A Vietnamese collector has transformed the world’s most valuable whisky into a unique artwork, commissioning Italian master Roberto Ferri to paint directly onto a bottle of The Macallan 1926 60 Year Old worth millions of dollars.
Nguyễn Đình Tuấn Việt unveiled “The Macallan 1926 60 Year Old Masterpiece Edition” Wednesday in Ho Chi Minh City, featuring Ferri’s neo-classical allegorical tableau painted directly onto the glass. The collector has already declined a $10 million offer for the one-of-a-kind piece.
Ferri’s modern neoclassical painting represents the elements used to make scotch whisky in human form, depicting two nymphs symbolizing barley and oak united by flowing water and crowned with red hair, evoking Scotland and the flame of distillation.
The commission echoes Michael Dillon’s hand-painted 1926 design, which became the first whisky to sell for over £1 million in 2018. Unlike the Peter Blake and Valerio Adami editions that featured designed labels, Ferri painted directly onto the bottle, creating an irreversible transformation.
Việt holds 20 Guinness World Records for his rare spirits collection and owns five of the original 40 bottles of Macallan 1926. His collection is valued at over $150 million, making him the most decorated rare spirits collector in history.
The Macallan 1926 series has consistently shattered auction records. The current record stands at £2.18 million ($2.7 million) for a Valerio Adami-labeled version sold at Sotheby’s London in 2023, while the Fine and Rare edition reached £1.5 million in 2019.
Roberto Ferri, celebrated for his Caravaggio-inspired style, described the commission as carrying “immense responsibility” with no room for error. The Italian artist has previously created official portraits of Pope Francis for the Vatican and is renowned for his symbolically rich neoclassical works.
“To paint directly onto a bottle valued in the millions was an immense responsibility; there was no room for error,” Ferri explained. “I chose to depict barley, oak, water and flame as allegorical figures—the elemental forces that give birth to whisky.”
Rare whisky specialist Mark Littler noted that the bottle has “moved beyond the known market,” suggesting its value now transcends traditional whisky collecting into the realm of fine art. “What he has created isn’t just another record-breaking whisky, it’s a cultural object,” Littler observed.
The transformation fulfills The Macallan’s original 1980s vision, when several bottles were deliberately left unlabeled for future artistic collaborations. Nearly 40 years later, that concept has been realized through this spectacular commission.
Distilled in 1926 and bottled after 60 years of maturation in sherry oak, The Macallan 1926 represents the pinnacle of whisky rarity. The scarcity of only 40 bottles, combined with their legendary status, has created mythical auction values that continue escalating.
Việt views himself as a guardian rather than merely an owner, stating his duty is “to preserve it so that future generations may experience its timeless beauty.” This philosophy has driven his approach to collecting, focusing on preservation and cultural significance beyond monetary value.
The artwork represents modern patronage, merging ultra-rare spirits with high art in a manner reminiscent of Renaissance commissioning traditions. The irreversible nature of painting directly onto the bottle adds permanent artistic transformation to an already legendary collectible.
Industry observers suggest this commission could establish new precedents for luxury collectibles, where artistic collaboration creates value beyond traditional market mechanisms. The $10 million declined offer indicates potential for further appreciation.
The piece will likely remain in Việt’s private collection, joining other extraordinary bottles including the world’s oldest known whisky, cognac, and rum. His collecting philosophy emphasizes cultural preservation over commercial gain.
The unveiling coincides with growing global interest in whisky investment and art market expansion into alternative luxury assets. This convergence creates new categories where traditional valuation methods may prove inadequate.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
