The bottle, which is the most expensive ever sold in Sweden, was snapped up by an unknown buyer at an auction organized by auctioneers Stockholms Auktionsverk and Systembolaget, the country's state-run alcohol monopoly, on Thursday.

“It's a very special bottling that comes from an old traditional crafts production,” said Sören Nylund, valuation expert for Systembolaget's auctions, in a statement.

The whisky is part of a limited edition of 500 bottles which were distilled in 1928 and bottled in 1983, but few remain today.

“The bottles have decreased in numbers, which makes them very attractive,” said Nylund.

The 1928 Macallan bottle of whisky. Photo: Stockholms Auktionsverk

It was not known whether the buyer planned to consume or collect the rare whisky. However according to Nylund it is likely to lose both its flavour and its value as time goes by.

“It would be a shame if this bottle meets that fate. Let us instead hope that it will be enjoyed on a special occasion,” he said.

The Macallan is a Scots single malt whisky, produced in Craigellachie in the Speyside region of Scotland. The distillery also  holds the Guinness World Record for the most expensive whisky ever sold in the world: a Macallan M Imperiale 6-litre Lalique decanter snapped up at an auction in Hong Kong for $628,000 in 2014.