The World's Largest Bottle of Whisky Might Also Be the Most Expensive

A record-breaking 311-liter bottle filled with rare Scotch is about to go up for auction, and it may fetch up to $2 million.

The Intrepid, from the auction house Lyon & Turnbull and The Macallan, officially became the world’s largest bottle of whisky on September 9, 2021 (as recognized by the Guinness World Records). The bottle, just under six feet tall, contains a 32-year-old, 43% ABV whisky distilled at the Macallan Distillery in Scotland in 1989. Size-wise, it’s around the equivalent of 444 regular-sized bottles.

The bottle is called Intrepid because it’s inspired by explorers, and proceeds from the sale are earmarked to “support the explorers’ chosen environmental, physical and mental well-being charities.” The explorers are also part of the bottle’s artwork.

The Lyon & Turnball site describes the liquid as follows: “After maturing in two sister casks in Macallan’s Speyside warehouse for 32 years, the exclusive liquid was bottled last year by Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky, one of the leading independent whisky bottling companies. To commemorate this momentous event, a small number of exclusive bottle sets were also produced. These comprise a collection of 12 bottles, each filled with the remaining 32-year-old Macallan whisky from the same casks used to fill the record-breaking bottle. Each set includes a replica of the main bottle design along with individual versions dedicated to each of the explorers associated with the project.”

Tasting notes by Charles MacLean MBE, Master of the Quaich, suggest a mild and gentle nose, with hints of baked apple, pear and almond. The taste is sweet, with some white pepper and a “suggestion of French apple tart.”

The Intrepid Collection, which features the 311-liter bottle but also some other less-gigantic bottlings, goes to auction live online on May 25.