Rare whisky goes for $59,200

Every so often, it seems, a record is set for the price of a bottle of rare whisky.

The latest is $59,200, which a 157-year-old bottle of Bowmore single malt fetched at McTear's auctioneers in Glasgow, Scotland, on Friday. The winning bid was anonymous, and made by telephone.

The whisky was being offered by a private party. It is the oldest known bottle of Bowmore in existence. The distillery was involved in the bidding because it wanted to put the bottle on display at its new visitors center on the island of Islay.

The existence of the bottle has long been known. It was given in 1851 by the distillery's new owners to William Mutter who, with his twin, James, had founded the company. You'll note in the photo that part of the cork has dropped into the bottle, although the whisky has not been exposed to air.

Among huge whisky auction prices in recent times, a bottle of Glenavon Special Liqueur Whisky from the 1850s sold at auction in London for $30,274 last year.

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