Bottle of Yamazaki sells for $795G at auction, sets record as most expensive

Record-setting scotch whisky fetched $1.9 million at a Sotheby’s auction in London. Radio host Mike Gunzelman with more.

A 55-year-old bottle of Yamazaki whisky sold for a world record price of $795,000 at an elite auction in Hong Kong.

The malt beverage was “the oldest Japanese whisky in history,” according to a press release issued by the international auction house Bonhams on Friday.

Previously, the highest amount a Japanese whisky had been sold for was $475,000 in March. And before that, a single bottle sold for $459,000 in May 2019.

"The stunning price sets a new milestone for the market of Japanese whisky, testament to collectors' desire and determination to acquire the very best the market has to offer,” said Daniel Lam, the director of wine and whisky at Bonhams Asia, in the auction house’s release. “We are pleased to see a keen demand for Scotch whisky in today's sale as well."

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(Yamazaki Whisky / Bonhams)

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Yamazaki’s pricey 700-milliter whisky was distilled in the 1960s and was released for an “exceedingly-limited edition” by Suntory Beverage & Food Limited this June. Only 100 bottles were produced, and Bonhams auction of the rare malt is the first one so far.

The aged whisky has been distilled to 46% ABV and reportedly “rich in fruity scents with a sweet aftertaste.”

Bonhams also holds the world auction record for a Japanese whisky collection. This time last year, the auction house sold a 54-bottle collection of the Hanyu Ichiro's Full Card Series for $922,000.