The Macallan The Reach 81 Years Old is one of the few single malts to make it beyond 50 years old

The Macallan The Reach 81 Years Old is a pricey drop of Scotch (Image: Sotheby's)

Whisky lovers are bidding for a one-of-a-kind special edition of The Macallan The Reach 81 Years Old single malt, the oldest whisky ever to come to auction.

Estimated at £110,000-200,000, the decanter is being presented in a special single-lot sale, which will close on Wednesday, October 5. Proceeds will raise funds for The Macallan Artisan Apprenticeship Fund, enabling businesses to attract and recruit new apprentices.

The Macallan The Reach was laid down during a period of increasing hardship during the Second World War, just before the distillery was compelled to close its doors for the first time in its history.

The cabinet housing the decanter has been crafted using wood from a fallen elm tree which is thought to have been on The Macallan Estate in 1940, the year the spirit was distilled.

The decanter cradled on a bronze sculpture of three hands representing characters in The Macallan's history. Unveiled in February 2022, this release from the distillery reflects an extraordinary moment in time, the liquid laid down.

Estimated at £110,000-200,000, bid are now being taken from whisky enthusiasts with deep pockets (Image: Sotheby's)

The decanter itself is encased in a display cabinet lined in red leather – reflecting the red thread that has run through The Macallan's branding since it was founded almost 200 years ago.

It is rare for a whisky to reach this age, since not many barrels in bonded warehouses in Scotland make it past 50 years old due to the rate of alcohol evaporation.

The auction record for a bottle of the world’s oldest whisky was established at Sotheby's in Hong Kong in October 2021, when Decanter #1 of the Gordon & Macphail Generations 80-Years-Old, sold for £142,000.