World's most expensive bottle of booze sells for eye-watering price at auction

The price of alcohol is not exactly cheap these days, is it? If you're heading out for a meal and want a beer with your food, you are now looking closer to $10 in some venues.

Of course, it's a lot cheaper if you buy a crate of beer and drink at home, but where's the fun in that, eh?

But $10 here and $8 there is nothing compared to how much this particular booze cost one buyer in London this weekend.

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The Macallan Adami 1926 - an extremely rare Scottish whisky - went for a whopping £2.1 million in the UK, equating to around $2.7 million in the US.

The eye-watering sale was made after a bidding war between potential buyers took place in the room at Sothebys in the English capital, and also on the phone.

So why is the whisky worth so much?

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Well, just 40 bottles of The Macallan 1926 were made in 1986 after being aged in sherry casks by Macallan in Scotland since you guessed it, 1926 - the best part of 60 years.

Adding to the value was labels designed by Italian painter Valerio Adami, something that is included on 12 of the 40 bottles produced, including the one sold for $2.6 million.

Jonny Fowle, Sothebys global head of spirits, says the Macallan 1926 is very much sought after, being the one whisky that every auctioneer wants to sell and every collector wants to own.

"It's very rich, it's got a lot of dried fruit as you would expect, a lot of spice, a lot of wood," Fowle added to the AFP news agency.

As a result of its rarity, an intense bidding war took place on Saturday, as the final price for the whisky actually came close to $2.7 million.

The already massive price is increased further thanks to what is known as buyers premium, subsequently making the record sale even bigger.

The final price of the whisky well exceeded initial pre-auction expectations, as it was predicted to be sold anywhere from $930,000 to $1.5 million.

Macallan's Master Whisky Maker Kirsteen Campbell says the expensive tipple contains rich dark fruits, black cherry compote, followed by a strong-smelling antique oak.

Campbell had the opportunity to smell the rich flavours ahead of the whisky going to auction.

"It was a very special moment to experience the opening of this iconic 60 Years Old single malt, first bottled 37 years ago, and I hope the new custodian will enjoy the same privilege," she said.

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