The Macallan Fine and Rare 1951 | Sherry Casks #1541 & #1542 | 48.8% ABV | 632 Bottles | 70cl

The Macallan Fine and Rare Collection is the most prestigious series the distillery has ever assembled — a vault of historically significant bottlings drawing on some of the oldest stocks in the Easter Elchies warehouses. A bottle from this collection holds the world record for a whisky sold at auction. The 1951 expression is a vatting of two sherry butts — casks #1541 and #1542 — filled in 1951 and eventually bottled at 48.8% ABV. Just 632 bottles were produced from that combined cask selection. This is Macallan from the post-war decade, when production methods, cask quality and distillate character were quite different from any subsequent era.

Key Details

• Distillery: The Macallan, Speyside
• Expression: Fine and Rare — 1951 Vintage
• Vintage: Distilled 1951
• Style: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
• Cask: Vatting of two sherry butts — Casks #1541 and #1542
• Bottling strength: 48.8% ABV
• Bottle size: 70cl
• Outturn: 632 bottles
• Condition: Please note — mark on the front of the box; rust on the box clips. Please refer to listing images for detailed condition assessment.

Tasting Notes

Nose: The hallmarks of very old Macallan from this era — cooked fruit, walnut, dried fig and a deep, complex sherry wood character that has developed over the long maturation period. Dark honey, vanilla oak and a quiet, distinguished mustiness that speaks to decades in extraordinary casks.

Palate: Rich, oily and complex beyond description. Ancient sherry-influenced Speyside malt — dried fruit and Christmas cake at the core, flanked by warm spice, tobacco and a weight of old wood that is fully integrated and dignified rather than harsh.

Finish: Exceptional length. The dried fruit and spiced sherry notes fade slowly over many minutes — a finish commensurate with the extraordinary age and rarity of what's in the glass.

Why This Bottle Is Worth Bidding On

• The Fine and Rare Collection is the pinnacle of The Macallan's range; a bottle from this collection holds the world record for a single bottle sold at auction — the 1951 expression represents that same heritage and rarity, from the same series
• A vatting of two sherry butts from 1951 — just 632 bottles from a year when The Macallan was operating in a completely different era of production — is one of the most historically significant Scotch whiskies available anywhere in the world
• Fine and Rare expressions from pre-1960 vintages are disappearing from the market permanently; 1951 Macallan at this outturn will not be seen at auction often