Sotheby's website says 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." The price of Japanese whisky has been driven up by growing global demand and a shortage of materials. In 2019, a set of 54 bottles of Ichiro's Malt Card Series whisky produced in Saitama Prefecture sold in a Hong Kong auction for about 910,000 dollars.