The previously unknown buyer of the tallest bottle of whisky in the world, which stands at 5 feet 11 inches, has been identified as a Vietnamese businessman with a more than £150 million worth of liquor already in his possession. The 311-liter bottle of 32-year-old Macallan single malt was purchased by Viet Nguyen Dinh Tuan for £1.1 million at an Edinburgh auction last year. On Thursday, Viet added the Intrepid whisky bottle to his collection in Ho Chi Minh City along with a certificate from Guinness World Records certifying that it is the biggest bottle in the world. The ultimate cost of the transaction came to almost £92 per dram (25ml). As a long-time collector of rare spirits, Viet is the proud owner of several of the most valuable and historic bottles of cognac and whisky.

I've spent my free time collecting these bottles for years, he declared. The value I perceive in each bottle is the uniqueness that the history and traditions of whisky production provide each one. I bought the Intrepid for three major reasons: one, it's the biggest bottle in the world; second, it includes Macallan; and third, I was motivated by the record-breaking exploits of the 11 explorers who are pictured on the bottle's label. The idea was developed and the auction was planned by Daniel Monk of Cask World and the beverage distributor Rosewin Holdings. He said it was named the Intrepid in honour of the achievements of 11 pioneering British explorers, the images of whom are featured on the bottle’s label and include Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Dr Geoff Wilson, Karen Darke, Olly Hicks and Jamie Ramsay.

The effort, he continued, "is a labour of love to honour the life of my late father, Capt. Stanley Monk, who was himself an explorer and accomplished many amazing things during his life." The bottle is the most recent addition to Viet's collection, which already comprises the only total Macallan fine and rare collections in existence, including the 1926 "Fine and Rare". Viet has three of the 40 total bottles of the Macallan 1926 that were ever made. In 2019, a bottle went for about £1.5 million.

He also owns the world’s largest bottle of cognac, and the oldest bottle of whisky – believed to be almost 150 years old. Monk said: “Going into Mr Viet’s hallowed whisky collection was an unforgettable experience, it’s truly a whisky and cognac enthusiast’s paradise. It was a dream come true to see the Intrepid proudly displayed and added to the whisky war chest of such a knowledgable and passionate collector. He is preserving whisky history. We were honoured to be Mr Viet’s guests and to see his remarkable collection at first-hand.”