UAE. Le Clos, the specialist fine wines and spirits travel retailer at Dubai International Airport (DXB), has sold a complete six-bottle set of The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection for a record-breaking US$816,748.
The whisky collection from the renowned Speyside distillery is considered one of the rarest and most sought-after ever produced. The price represents an all-time high for the full collection in a single transaction.
The Macallan partnered with renowned French crystal maker Lalique for over a decade to create The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection.
The release features an exclusive series of six limited-edition decanters. Le Clos dubbed every decanter in the collection as “a flawless piece of art encasing some of the rarest single malt whiskies in the world”.
The sale is testament to the enduring appeal of The Macallan and Lalique brands, Le Clos added.
Whisky continues to appreciate as a luxury item with demand for rare and exclusive bottles strengthening every year, driven by exceptional sales at auction houses globally, the retailer noted. It called The Macallan “the leading light in the category” through a series of record-breaking hammer prices.
These have included the Fine and Rare 1926, which became the world’s most expensive bottle when it sold for US$1.9 million in October 2019. According to Rare Whisky 101, bottles of The Macallan have appreciated in value by +35% in the past 12 months alone, a clear sign of collectability.
A full set of The Macallan in Lalique sold at Bonhams in 2017 for US$485,244, showing a +68% increase in just five years.
Le Clos said that the sale reinforces its commitment to sourcing the world’s rarest and most exclusive bottles and collections of fine wines and luxury spirits.
Previous Le Clos successes include the record-breaking sale (US$1.2 million) of two ultra-rare bottles of The Macallan 1926 single malt whisky in 2018 – the first The Macallan 1926 to be sold in ten years.
Le Clos Finest Wines and Luxury Spirits Managing Director Mike Glen said: “The Macallan Six Pillars is the holy grail of Scottish whisky collections, so to be able to curate a complete set is a real privilege for Le Clos.
“We have a long history of forming strong partnerships and sourcing the rarest malts and this latest sale continues our mission to bring to retail the most sought-after bottles anywhere in the world.”
Le Clos said that as the world recovers from the global pandemic, this sale demonstrates “a return to form for DXB”, the world’s busiest international airport, cementing itself as the centre of luxury retail and travel globally.
Le Clos has multiple stores at DXB. The company is wholly owned by Maritime and Mercantile International (MMI), a subsidiary of the Emirates Group.
