BONHAMS HONG KONG SETS NEW WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR A BOTTLE OF JAPANESE WHISKY
A unique Yamazaki 50-Year-Old created for Nagoya's Club Natsume fetched HK$8,250,000 at a Bonhams auction, nearly doubling its high estimate
On May 30, 2026, the auction house Bonhams established a brand new world auction record for the sale of a single bottle of Japanese whisky. The historic milestone was achieved in Hong Kong during "The Legendary Japanese Whisky" sale. The record-breaking bottle was a unique Yamazaki 50-Year-Old, which had been created exclusively for Nagoya's Club Natsume. The rare bottle soared to a final price of HK$8,250,000, which is equivalent to JP¥168,480,000, nearly doubling its pre-sale high estimate.[1][2]
The auction proceedings saw Sharon Chan hammering down the Yamazaki 50-Year-Old to officially seal the new world auction record. In addition to the record-breaking Yamazaki bottle, the auction event saw significant bidding for other highly sought-after spirits. This included a Karuizawa 52-Year-Old Cask 5627, 1960 – Treasure Ship, which realized a final price of HK$6,250,000, equivalent to JP¥127,640,000.[1][2]
With these latest high-profile transactions, Bonhams successfully maintains its position of holding the top three prices ever achieved for a bottle of Japanese whisky at an international auction.[1][2]
