A rare “forgotten” cask of Macallan whisky, bought for just £5,000, is expected to set a world record price as it opens for bids on a popular whisky auction site.
The cask, which was filled on May 5, 1988, has been held in bond at The Macallan Distillery for almost 34 years.
The 374-litre refill butt is expected to break the record set in 2021 by Bonham’s for the sale of a 30-year-old re-racked Sherry hogshead from Macallan, which fetched $574,000 (£439,500).
The ongoing Whisky Hammer April auction, which includes more than 2,000 lots, is currently live until this weekend and ends on Sunday, April 24 at 7pm (BST).
The Macallan cask seller, an ex-pat who bought the cask on a whim over three decades ago, had forgotten about it until reminded by Macallan that it remained maturing in the warehouse.
Bids for the incredibly rare cask have already reached $170,000 since the auction went live, with prices expected to soar in the coming days.
The team at Whisky Hammer anticipates a global bidding war for the rare cask which, if bottled today, would yield 534 x 70cl bottles of 33-year-old Macallan.
Daniel Milne, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Whisky Hammer, said: “Casks of this age and size are extremely rare, especially from The Macallan.
"This is, without doubt, one of the most exciting casks we’ve seen come to auction in recent years and we expect it to set a new world record by the time the auction closes on Sunday.”
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