Duty-Free Retail Continues To Attract Highly Coveted Scotch Whiskies—And Set Records

Duty-Free Retail Continues To Attract Highly Coveted Scotch Whiskies—And Set Records

Earlier this month at Dubai International Airport (DXB), a full collection of The Macallan Six Pillars was sold to a private collector for a new record price of $816,748, the highest price ever paid at retail for the exclusive set.

The sale took place at Le Clos, wholly owned by Maritime and Mercantile International (MMI), a subsidiary of Emirates Group. Le Clos is a luxury retailer of wine and spirit whose expert buying teams hand select every product.

According to whisky intelligence agency Rare Whisky 101, bottles of The Macallan have appreciated in value by 35% in the past year. This latest sale of The Macallan Six Pillars saw a 68% increase on the previous record for a full set, sold at Bonhams in 2017 for $485,244.

The six-bottle set is said to be one of the rarest and most sought-after collections and comes in an exclusive series of limited edition decanters made by French crystal house Lalique. Each one is marketed as a piece of art in its own right, encasing some of the rarest single malt whiskies in the world.

Whisky has continued to appreciate during the pandemic as demand for rare and exclusive bottles appears to be strengthening. Hammer prices have