A rare bottle of whisky, bottled for the 35th anniversary of satirical magazine Private Eye, fetched £3,225 – 90 times its original price – at auction in Edinburgh.
Bottles of Macallan Private Eye whisky cost just £36 when they were released in 1996. The vatting included a 1961 cask, marking the year the magazine was founded.
A limited edition of just 5000 individually numbered 70cl bottles were produced, featuring a screen-printed label by legendary Private Eye illustrator Ralph Steadman.
Bottle number 4814 was sold to a collector bidding online from overseas in Bonhams’ Finest Whisky and Spirits sale in Edinburgh.
Georgia Porteous, Bonhams whisky specialist in Edinburgh, said: “It was lovely to see The Macallan Private Eye receive competitive bidding in the sale. Always popular with collectors, it eventually went to an international buyer.”
The Private Eye bottling has grown to become one of the most iconic and sought after special edition bottles that Macallan has produced.
The 40% ABV Scotch is known for its rich dark chocolate and fruity flavour profile – synonymous with sherried Macallan expressions from the 1960s.
