This is a number people have been aiming to get to for a while. A similar bottle reached the $1million mark recently, but this is the first time the hammer price has reached £1 million.

Some might think this a ridiculous waste of money, but I don’t agree: It is no different from an artwork –even without the image on the bottle. The whisky itself is a unique work of art. From the craftsmanship involved in creating it, to the selection of the type of cask and deciding when to bottle it, there is a lot of skill involved.

The price is completely justifiable: Because of the organic nature of whisky this bottle can never be replicated. The previous record holder was part of a series of 12 and every time one is opened we are getting closer and closer to the extinction of that particular liquid.

I think the people who created it 60 years ago made it to be opened and enjoyed, and some buyers do that. Others hang on to it as a trophy item, like an art collector who keeps a masterpiece in storage, where noone gets to appreciate it. The way the market has been going I think this bottle may re emerge to be auctioned again.

I think this is really exciting for the whole Scottish whisky industry. Scotch has such a high reputation around the world because of the quality and heritage. A brand like Macallan is seen as the ultimate prestige luxury item around the world and that is great for the industry, and for brand Scotland.

Blair Bowman is a whisky consultant and author