The 21st Century's 100 Greatest Bottles

Jonny McCormick looks at the top 100 single malt whisky bottles auctioned this century

Headlines from whisky auctions focus on the most expensive bottles and helps publicise the growing popularity of buying whisky at auction. Even a casual glance at the top 100 will show the dominance of a handful of distilleries, the great sums paid out for 19th and early 20th century whisky, the importance of age statements to collectors and the growing prices of certain bottlings over time when they reappear for auction. The list has been compiled from the Whisky Magazine Index database, online sources and reference texts such as Collecting Malt Whisky (2007) by Martin Green. Where auctions have taken place outside the United Kingdom, prices were converted into £GBP on the day of the auction. If a multiple bottle lot reached an individual value worthy of inclusion, the bottles were listed individually such as the Bowmore Trilogy. Where auction prices are tied, precedence in the rankings is chronological.

100
Bowmore 18 Years Old Sherriff's £3,200 Bonham's, Edinburgh 2011

99
Port Ellen Queen's Visit 12 Years Old £3,200 McTear's, Glasgow 2011

98
The Macallan 52 Years Old 1946 £3,200 McTear's, Glasgow 2009

97
Glenfiddich 50 Years Old £3,200 McTear's, Glasgow 2007

96
Glenfiddich 50 Years Old £3,200 McTear's, Glasgow 2003

95
Benachie Callander & Graham 1895 £3,200 McTear's, Glasgow 2001

94
Stromness Old Orkney Real Liqueur early 20th Century £3,200 McTear's, Glasgow 2000

93
Bowmore Gold Bowmore 44 Years Old £3,210 Bonham's, New York 2010

92
Royal Brackla ...

• By : Rob Allanson
• In : 100 Greatest
• Issue : 100
• Page : 24
• Words : 1,233