The world’s largest bottle of whisky, which can hold 82.16 gallons of single-malt Scotch, is going up for auction in Scotland on May 25. Known as The Intrepid, the 5-foot, 11-inch tall bottle contains a 32-year-old Macallan. The container has been certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest bottle of whiskey after it was bottled in 2021.
To create the bottling, renown bottler Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky took two American oak hogsheads filled with whisky that had been distilled by the Macallan in 1989—casks no. 6986 and 6992—and vatted them together to create The Intrepid.
On the nose, the whisky is gentle, gradually opening to present scents led by baked apple (and baked apple skin), supported by pear in syrup and a suggestion of flaked almond, on a base note of short-crust pastry. The palate offers a smooth texture, and a sweet overall taste with some white pepper in the lengthy, warming finish and a suggestion of French apple tart in the aftertaste.
The giant bottle of whiskey features a special label that features photos of some of the world’s most respected explorers, including Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Karen Darke, and Olly Hicks. The bottle was named in honor of these adventurers.
“Eleven of the most fearless and adventurous people to walk the earth, featured on the world’s largest bottle of whisky, containing some of the most expensive single malt available, and bottled by one of the best independent Scotch bottling companies,” explained Fah Mai Holdings Group and Rosewin Holdings owners Louis Haseman and Daniel Monk.
As big as the bottle is, it wasn’t large enough to house all of the whisky from the two casks. The rest was used to make a limited number of 12-bottle sets. Four of these sets will also be auctioned off by Lyon & Turnbull, as well as two significantly smaller replicas of the record-setting bottle.
Edinburgh-based auctioneer Lyon & Turnbull will auction off the 311-liter bottle of 32-year-old Macallan single-malt on May 25.