Bottle of almost 100-year-old whisky smashes auction record
A bottle of whisky described as “the most sought-after” in the world has sold for a record £2.1m at auction.
The Macallan Adami 1926 sold during a bidding war at Sotheby’s in London on Saturday, marking the most that has ever been paid for a bottle of wine or spirits in an auction house.
Only 40 bottles of the whisky were ever produced in 1986, and had been aged in sherry casks for 60 years.
Twelve of the bottles, including the one sold on Saturday, had labels designed by Italian artist Valerio Adami.
The previous auction record was held by a bottle of Macallan Adami 1926 from the same cask, changing hands for £1.5m.
Head of spirits at Sotheby’s, Jonny Fowle, said the sale was “nothing short of momentous for the whisky industry”.
The bottle sold on Saturday is the first to have been reconditioned by the distillery before it went to auction, which included replacing the cork and applying fresh glue to the corner of the labels.
In total, £2,187,500 was paid for the bottle, which included the buyer’s premium on top of the £1.75m sale price.
It was an increase on the estimate of between £750,000 and £1.2m.
For people wanting to know what a whisky worth more than £2m tastes like, Macallan’s master whisky maker Kirsteen Campbell said it had notes of “rich dark fruits, black cherry compote alongside sticky dates, followed by intense sweet antique oak”.
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She added: “Dark chocolate, treacle, ginger… the notes go on and on.
“It was a very special moment to experience the opening of this iconic 60-years-old single malt, first bottled 37 years ago, and I hope the new custodian will enjoy the same privilege.”
The FA has launched an investigation into allegations that suspended Premier League referee David Coote discussed giving a yellow card ahead of a match.
Mr Coote booked Leeds player Ezgjan Alioski during a match against West Brom in October 2019.
The Sun claims that the day before, he discussed carding the player with a Leeds fan he had met online, then after the game messaged him saying: “I hope you backed as discussed.”
Mr Coote insists nothing improper took place.
He said in a statement: “I strongly refute these false and defamatory allegations.
“Whatever issues I may have had in my personal life they have never affected my decision-making on the field.
“I have always held the integrity of the game in the highest regard, refereeing matches impartially and to the best of my ability.”
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The previous comments Coote made about Liverpool
An investigation has now been opened to get to the bottom of the claims surrounding the already-suspended referee.
Previously, a video emerged showing Mr Coote snorting a white powder.
That came after another video showed Mr Coote in a foul-mouthed rant about Liverpool FC and their then-boss Jurgen Klopp.
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After the most recent allegations, a spokesperson for Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) told Sky Sports News: “The facts need to be established in light of these very serious allegations.
“We adopt a zero-tolerance approach to any breach of our Integrity Code of Conduct, which is signed by all match officials on an annual basis.
“PGMOL Board is committed to taking the appropriate action should any breach of that Code be proven.
“David Coote remains suspended and subject to an ongoing disciplinary process by PGMOL, separate to the investigation into this matter which will be carried out independently by The FA.”
It added: “We will be making no further comment at this stage.”
Davina McCall has said she is feeling “stronger and stronger” every day after having brain tumour surgery.
In an update posted to Instagram, the TV presenter emphasised the importance of sleep during her recovery after having a benign brain tumour, known as a colloid cyst, removed.
Sporting a bruised left eye, McCall said she is being “brilliantly” looked after by her boyfriend, hairdresser Michael Douglas, and stepmum Gabby and is “just trying to sleep a lot” and “get better”.
Earlier this week, the star said she was suffering with short-term memory problems, due to the operation. But on Wednesday, she said that her memory is now “improving”.
“My short-term memory is really improving a lot every day,” she said, adding: “It has been an example to me of how much sleep helps me recover from everything.
Pic: Instagram/Davina McCall
“If I feel a bit confused or I’m struggling to concentrate, I just got to sleep, and I wake up just completely renewed and refreshed.
“I know that my brain needs lots of sleep.”
The 57-year-old ended the update by thanking fans for their “ongoing support”.
‘Out of the woods’
Speaking during a livestream on Tuesday, McCall’s partner Douglas said the star is “definitely out of the woods” during her recovery.
McCall with her partner Michael Douglas and her daughter Holly Robertson. Pic: PA
“She’s quite tired at the moment. She sleeps really well at night and goes to bed at 10pm and has a nap in the morning, and sleeps for two or three hours in the afternoon,” he said.
He added that the presenter is off work until mid-January and has “a lot of time to relax and recuperate”.
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Douglas told fans: “It’s been a very, very emotional and quite an incredible experience. We’re definitely out of the woods.”
McCall rose to fame presenting on MTV in the mid-1990s, and later on Channel 4’s Streetmate, before becoming a household name as the host of Big Brother from 2000 to 2010.
She has lived with Douglas since 2022, and together they present a weekly lifestyle podcast called Making The Cut.
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