Rare cask from The Macallan Distillery valued at over £2.5 million set to go to auction
A CASK of whisky from The Macallan Distillery is expected to fetch millions when it goes to auction this month.
The 1988 Macallan cask is valued at over $3 million (£2.5 million) and is set to be brought to auction by Metacask, the marketplace for high-quality spirits, on February 12.
The 35-year-old Butt, cask number #4178, is currently being held at The Macallan Distillery and could be bottled now. However, it could also remain in the cask to hit the much sought-after 50-year mark.
The whisky itself is said to have notes of dried fruits and nuts with a warming finish while the last regauge puts the alcohol by volume at 51.2 per cent. There are approximately 495 bottles remaining.
Metacask has also partnered with Italian visual effects artist Ruben Frosali to create a 1/1 animated artwork representing the Year of the Dragon in 1988 which will be issued to the buyer. The artwork will act as the digital deed of ownership for the real-world cask.
Metacask's first auction of a cask distilled at The Macallan Distillery resulted in the sale of a 1991 cask for $2,327,563 in October 2021 - a record price for a whisky barrel sold at auction at the time.
Nim Siriwardana, co-founder and CTO of Metacask, said: "Metacask auctioned a 1991 cask ‘The Angel’s Share’ in 2021, now just over a year later, we’re back with another much-anticipated auction.
"It’s been amazing to team up with Ruben Frosali and bring to life a uniquely curated piece of art that completely represents this rare and valuable cask."
The auction will run from February 12 to February 19. The bidding will be in USD and settlements made in the form of bank transfers or cryptocurrency.
More details on the auction can be found here.
