THE MACALLAN BREAKS WORLD RECORD FOR MOST EXPENSIVE WHISKY SOLD AT AUCTION
Guinness World Records™ has awarded The Macallan the accolade of ‘most expensive whisky sold at auction’. Now the definitive world record holder, The Macallan M Imperiale 6-litre Lalique decanter sold at auction in Hong Kong for $628,000 in January 2014, breaking the previous record of $460,000 held by The Macallan in Lalique Cire Perdue, raising funds for a host of locally based charities.
David Cox of The Macallan commented : “To achieve this record for a second time is an outstanding achievement for The Macallan and is testament to the appetite for such exceptional and special creations with our long standing partner, Lalique. M Imperiale is the largest decanter Lalique has ever made and the largest The Macallan has ever filled. It truly showcases the combined talents of one of the world’s great designers (Fabien Baron), the finest of crystal makers and makers of one the world’s great spirits, The Macallan.”
Lalique created four of these stupendous decanters for The Macallan. Each decanter required the work of 17 craftsmen, including two with the prestigious title, “Meilleur Ouvrier de France”, with each taking over 50 hours to complete.
Of the four, two have been archived by The Macallan and one has been committed to a private collector in Asia. The fourth, Constantine (named, as are the other three, after Roman emperors), is the only one to feature the engraved autographs of the three principal creators – Lalique/Silvio Denz, Fabien Baron and Bob Dalgarno. Constantine was presented at an auction of Finest and Rarest Wines and The Macallan by Sotheby’s, in Hong Kong, on Saturday, 18 January 2014.
The Macallan is one of the world’s most sought after and collectable whiskies, consistently number one in value at auction among all whiskies.
All net sale proceeds have been donated to local charities in Hong Kong.
About The Macallan Founded in 1824, The Macallan is one of the world’s most admired and awarded single malt whiskies. The reputation of The Macallan is based on a product of outstanding quality and distinctive character, founded upon a set of guiding principles, the Six Pillars. An obsession with quality has been the hallmark of The Macallan since its founding by Alexander Reid on a plateau above the river Spey in north-east Scotland. The distillery is surrounded by a 150 hectare estate, with Easter Elchies House, a Highland Manor built in 1700, at its heart. Traditionally known for maturation in Spanish oak, sherry seasoned casks, The Macallan’s range of outstanding single malts includes :Sherry Oak, matured in Spanish oak casks seasoned with sherry; Fine Oak, matured both in sherry casks of Spanish and American oak and in American oak casks seasoned with bourbon; the 1824 range, exclusive to Global Travel Retail. In addition, The Macallan is well known for its great range of vintage whiskies, dating back to 1926, and is considered the most sought after of all single malts among collectors and connoisseurs at auction. Please savour responsibly. http://www.themacallan.com/
About Lalique Lalique is more than just a name. It is René Lalique’s (1860-1945) talent, a genius destined to revolutionise the world of jewellery, beginning in 1888 with his famous ″Art Nouveau″ jewellery sets, true works of art, which are now highly sought-after by museums and collectors. A brilliant master glassmaker of the Art Déco movement, René Lalique’s creations were highly eclectic. Indeed, it was René Lalique, who was responsible for the great technological and commercial revolution which even today continues to influence the way bottles of perfume are created and packaged. René Lalique’s imagination has proved to be the source of a vast and varied collection, including bowls, vases, statuettes and perfume bottles. They were produced at the Wingen-sur Moder factory in Alsace, opened in 1921. René Lalique’s creations belong to the international artistic and cultural patrimony. His works are displayed in more than 40 Museums worldwide including the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris, the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Lalique museum in Hakone, Japan. A national Lalique museum was opened in Wingen-sur-Moder, in the Alsace region of France on 1 July 2011. In February 2008, the Swiss company Art & Fragrance acquired Lalique SA from the Pochet Group and Silvio Denz became Lalique’s President and CEO.www.lalique.com