Whisky is not something that can be rushed in how it is made or how it shall be enjoyed. And whisky lovers are a special breed. The cost does not really matter to them, but its distilling, ageing and custom flavouring their spirit of choice give them a special thrill. Their rarity is the charm. On October 3, a 60-year-old Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 was sold for a record-breaking 1.1 million dollars (approximately Rs. 8 crores) at Bonhams Whisky Sale in Edinburgh, Scotland. The bottle was elegantly presented in a commissioned cabinet or Tantalus, based on the traditional 'Brass and Glass' distillery spirit safe. The buyer is a private collector from Asia who bid over the phone. Good Old Wine! China Archaeologists Find 2000-year-old Vintage Wine. 

Described by the experts as the ‘Holy Grail’, the firm has reportedly sold one of 12 other bottles with a label by the Italian artist Adami in May this year. Out of the 12, it is still not known how many of them exist. According to reports, one of them is destroyed in an earthquake in Japan in 2011, and at least one has been opened and not consumed. Martin Green, a whisky specialist at the auction, said that such whiskies are collectors’ items because of their rarity and will might not actually be drunk. “It’s the Rolls Royce of malts. Obviously we don’t know what will happen to it, but anyone who can spend around a million pounds for a bottle of whiskey could afford to drink it. But it’s an object of beauty in its own right — almost a museum piece,” Green was quoted saying in the New York Post. 244-Year-Old Vintage Wine! Vin Jaune Wine Sells for a sum of 103,700 Euros at an Auction in France. 

The whisky was bottled in 1986, and since then for 60 years, it has been stored in a vat. Media outlets also suggest that the whisky was expected to fetch between Rs. 6 crores to Rs. 8 crores at the auction. Macallan commissioned two famous artists, Valerio Adami and Peter Blake, to design labels for the limited edition of 24 bottles. 12 of them were designed by Adami and the remaining of the Blake labels. The earlier record for a whisky sale was held by another The Macallan Valerio Adami which was sold for approximately Rs. 6.5 crores at Bonhams, Hong Kong in May this year.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 04, 2018 11:43 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).