「山崎５５年」に８１００万円　米競売で高値落札

　サントリースピリッツのシングルモルトウイスキー「山崎５５年」が１７日、米ニューヨークで競売商サザビーズのオークションに掛けられ、６０万ドル（約８１００万円）で落札された。落札予想価格は４０万～５０万ドルだった。
　山崎５５年は山崎蒸留所（大阪府島本町）で５５年以上熟成させた原酒を使用。２０２０年に同社最高酒齢ウイスキーとして、１００本限定の抽選販売が行われた。価格は３３０万円（税込み）だったが、希少価値の高さから、その後に香港のオークションで６２０万香港ドル（現在のレートで約１億６６０万円）の値が付いていた。（2022/06/18-20:12）

A bottle of The Yamazaki 55 single malt whisky from Japan's Suntory Spirits Ltd. has sold for 600,000 dollars, or about 81 million yen, at an auction at Sotheby's in New York.
   The successful price was higher than 400,000-500,000 dollars estimated before the auction. The auction took place Friday.
   The Yamazaki 55 uses unblended whisky aged for 55 years or longer at Suntory Spirits' Yamazaki Distillery in the town of Shimamoto in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan.
   In 2020, the company sold only 100 bottles of The Yamazaki 55 by lottery as the company's oldest whisky at a price of 3.3 million yen including tax each. Thanks to its rarity, a bottle of the whisky later sold for 6.2 million Hong Kong dollars, or about 106.6 million yen at the current exchange rate, at an auction in Hong Kong.
   The Yamazaki 55 "sits at the pinnacle of collectible Japanese whisky as not only the oldest but also the most valuable bottle in the country's history," Sotheby's commented.