The Intrepid Comes to Auction

Our Intrepid, the world's largest bottle of whisky, is being auctioned at 12 noon on May 25th by leading Scottish auctioneers Lyon & Turnbull.

The Intrepid - a gargantuan bottle meticulously fabricated and fused together in the Czech Republic; a cork stopper the size of a coffee table crafted in Portugal; and 311 litres of 32-year-old Macallan single malt from carefully selected sister casks - were gloriously brought together to achieve the Guinness World Record for the largest bottle of whisky in the world on September 9th 2021.

The project was the brainchild of our company's founder, Daniel Monk, and our small team worked tirelessly from its inception in August 2019 through endless twists and turns, challenges, setbacks, and a global pandemic(!) to make that vision a reality with the invaluable assistance of world-class independent bottlers Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky.

Along the way, the project evolved and took on the name The Intrepid through its association with 11 titans of exploration and adventure: Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Felicity Aston MBE, Jamie Ramsay, Olly Hicks, Karen Darke MBE, Will Copestake, Dwayne Fields FRGS, Dr Geoff Wilson, Sarah Outen MBE, and Levison Wood FRGS.  The explorers are featured on the record-winning bottle label with the aim of promoting their chosen causes/charities and upcoming expeditions, as well as shining the spotlight on the theme of exploration and following your dreams. 

“So there you have it - 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. Truly one of one.” 

Later this month, the final stage of the project will be realised, with a dedicated Intrepid Sale by Lyon & Turnbull. Led by the immense record-holding 311 litre bottle, this exciting event offers pioneering collectors the once in a lifetime opportunity to take their place in the whisky hall of fame.

The sale will also include some of the exclusive sets of 50cl bottles and 5cl miniatures filled with the remaining whisky from Macallan sister casks 6986 and 6992 and produced to commemorate this momentous event. Each set of 12 bottles includes a replica of the big bottle design and 11 individual versions dedicated to each of the explorers associated with the project. Whisky God Charles MacLean speaks of "...an elegant whisky, with subtle complexity," mentioning pears in syrup, vanilla fudge, white pepper, and French apple tart in his Intrepid tasting notes.

Another feature of the sale is digital artworks by Sarah G. Crawley (who also designed the project's stunning bottle labels and packaging), each portraying one of the explorers over a background collage of images detailing the timeline of the project.

Proceeds from the sale of Lot 6, which includes a full set of these artworks each signed by the explorer pictured, will be shared amongst the explorers' chosen charities. Additionally, for any amount The Intrepid sale achieves in excess of £1.3m, 25% will be donated to the Marie Curie charity. 

For more information on the sale, including Charles MacLean’s tasting notes, check out this video

To see the auctioneer's online sale catalogue, simply click here: lyonandturnbull.com