Sotheby’s is offering whisky lovers a dram they might not be able to refuse. They might not be able to afford it either, however.
The auction house will begin taking bids on the Legacy Collection, a 142-bottle lot of some of the rarest whisky on earth, on May 1. The collection is estimated to bring bids of up to $1.9 million once the auction begins.
The bottles, which feature vintages dating as far back as 1937, will be sold individually—and there are some seldom-seen ones hitting the block. For instance, one of only two bottles of the Macallan Fine & Rare 1957 that were bottled in the 750ml format for the U.S. market will be available (estimated price range: $120,000–$200,000). A bottle of the Balvenie 50 Year Old Batch No.1 is expected to go for $14,000 or more. And a 2014 Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year Old Family Reserve will likely sell for between $3,000 and $4,000.
The highlight of the auction is the 59 bottles from the Macallan Fine and Rare collection, a series the brand launched in 2002. In this particular collection, the oldest whisky is from 1937. Still, collectors haven’t seen this many of the Fine and Rare bottles in one place for a long, long time.
“The Legacy Collection showcases what is undoubtedly one of the most complete Macallan Fine & Rare collections ever to come to auction as part of one of the most significant single owner sales offered on U.S. soil,” said Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Head of Whisky & Spirits, in a video discussing the auction.
The 1957 is the highlight, though, since that vintage was one of the rarest of the series. Only 15 bottles were filled, making it a unicorn for whisky collectors.