World's oldest Scotch whisky goes up for auction with bids starting at £200,000

The "world's oldest" Scotch whisky has gone up for sale at an online auction.

The Macallan 1940 Reach 81 Year Old is the latest release from prolific whisky distillery Macallan, based in Craigellachie in the centre of Moray Speyside. It is included in the latest sale from Whisky Auctioneer and is available to bid on now.

Currently sitting at an astonishing £200,500, bids for the one-of-a-kind whisky are being placed from connoisseurs all over the world. The auction will run until May 8, at which point it will stop at 7pm and The Macallan 1940 Reach 81 Year Old will have a new owner.

Known for bringing old and rare Macallan whiskies to their online auctions, Whisky Auctioneer previously sold the Macallan 1926 60 Year Old for £1 million back in 2020, and the distillery's newest release could go for even more.

Meanwhile, further highlights of the auction include other Macallan expressions such as Macallan’s Fine and Rare series of sought-after vintages, and The 1950 Tales of The Macallan Lalique Decanter.

Additionally, collectors’ favourites such as a full collection of James Bond 60th Anniversary decade releases, and a "Private Eye" release that was bottled in 1996 to mark the 35th Anniversary of Private Eye magazine are available.

The 81-year-old whisky is the "jewel in the crown" of the latest auction (The Macallan)

Head Curator and Spirits Specialist at Whisky Auctioneer Joe Wilson commented: "Offering The Macallan ‘Reach’ in our auction for the first time is a piece of whisky history. We’re not surprised to already see significant interest from bidders across the globe hoping to crown their collections with the oldest single malt whisky ever to be released.

"It sits in spectacular company this month, with other sought-after age statements from The Glenturret, Karuizawa and Bowmore, fascinating independent bottlings and revered expressions from Scotland's keenly-missed closed distilleries such as Rosebank and Port Ellen."

Founded in 1824, Macallan was among the first distillers in Scotland to be legally licensed.

You can bid on the Macallan 1940 Reach 81 Year Old on the Whisky Auctioneer website.

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our newsletter here.

READ NEXT:

• Rare black swan spotted on Scottish loch over 9,000 miles from home

• Family's 'neglected' Scottish island castle turret transformed in two days on £1,500 budget

• The tiny Scots island bothy dating back centuries you can stay in while adventuring