Update: Yesterday's auction in New York set a record for the most expensive whisky ever sold. The 64 years old Macallan and the Lalique decanter went for a whopping $460,000, all of which will benefit charity:water. Between all the auctions, approximately $605,000 was raised.

If you're a whisky connoisseur, think about the absolute best snifter of it you ever had. How much did you pay for it? Really? That much? Well, we promise you it's pennies compared to what a taste of The Macallan 64 years old single malt whisky is going for these days.

This unique blend, the oldest Macallan ever released by the distillery in its 186-year history, has been traveling around the world in a one-of-a-kind Lalique decanter since April, heading west from Paris, through Asia, to New York City, with 10 cl tastes auctioned off at every stop. The bottle arrives in Beverly Hills today where bidders will vie for another sample. Here's a breakdown of how much the sips have gone for so far:

– Osaka – ¥1,100,000 (approximately $13,600) on October 22, 2010

– Singapore – Sg$15,000 (approximately $11,470) on October 7, 2010

– Shanghai – ¥101,888 (approximately $15,200) on September 24, 2010

– Taipei – NT$1,300,000 (approximately $41,000) on September 9, 2010

– Seoul -KRW 7,000,000 (approximately $5,900) on August 11, 2010

– Hong Kong – HK$135,000 (approximately $17,300) on July 17, 2010

– Moscow – R180,000 (approximately $5,650) on May 26, 2010

– London – ₤6,000 (approximately $8,880) on May 10, 2010

– Paris – €3,800 (approximately $5,000) on April 6, 2010

This world tour celebrates the 150th anniversary of glass designer René Lalique's birth. Lalique created the decanter using the ancient “cire perdue” or “lost wax” method, which has been brought out of retirement by the French crystal house exclusively for The Macallan.

After today, only enough whisky to fill the decanter one last time will remain. The bottle will make its final stop in New York on November 15th where it — the decanter and its contents — will be auctioned off at Sotheby's. Proceeds of that sale, along with those garnered from each taste, will benefit charity: water, a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

So, if a 10 cl taste of this whisky has hit the five-figure mark, what's the value of the filled decanter? No one will know for sure until it's sold, but for reference, a 60 year-old Macallan (distilled in 1926, bottled in 1986) sold for $75,000 to a South Korean buyer in 2005. But that was just the whisky. The Lalique decanter should up the price considerably, if history is any indication. A René Lalique jewel from 1903 sold for $363,000 in October 2006 in New York, an in October 2009, an Art Nouveau multi-gem and enamel pendant necklace by Lalique was auctioned in New York for a world record $554,500.

Today's event in Beverly Hills is private, but interested bidders can contact CirePerdueLA@mbooth.com for details.

(Fun fact: whiskey in general is whiskey, but Scotch whisky, or in this case, single malt Scotch whisky, is without the e.)

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