A new auction record for any single bottle of Japanese whisky is set by the Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky Aged 50 Years NV. Estimated at HK$700,000 - 1.1m (US$89,523 - 140,679), the bottle of whisky sold for HK$2,337,000 (US$298,879, buyer's premium included) at Sotheby's Hong Kong, becoming the most expensive bottle of Japanese whisky.

Most expensive bottle of Japanese whisky

Bottled in  2011, the Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky Aged 50 Years NV is one of the 150 bottles. Accompanied by its original wooden case, the bottle is signed by Suntory's Master Blender Fukuyo Shinji.

Suntory's Master Blender Fukuyo Shinji

Offered an opening bid of HK$650,000, the Yamazaki whisky saw strong interest from both bidders in the room and telephone bidders. Soon after the price reached HK$1m, only telephone bidders stayed in the bidding battle. The bottle of whisky was hammered down for HK$1.9m and sold for a record-setting HK$2.337m with buyer's premium to an Asian collector.

It is accompanied by an original wooden case

Yamazaki distillery, founded in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii, was Japan's first commercial whisky distillery. There are three primary variants of Yamazaki whisky: 12 years, 18 years and 25 years.

Karuizawa Single Malt Whisky Aged 50 Years 1965

Another bottle of single malt whisky offered at the same sale was a Karuizawa Single Malt Whisky Aged 50 Years 1965, estimated at HK$130,000 - 200,000, sold for a price exceeding its estimate at HK$430,500 with buyer's premium.