than 40 lots overall, estimated to bring in the region of £2.3 million, the sale will also feature various key bottles from historic ranges in The Macallan’s history, including iconic vintages of The Macallan 18 Years Old, The Macallan 25 Years Old Anniversary Malt and The Macallan Fine & Rare Collection.