May 2025 Auction

Unique Reference Number: falv4t

Signed and dated by A. Murray on 19th of July 2005.

Please note:

Due to the size and weight of this lot, it will carry a thirty-bottle shipping fee. Collection is advised. Outer box measures 87cm x 42cm x 63cm and weighs approximately 35kg.

Karuizawa 40 Year Old Single Sherry Cask #1650 / Platinum Geisha

Karuizawa distillery was established in 1955 in the town of Miyota on the southern slopes of Mount Asama. It began production the following year, producing single malt for the Ocean blends from Daikoku Budoshu. Initially it was difficult for the distillery to obtain malt, but a lift on import restrictions in 1958 meant the distillery was able to experiment with the production of a Speyside-esque product, importing the same golden promise barely used at Macallan, and sherry casks. The subsequent quality of output saw it appearing in Japan as a single malt for the first time in the 1980s. Sadly, the Japanese whisky market was not strong at the time, and Karuizawa was closed  in 2001 by owners, Mercian, and eventually dismantled. Its legacy is lives on however, with its still relocated to other distilleries in Japan, but predominantly in the hugely sought-after single cask releases that began to appear in 2007, from independent bottler, Number One Drinks. It is now one of the most prestige single malts on the planet, the reverence for which only grows as the remaining stock continues to thin.

This is one of two sought after Platinum Geisha releases, which were available to purchase by winners of a ballot hosted by The Whisky Exchange.

Matured for 40 years in sherry cask #1650, this bottle is number 086 of 227. 

Karuizawa 38 Year Old Single Sherry Cask #4365 / Platinum Geisha

Karuizawa distillery was established in 1955 in the town of Miyota on the southern slopes of Mount Asama. It began production the following year, producing single malt for the Ocean blends from Daikoku Budoshu. Initially it was difficult for the distillery to obtain malt, but a lift on import restrictions in 1958 meant the distillery was able to experiment with the production of a Speyside-esque product, importing the same golden promise barely used at Macallan, and sherry casks. The subsequent quality of output saw it appearing in Japan as a single malt for the first time in the 1980s. Sadly, the Japanese whisky market was not strong at the time, and Karuizawa was closed  in 2001 by owners, Mercian, and eventually dismantled. Its legacy is lives on however, with its still relocated to other distilleries in Japan, but predominantly in the hugely sought-after single cask releases that began to appear in 2007, from independent bottler, Number One Drinks. It is now one of the most prestige single malts on the planet, the reverence for which only grows as the remaining stock continues to thin.

This is one of two sought-after Platinum Geisha releases, which were available to purchase for winners of a ballot hosted by The Whisky Exchange. The whisky itself was matured for 38 years in single sherry cask #4365.

One of 137 bottles.

Macallan 40 Year Old The Red Collection 2023 Release

It may be hard to imagine today, but for much of the 20th century, Macallan was primarily a constituent malt in blends. It was not until the 1980s downturn in the market that the distillery decided to focus on its single malt brand. Fortuitously, this coincided with the crest of a wave of enthusiasm for the high quality releases that the distillery had licensed to Campbell, Hope & King and Gordon & MacPhail in the 1960s and 1970s. These remain some of the most collectible on the market. While global single malt sales volume is still lead by Speyside neighbours, Glenfiddich and Glenlivet, Macallan is easily the most sought after. So much so in fact, that they had to open a brand new distillery in 2018, a subterranean architectural masterpiece within the Easter Elchies estate, boasting 36 copper pot stills.  

The 40 year old was first launched in October 2020 as part of The Red Collection. The range also includes a 50, 60, 71, 74 and 78 year old, some of the oldest whisky ever bottled by the distillery. The colour Red has a myriad of significance for Macallan, from its founder's name, Alexander Reid, meaning \"the red one,\" to the the label aesthetic being an homage to the oldest vintages bottled from the distillery in the late 1970s and Allan Shiach marking them with red ribbons in the 1980s.

Created by Whisky Maker, Kirsteen Campbell, this is the 2023 Edition of the 40 year old.

Please note due to the size and weight of this lot, it will carry a six-bottle shipping fee.

Unique Reference: 2TJDGL

Signed and dated by N. Mackellar on 19th March 2003

Kyoto Ki Noh Bi Gin Noh Mask Series x 30

Founded in 2015 by whisky enthusiasts Marcin Miller and David Croll, Kyoto Distillery is the first dedicated artisan gin distillery in Japan. Croll first visited the nation in 1985 whilst working for a bank and immediately fell in love with the historic city of Kyoto, to which he promptly moved to. After teaming up with Miller in 2006, the two formed the Number One Drinks Company and began exporting some of Japan’s the most legendary malts such as Karuizawa and Hanyu. In the early 2010s and inspired by the craft gin boom taking place in the UK and United States, they decided to get involved themselves. In 2014, they purchased an old warehouse in an area of the city famous for sake brewing and installed equipment. This included two custom-built copper pot stills produced by German manufacturer Christian Carl. These stills have the capability to adjust their specification giving the team the flexibility to produce different styles of spirit. When selecting botanicals for their recipes, the team dedicate themselves to harvesting local ingredients from in and around Kyoto. 

The Kyoto Distillery’s “Ki Noh Bi” Dry Gin is the first Japanese gin to collaborate with the Noh Theatre, like the legendary Karuizawa distillery did before it. Noh is one of Japan’s traditional performing arts, and like the Karuizawa bottlings, each release carries a mask used in performing.

This lot includes the first 30 editions of the series, produced from 2017-2024.

• 1st Edition: Noh Mask “Shakumi”, 48% 70cl - One of 904 bottles drawn from a single ex-Karuizawa sherry butt, produced for Isetan Shinjuku, Japan
• 2nd Edition: Noh Mask “Magojiro”, 48% 70cl - One of 367 bottles drawn from a single American oak bourbon barrel, produced for Changi Airport, Singapore
• 3rd Edition: Noh Mask “Masukami”, 48% 70cl - One of 720 bottles drawn from a single ex-Karuizawa sherry butt, produced for the Japanese and European markets
• 4th Edition: Noh Mask “Magojiro”, 48% 70cl - One of 374 bottles drawn from a single American oak bourbon barrel, produced for Bar High Five, Japan
• 5th Edition: Noh Mask “Yaseotoko”, 48% 70cl - One of 329 bottles drawn from a single American oak ex-Caroni barrel, produced for La Maison du Whisky
• 6th Edition: Noh Mask “Koomote”, 48% 70cl - One of 852 bottles drawn from a single ex-Karuizawa sherry butt, produced for Changi Airport, Singapore
• 7th Edition: Noh Mask “Shiro Shakumi”, 48% 70cl - One of 1,026 bottles drawn from a single ex-Karuizawa sherry butt, produced for Isetan Shinjuku, Japan
• 8th Edition: Noh Mask “Chu-Jo”, 48% 70cl - One of 786 bottles drawn from a single ex-Karuizawa sherry butt, produced for Liquid Gold, Hong Kong
• 9th Edition: Noh Mask “Yoroboushi”, 48% 70cl - One of 829 bottles drawn from a single ex-Karuizawa sherry butt, produced for Sexy Fish, London
• 10th Edition: Noh Mask “Doji”, 48% 70cl - One of 372 bottles drawn from a single ex-Karuizawa red wine barrique, produced for Duty Free retailers in Singapore
• 11th Edition: Noh Mask “Fukai”, 48% 70cl - One of 1,002 bottles drawn from a vatting of an ex-Karuizawa sherry butt and a mizunara punchcheon, produced for Andaz Tojkyo (402 bottles) and Cask Liquid Marketing (600 bottles)
• 12th Edition: Noh Mask “Chorei Beshimi”, 48% 70cl - One of 350 bottles drawn from a single ex-Caroni barrel and sweetened with kokuto (black sugar), produced for the Japanese market
• 13th Edition: Noh Mask “Kasshiki”, 48% 75cl - One of 600 bottles drawn from a vatting of two ex-Karuizawa sherry casks and a virgin mizunara oak cask, produced for the American market
• 14th Edition: Noh Mask “Namanari”, 48% 70cl - One of 800 bottles drawn from a vatting of two ex-Karuizawa sherry casks and a virgin mizunara oak cask, produced for Whisky Live Taipei, Taiwan
• 15th Edition: Noh Mask “Yase Otoko”, 48% 70cl - One of 800 bottles drawn from a vatting of ex-Karuizawa casks and mizunara oak casks, produced for duty-free retailers Masters of Wine and Spirits
• 16th Edition: Noh Mask “Tenjin”, 48% 70cl - One of 420 bottles drawn from a single ex-Karuizawa cask, produced for Isetan Shinjuku, Japan
• 17th Edition: Noh Mask “Yorimasa”, 48% 75cl - One of 600 bottles drawn from a vatting of ex-Karuizawa casks, ex-Chichibu casks and mizunara oak casks, produced for the American market
• 18th Edition: Noh Mask “Ikkaku sennin”, 48% 70cl - One of 420 bottles drawn from a single ex-Karuizawa cask, produced for the House of Ki No Bi
• 19th Edition: Noh Mask “Washibana akujou”, 48% 70cl - One of 600 bottles drawn from a single ex-Karuizawa cask, produced for the Japanese market
• 20th Edition: Noh Mask “Hashihime”, 48% 70cl - One of 1,800 bottles drawn from a vatting of ex-Karuizawa casks, ex-Chichibu casks and mizunara oak casks, produced for Whisk-E, Japan
• 21st Edition: Noh Mask “Syoujyo“, 48% 70cl - One of 950 bottles drawn from ex-Caroni casks and sweetened with kokuto (black sugar), produced for the ELEMENTS online store
• 22nd Edition: Noh Mask “Zo onna”, 48% 70cl - One of 1,000 bottles drawn from a vatting of ex-Karuizawa sherry butts, ex-Karuizawa wine barrels and virgin mizunara oak casks, produced for the Japanese market
• 23rd Edition: Noh Mask “Magojiro”, 48% 70cl - One of 800 bottles drawn from a vatting of ex-Karuizawa sherry casks and mizunara oak casks, produced for the Italian market
• 24th Edition: Noh Mask “Douji”, 48% 70cl - One of 720 bottles drawn from a vatting of three ex-Karuizawa sherry butts and a mizunara oak cask, produced for Liquid Gold, Hong Kong
• 25th Edition: Noh Mask “Narihira”, 48% 75cl - One of 450 bottles drawn from a vatting of ex-Karuizawa wine casks and mizunara oak casks, produced for the American market
• 26th Edition: Noh Mask “Mai syoujyou”, 48% 70cl - One of 600 bottles drawn from a vatting of an ex-Karuizawa sherry butt, an ex-Kilchoman bourbon barrel, and a mizunara oak cask, blended with 'super-premium' Uji teas. Produced for the House of Ki No Bi and the ELEMENTS online store
• 27th Edition: Noh Mask “Kobeshimi”, 48% 70cl - One of 1,836 bottles drawn from a vatting of three ex-Karuizawa sherry butts, produced for duty free retailers in Kansai Airport, Japan
• 28th Edition: Noh Mask “Yase-onna”, 48% 70cl - One of 756 bottles drawn from a vatting of two ex-Karuizawa sherry butts, blended with well water from Ki No Bi House
• 29th Edition: Noh Mask “Heida”, 48% 70cl - One of 1,530 bottles drawn from a vatting of mizunara oak barrels, blended with gyokuro and ten-cha sakes from local sake producers Horii-Shichimeien. Produced for The Ritz Carlton 10th Anniversary
• 30th Edition: Noh Mask “Koushi-jhou”, 59% 70cl - One of 577 bottles drawn from a vatting of ex-Karuizawa sherry barrels. Produced for the 30th anniversary of Bar K6.

Please note this lot will include a thirty-bottle shipping fee.

Please note due to the size and weight of this lot, it will carry a two-bottle shipping fee.

Please note, due to the weight of this lot, it will incur a 2 bottle shipping fee.

Hanyu 1985 Ichiro's Malt 'Card' #9109 / Queen of Diamonds

Since its stills were turned off in 2000, Hanyu has become one of Japan's most sought after single malts. An economic recession at the turn of the millennium forced the distillery to shut its doors, and the remaining casks of its unblended whisky stock were purchased by Venture Whisky, a firm established by the Hanyu distillery founder's grandson, Ichiro Akuto, in 2004. In 2005 he bottled his first single casks under the Ichiro's Malt label. He later cemented his legacy with the opening of the acclaimed Chichibu distillery, but his finest achievement will surely always be considered to be the Hanyu 'Card' series. The bottles are a collection of 58 releases, each displaying one of 52 playing cards on the label, two jokers, and a second batch of follow up releases to the original 2005 Ace of Spades, Queen of Hearts, King of Diamonds, and Jack of Clubs bottlings. Each unique in its own right, every one of these have become a true collector's piece and an important moment in the history Japanese whisky.

This Hanyu was distilled in 1985 and bottled in 2007. Initially matured in a hogshead before being finished in a French oak cognac cask. 

Bottle number 66 of 223.

Please note due to the size of the presentation tin, this lot will include a two bottle shipping fee.