In the early months of 2020, Beam Suntory quietly stated that a \"phenomenal expression\" could be expected later that same year. When it finally premiered, this unprecedented release became the oldest Japanese single malt ever bottled.
Suntory’s flagship distillery, Yamazaki was founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923. The town of Yamazaki was chosen to be the site of Japan’s first commercial distillery due to its very ‘Scottish’ climate, and with it being an area where three rivers converge. In its early days, Yamazaki produced both malt and grain for Suntory's blends, but the opening of the Chita distillery in 1972 allowed the company to focus on its single malt brand. It is now one of the world's most desirable. The first spirit ran from the stills in 1924, on 11th November at 11:11am.
The Yamazaki 55 year old is a vatting of two casks: a 1960-vintage mizunara oak and a 1964-vintage white oak. The 1960-vintage was distilled by founder Shinjiro Torii and the 1964-vintage represents the year his son, Keizo Saji, succeeded him as second-generation Master Blender. Over half a century of maturation later, the casks were carefully married together by current and fifth Master Blender, Shinji Fukuyo.
As you would expect, the presentation showcases the highest quality of Japanese craftsmanship. The \"55\" emblazoned on the crystal bottle is decorated with maki-e, the traditional Japanese technique of sprinkling gold powder on lacquerware. The handcrafted box is made of Japanese mizunara wood which is finished in a traditional style. The mouth of the bottle is wrapped in a layer of ink-black washi paper strewn with gold flakes whist a cord braided from 24 ink-black, gold, and silver strands hold the wrapping in place.
When it came to distribution in mid-2020, it was decided that the first 100 bottles would be sold exclusively in Japan via lottery. Over a year later, a second release of another 100 bottles were made available to other markets around the world.
This particular bottle is one of second 100 and unlike those sold in Japan in 2020, they are not engraved with the buyers name.
Alongside the 70cl bottle is a beautifully presented book which details the whisky.
Please Note: This lot is not eligible for Whisky Auctioneer storage. The winning bidder must arrange for collection within 7 days of purchase.
Released in 2020, this is the fifth complete fifth collection of the Dalmore Decades range. At the time of release, the fifteen complete sets were available only at Harrod's in London, Wally's Wine & Spirits in Los Angeles and Le Bon Marché in Paris.
Dalmore is undoubtedly the prize single malt in the Whyte & Mackay portfolio. This was not always the case though. The blenders purchased it from the Mackenzie family in 1960, having been long-standing customers. Due to the long-running importance of it to their blends, their distillery bottlings of its single malt were limited to a 12 year old expression. Nowadays however, it is positioned as a luxury brand, rubbing shoulder with the likes of Macallan, and is globally recognised. This lot includes...
Dalmore 2000 Decades 20 Year Old 47% 70cl - This whisky was aged entirely in ex-Matusalem sherry butts.
Dalmore 1995 Decades 25 Year Old 42.5% 70cl - This whisky was aged in a combination of a ex-Bourbon and a ex-Port Pipe.
Dalmore 1980 Decades 40 Year Old 40.8% 70cl - This whisky was aged in a combination of a ex-Bourbon and a Matusalem sherry butt.
Dalmore 1979 Decades 40 Year Old 41.5% 70cl - This whisky was aged in a combination of a ex-Bourbon, oloroso and a 1952 vintage port cask.
Dalmore 1967 Decades 53 Year Old 42.5% 70cl - This whisky was aged in a combination of a ex-Port and a ex-Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine cask.
The five bottles are presented in a beautiful fabric-lined display cabinet that also houses a book that details the whiskies and the distillery itself.
Also included in this lot are five well-crafted, weighty display plinths which are each fitted with LED lighting. Each plinth and the display cabinet include their own sturdy and branded flight cases. A professional Care Kit is also provided.
This is presentation set number 5 of only 15 produced.
Please Note: Due to the size and weight of this total lot, collection is advised. If shipping is required, please contact Whisky Auctioneer to discuss.
Please Note: This lot is not eligible for Whisky Auctioneer storage. The winning bidder must arrange for collection within 7 days of purchase.
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.
This impressive 74 year old was launched in October 2020 as part of The Red Collection. The range also includes a 40, 50, 60, 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 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.
The 74 year old was created by Whisky Maker, Sarah Burgess and is presented in a oak box hand-crafted in the UK using the same European wood used to make Macallan casks. The interior of the box has been upholstered by Bridge of Weir using high quality, sustainably sourced Scottish leather.
Debuting in 2018 this is the 2022 and final edition of Bowmore's Vaults series. This vintage joins the 1965, 1966 and 1964 which make-up the complete collection.
Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1993. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year after they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements.
The whisky was distilled in 1969 and has been aged in a combination of ex-Bourbon and Spanish oak ex-Oloroso sherry casks.
As you would expect, the bottle is immaculately presented in a beautifully crafted display case which includes information regarding the release. It also includes a heavy wooden branded travel case.
One of 339 bottles which were first made available at London Heathrow Airport followed by other Global Travel retailers across the world.
Due to the size and weight of this item, it will include a twelve-bottle shipping fee.
Macallan 55 Year Old Six Pillars Collection / Japan
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.
An incredibly well-aged Macallan, bottled exclusively for the Japanese market.
This 55 year old Japanese Exclusive is part of exclusive Six Pillars Collection, a series of six bottles all denoting a different facet of what Macallan believes sets them apart. This release highlights the Exceptional Oak Casks pillar. The other five are Spiritual Home, Curiously Small Stills, Finest Cut, Natural Colour and Peerless Spirit.
This is one of only 100 bottles .
Please note that this is not a part of the Lalique Six Pillars Collection, and is part of a separate Japanese exclusive series.
Lottas Home 13 Year Old Papa's Private Reserve Rye 1998
One of just 60 bottles, this is an incredibly rare rye whiskey bottled in Lawrenceburg by the Old Commonwealth Distillery Co for Macha Weine & Feines in Germany. It is named Lottas home after one of the owner's daughters and the whiskey contained is the same used for the legendary Van Winkle Family Reserve.
Released in 1998 when the whiskey was actually 13 years old. The Van Winkle Family Reserve rye continued to age in cask until 2004 when it was eventually tanked. They are all labelled as 13 years old regardless. The 1998 bottling was the inaugural, and exclusive to the Japanese market, however this is a private release for Macha Weine and Feines in German. The owners daughter was named Lotte.
The Family Reserve Rye is presumed to have been distilled at Medley in Owensboro, with Cream of Kentucky rye from Bernheim blended through it after it was tanked in 2004. As of 2018, the rye batches have been bottled using whiskey distilled at Buffalo Trace, after the original reseres were finally depleted in 2016.
Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1995. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year prior (they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements.
The unique microclimate of the No.1 Vaults warehouse at Bowmore distillery means casks share very little with the angels, and has allowed the distillery to bottle some spectacular age-statements over the years. These early Morrison Bowmore era vintages are considered classics.
A spectacular whisky, this 1965 vintage Bowmore was produced just after the distillery had its steam heated stills installed. Since then it has been maturing at the distillery in a single Oloroso sherry cask for over 52 years!
This is the third release in Bowmore's fifty-year Vault series and is immaculately presented in a hand crafted Scottish oak cabinet.
Whisky Auctioneer are delighted to present at auction the striking Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary bottling from Suntory.
This remarkable blend was released in 2012 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the band's formation, with the blend itself containing 50 year old malt whisky distilled at Yamazaki in 1962, the same year that the band was formed.
The Yamazaki component was matured in mizunara casks, with other components of the blend chosen to represent key milestones in the history of the Rolling Stones. For example, whisky from 1971 was chosen in recognition of the year the famous 'tongue and lips' logo was launched. Other notable elements are Hakushu 1990 and Chita 1990, chosen to celebrate the year in which the band played their first concert in Japan.
One of only 150 bottles, presented in a wooden display case with stopper.
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.
Released in late 2022, this is a collection of eight batches from the silent Japanese distillery. All the whisky has been aged in ex-Sherry butts and has been bottled at cask strength. It includes:
Glen Grant is one of Speyside's most recognised distilleries. It was built in 1839 by James and John Grant, and was a huge facility for its time. Its size increased exponentially over time, in the hands of John's son, John \"The Major\" Grant (who also built the short-lived Caperdonich next-door), and twice in the 1970s following the merger with The Glenlivet Distillers and its subsequent takeover by Seagram. Glen Grant was bottled as a single malt as early as the late-19th century, and developed a global export market. None perhaps as important as in Italy, where their agent in the 1960s, Armando Giovinetti, turned it into the nation's favourite whisky, after discovering the palate preferences of his countrymen for very young single malts. So loved is Glen Grant in Italy, that the distillery is now owned by Gruppo Campari, who bought it from Pernod Ricard in 2006.
Glen Grant licensed its brand to a number of bottlers in the mid to late 20th century, the most prominent of which was Gordon & MacPhail. This good standing with the distillery furnished the Elgin-based independent firm with a steady supply of high quality casks, and subsequently, high quality releases. The preference of the Italian parent firm at the distillery today for its younger output, often means that Gordon & MacPhail are given access to some impressively aged casks.
This whisky was distilled in 1948 and was aged in single American ex-Sherry cask #440 for an incredible 72 years. The whisky is packaged in a Dartington Crystal decanter that is presented in an American black walnut presentation box.
Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1993. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year after (they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements.
This is an incredibly rare example, bottled under the Largiemeanoch label, a brand devised for a series of private bottlings for The Howgate Wine Co in Edinburgh in the late 1970s. The Whisky Connoisseur later revived the name for a series on collectible miniature bottlings of Bowmore, but they are far from the quality of this.
A legendary bottle of whisky, distilled at Bowmore in 1967 and bottled from a vatting of three sherry casks. A 10 year old was also bottled.
Please note that these bottles were not sealed upon production.
Karuizawa 1967 Single Cask #6426 / TWE 10th Anniversary
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 limited release was distilled in 1967 and bottled on 17th August 2009 with a vintage label produced exclusively for The Whisky Exchange's 10th Anniversary.
Single cask #6426 was split between this release, and a bottling for La Maison du Whisky, France.
Highland Park 50 Year Old 2010 Release with Signed Original Artwork
Highland Park was built by David Robertson all the way back in 1798. The distillery's relationship with blenders, Robertson & Baxter, saw it acquired by Highland Distillers in 1937, who were subsequently bought by Edrington in 1999, who run it today. The modern Highland Park single malt brand was first officially bottled in the 1970s, with the release of an 8 year old age statement, but distillery bottlings first appeared around the 1950s. The look of the brand has changed many times over the years, but its cult following and popularity has never diminished. It remains one of the most recognisable single malts in the world to this day.
This incredibly rare bottling of Highland Park was bottled from a combination of five refill casks from 1960. The casks were married together to 'harmonise' their flavours before being bottled, a process Highland Park calls 'cask harmonisation.'
The bottle has been designed by New York based Jeweller Maeve Gillies, who grew up in Edinburgh. The bottle which is created from hand-crafted sterling silver is inspired by the forces of nature and in particular the sea, using her jewellery making expertise the bottle features a metallic 'net' design, a piece of Orkney sandstone carved with the Highland Park logo and a hidden silver replica of the Rose Window from St Magnus Cathedral.
One of only 275 bottles produced.
This lot includes an original signed sketch used in the design process from Maeve Gillies. The bottle design won World’s Best Design and Best Limited Edition at the 2012 World Whiskies Awards in London
When released in early 2022, this incredible bottling became the first ever 50-year-old age-statement officially bottled by the GlenDronach distillery.
Glendronach was built in 1826 by James Allardice, and rebuilt following a fire in 1852 by an individual named Walter Scott (although not the one you might be thinking of). It eventually passed into the hands of perhaps Scotland's greatest distilling dynasty, the Grants of Glenfiddich. Charles, the youngest son of William Grant procured the then-silent distillery from the government in 1920, and it remained in the family until they sold it to Wm. Teacher 40 years later. The Grants and Teachers were early champions of the single malt category, and distillery bottlings of Glendronach were produced for most of the 20th century until it was mothballed by Allied Distillers in 1996. The distillery was revived in 2002, and has since become one of the strongest single malt brands in the world.
Distilled in 1971, this whisky has been aged in a combination of ex-Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez casks. It is presented with a small booklet which has been personally signed by D. Rachel Barrie, Master Blender.
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 Fine and Rare Series of whiskies was launched in 2002, designed to represent the very best vintages and whisky that Macallan had to offer, dating back as far as 1926.
This one was distilled in 1978 and bottled in 2018, from remade, refill cask #13810.
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.
A fantastic, slightly older release of the Macallan 40 year old before it became a staple of the annual release calender.
This famous bottling of Glenfiddich was bottled in 1991 and limited to an incredible 500 bottles. In the early 1990s one of these bottles officially became the most expensive bottle of whisky ever sold at auction selling for 99,999,999 Lira in an Italian charity auction.
Glenfiddich was an early advocate of the single malt Scotch category, and their faith is rewarded today by being one of the best-selling Scotch brands in the world. The distillery was built by William Grant in 1886, distilling its first spirit on Christmas day the following year. Today it is still part of the family-owned, William Grant & Sons. They became the first distillery to actively market their single malt brand in 1963, and were the first to open their facility to visitors. Glenfiddich was an important trailblazer in the whisky industry, who's contribution cannot be forgotten. The scale of their operation today is a testament to this.
This release was restricted to only nine casks laid down in the 1930s, one cask for each of William Grant's nine children who helped build Glenfiddich distillery into the success that it has become today. The casks, four distilled in 1937, and five in 1939, were vatted on 4th April 1990 in single cask #3034 and married for one year before being bottled on the 26th July 1991.
Each bottle was signed by former Chairman Alexander Grant Gordon, who is also the great-grandson of the company's founder.
Bottle number 132 includes a certificate, stating that the owner of the bottle is to be appointed as a Freeman of Glenfiddich distillery.
Karuizawa 31 Year Old Single Sherry Cask #3667 / Golden Geisha
Originally known as Speciality Drinks, Elixir Distillers was established in 1999 as the independent bottling arm of The Whisky Exchange, which launched its online retail site the same year. Their first bottlings were under the Single Malts of Scotland label in 2005, followed by the Elements of Islay range and Port Askaig single malt brand in 2006 and 2009, respectively. The company was renamed Elixir Distillers as of 2017.
This Karuizawa is one of two highly sought after 'Golden Geisha' releases, which were available to purchase by winners of a ballot hosted by The Whisky Exchange.
Aged for 31 years in sherry cask #3667, one of 225 bottles.
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 famous bottling of Glenfiddich was bottled in 1991 and limited to an incredible 500 bottles. In the early 1990s one of these bottles officially became the most expensive bottle of whisky ever sold at auction selling for 99,999,999 Lira in an Italian charity auction.
Glenfiddich was an early advocate of the single malt Scotch category, and their faith is rewarded today by being one of the best-selling Scotch brands in the world. The distillery was built by William Grant in 1886, distilling its first spirit on Christmas day the following year. Today it is still part of the family-owned, William Grant & Sons. They became the first distillery to actively market their single malt brand in 1963, and were the first to open their facility to visitors. Glenfiddich was an important trailblazer in the whisky industry, who's contribution cannot be forgotten. The scale of their operation today is a testament to this.
This release was restricted to only nine casks laid down in the 1930s, one cask for each of William Grant's nine children who helped build Glenfiddich distillery into the success that it has become today. The casks, four distilled in 1937, and five in 1939, were vatted on 4th April 1990 in single cask #3034 and married for one year before being bottled on the 26th July 1991.
Each bottle was signed by former Chairman Alexander Grant Gordon, who is also the great-grandson of the company's founder.
Bottle number 263 includes a certificate, stating that the owner of the bottle is to be appointed as a Freeman of Glenfiddich distillery.
This famous bottling of Glenfiddich was bottled in 1991 and limited to an incredible 500 bottles. In the early 1990s one of these bottles officially became the most expensive bottle of whisky ever sold at auction selling for 99,999,999 Lira in an Italian charity auction.
Glenfiddich was an early advocate of the single malt Scotch category, and their faith is rewarded today by being one of the best-selling Scotch brands in the world. The distillery was built by William Grant in 1886, distilling its first spirit on Christmas day the following year. Today it is still part of the family-owned, William Grant & Sons. They became the first distillery to actively market their single malt brand in 1963, and were the first to open their facility to visitors. Glenfiddich was an important trailblazer in the whisky industry, who's contribution cannot be forgotten. The scale of their operation today is a testament to this.
This release was restricted to only nine casks laid down in the 1930s, one cask for each of William Grant's nine children who helped build Glenfiddich distillery into the success that it has become today. The casks, four distilled in 1937, and five in 1939, were vatted on 4th April 1990 in single cask #3034 and married for one year before being bottled on the 26th July 1991.
Each bottle was signed by former Chairman Alexander Grant Gordon, who is also the great-grandson of the company's founder.
Bottle number 132 includes a certificate, stating that the owner of the bottle is to be appointed as a Freeman of Glenfiddich distillery.
The final bottling from Singleton’s Paragon of Time Collection.
Dufftown was built in 1896, becoming part of the Arthur Bell & Sons portfolio in 1933. As with Blair Athol, Dufftown was regularly bottled as a single malt, despite its importance to the Bell's blends. When the company was bought by Guinness in 1985, these bottlings stopped, but a Dufftown distillery bottling returned in 1991 as part of United Distillers’ Flora & Fauna series, later becoming part of The Singleton stable. Prior to the construction of Roseisle, Dufftown was Diageo's largest distillery.
This incredible 1966 vintage has been aged in a European oak cask before being finished in PX wood.
When it was bottled, it became the oldest ever expression to be released from in the distillery’s history. Exquisitely displayed, this magnificent whisky is housed in a decanter which was produced by Baccarat of France.
Baccarat Crystal was founded in the commune of the same name in north-eastern France in 1764. The company was given permission to start the manufacture of window panes, mirrors and stemware by King Louis XV but it wasn't until 1816 when the first crystal oven was installed. For well over 250 years the company has become renowned for its high quality and craftsmanship.
Karuizawa 1976 Noh Single Sherry Cask 32 Year Old #6719 / Kamiasobi - Haoromo
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.
Bottled at cask strength exclusively for Kamiasobi, a Japanese theatre group set up to make Noh genre performances more accessible to a greater audience. This label illustrates the Haoromo Noh play, one of the most popular.
This limited release was distilled in 1976 and bottled in 2009.
Produced from single cask #6719, which yielded only 486 bottles.
Springbank 12 Year Old Cask Strength Sherry Casks 1980s / Samaroli Import
Springbank distillery has been owned and operated by the Mitchell family in Campbeltown since 1837, and it one of Scotland's most revered distilleries. Following a brief mothballing between 1979 and 1987, upon the reopening the decision was taken to cease all sales to the blending industry and focus on its single malt sales. Today it is the only distillery to malt, distil, bottle and mature whisky on the same site, and produces three distinct and highly prized single malts.
This is a ludicrously rare and highly sought after Springbank, officially bottled for Samaroli Imports. This dates from the early 1980s when Silvano Samaroli's independent bottling business was still in its infancy, and he was still operating as an official importer. Taking inspiration from the legendary Edoardo Giaccone, proprietor of Edward & Edward (aka Whiskyteca Garten) in Salo, Samaroli imported outwith the standard distillery offerings, and sought out exclusive cask strength and sherry cask offerings like this for his clients. The back label of the bottle includes his tasting notes.
This Springbank was awarded 98 points by Serge Valentin on WhiskyFun.com
Hanyu 1991 Ichiro's Malt 'Card' #401 / Nine of Clubs
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.
Distilled in 1991 and bottled in 2011 from cask #401.
Initially matured in hogshead prior to being finished in a Bourbon barrel.
Laphroaig 1970 Samaroli 14 Year Old / Osteria Apostoli
Samaroli is perhaps Italy's most revered independent bottler of Scotch whisky. With an impeccable taste in single cask whiskies, and an eye for aesthetics (if not English spelling at times!), he is regarded by many as a visionary. Many of his bottles now occupy deserved sports on the pantheon of whisky greats.
This is an incredibly rare 1970 vintage Laphroaig, bottled by R.W. Duthie in 1984 and exclusively reserved for the Osteria Apostoli in Milan. This is one of several releases, bottled alongside a Macallan, Bowmore and a Mortlach.
Laphroaig is the largest of the three heavyweight Islay distilleries in Kildalton, out-stripping the production capacity of neighbours, Ardbeg and Lagavulin, by over 1 million litres per annum. Despite its traditional appearance, Laphroaig was always a forward-thinking distillery. It was bottled as a single malt as early as the 1920s, an unfashionable option at the time, especially for a peated whisky. They were also shrewd in capitalising on post-Prohibition America to add trademark sweetness to their spirit through the use of imported ex-bourbon casks, and hired Scotland’s first ever female distillery manager, Bessie Williamson, in 1954. Laphroaig is one of only a handful of distilleries in Scotland to still use in-house maltings, providing them with 20% of their annual requirements, and contributing to the distillery’s unique flavour profile.
It is worth noting that this bottle is not without its fair share of controversy. Indeed, there are examples of it in existence with two slightly different labels, each of which has the same information but presented with a different typeface. For a number of years it was widely considered that the bottle presented here was the genuine article, and the less common variation was inauthentic. A spanner was thrown in the works however by the discovery by Emmanuel Dron of the second label design in Silvano's archives. It was not apparently attached to any bottles however. Several bottles sourced directly from the Osteria's former-owner were also labelled with the same typeface as this bottle. The likelihood is that the label was reprinted for one reason or another, perhaps on account of the mis-spelling of \"Laphroaihg\" (although it is not correct on either), or to add the volume and strength measurements which are absent on the example printed in Dron's Collecting Scotch Whisky. Sadly there is no absolute clarity on the issue, however we are able to offer a strong degree of confidence. This bottle has a reassuring consistency in its presentation. The glass type, plastic capsule and cork top are the same material as those used by R.W. Duthie for this period, as is the paper stock of the label. A former owner has replaced the original tax strip, however the condition of the capsule beneath means that this is not a concern.
Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1993. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year after (they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements.
The unique microclimate of the No.1 Vaults warehouse at Bowmore distillery means casks share very little with the angels, and has allowed the distillery to bottle some spectacular age-statements over the years. This 38 year old is one of them.
Distilled in 1964, just a year after the Morrison's takeover of the distillery, this is regarded by many as a golden vintage, as are a number from the decade. This release was drawn from the same batch that produced the Black Bowmore, and was part of a trilogy which also contained a bourbon and a Fino sherry cask release.
Glenlivet 1943 Gordon and MacPhail 70 Year Old Private Collection
The following lot is for an extraordinary decanter from Scottish independent bottler, Gordon and MacPhail.
Well-known as the oldest licensed distillery in Scotland, for many years ‘Glenlivet’ was a byword for quality, with many single malts using the Glenlivet suffix in an attempt to reap the benefits of associating themselves with the Banffshire distillery. Indeed, owners Pernod-Ricard now put a heavy focus on the brand being ‘The Glenlivet’, encouraging their consumers not to accept any imitations. Glenlivet is in a long-running battle with Glenfiddich for the title of best-selling single malt, with both now selling over a million cases a year. George Smith secured a license to legally distil at Glenlivet in 1824, and it remained family-run until 1978 when Seagram bought a controlling stake in what had by then become The Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd, and counting assets such as Glen Grant, Benriach and Longmorn among its portfolio. When Seagram collapsed in 2001, Pernod-Ricard acquired its sizeable Chivas Brothers Scotch whisky division, with Glenlivet the crown jewel in an empire rivalled only by Diageo.
Gordon & MacPhail are one of the largest and most recognisable whisky companies in the world. Although they began distilling at the newly refurbished Benromach distillery in 1998, for most of their history they were an independent bottler. Their labels are recognised by whisky lovers the world over, and their licensed bottlings from distillery's like Macallan and Talisker in the 1970s and 1980s, when the companies were not bottling themselves, are a huge part of the success of those distillers today.
This whisky was distilled on 14th January 1943 and aged in single first-fill ex-Sherry hogshead #121. It was bottled on 11th June 2013. Decanter 41 of 42.
Released in extremely small numbers, this beautiful decanter contains some of the rarest stock in the company’s portfolio. Displayed in a well-crafted wooden box and is accompanied by a book which details the whisky. The design of the box is a tribute to the river Tay, as is the gold detailing on each bottle. The box is also crafted from wood from the Tayside area.
Also included:
Glenlivet 1943 Single Cask #121 Press Pack Sample 49.1% 1cl
Due to the weight and size of this lot, it will include a six bottle shipping fee.
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 Macallan Fine and Rare Series of whiskies was designed to represent the very best vintages and whisky that Macallan have to offer, dating back as far as 1926.
This was distilled in 1975 and bottled in 2005 from bourbon cask #8845.
The Chichibu's Intergalactic Edition series has previously featured a Robot theme (#1 and #2), a Anime theme (#3 and #4), and now the 2021 releases presents a Spaceman theme with artwork by graphic designer Mr Kalopsia.
Chichibu distillery in Saitama, Japan was opened in 2008, and was the country’s first new distillery since Suntory opened Hakushu back in 1973. Chichibu was the brainchild of Ichiro Akuto, grandson of the founder of the legendary Hanyu distillery. The Ichiro’s Malt brand appeared in 2005 and rose to fame through the bottling of the last casks from Hanyu, particularly the sought after ‘Card’ series. The first Chichibu releases appeared under it in 2011.
Chichibu 2012 Single ex-Peated Bourbon Cask #2112 / Intergalactic Edition 1 - This was distilled in 2012. One of 182 bottles.
Chichibu 2011 Single Belgian Stout Cask #4549 / Intergalactic Edition 2 - This was distilled in 2011. One of 238 bottles.
Chichibu 2012 Single Bourbon Cask #2012 / Intergalactic Edition 3 - This was distilled in 2012. One of 164 bottles.
Chichibu 2012 Single Bourbon Cask #2334 / Intergalactic Edition 4 - This was distilled in 2012. One of 215 bottles.
Chichibu 2015 Single Bourbon Cask #4316 62.3% 70cl / Intergalactic Edition 5 - This whisky was distilled in 2015. One of 210 bottles.
Chichibu 2015 Single Bourbon Cask #5486 63.6% 70cl / Intergalactic Edition 6 - This whisky was distilled in 2015. One of 203 bottles.
Springbank 12 Year Old Cask Strength Sherry Casks 1980s / Samaroli Import
Springbank distillery has been owned and operated by the Mitchell family in Campbeltown since 1837, and it one of Scotland's most revered distilleries. Following a brief mothballing between 1979 and 1987, upon the reopening the decision was taken to cease all sales to the blending industry and focus on its single malt sales. Today it is the only distillery to malt, distil, bottle and mature whisky on the same site, and produces three distinct and highly prized single malts.
This is a ludicrously rare and highly sought after Springbank, officially bottled for Samaroli Imports. This dates from the early 1980s when Silvano Samaroli's independent bottling business was still in its infancy, and he was still operating as an official importer. Taking inspiration from the legendary Edoardo Giaccone, proprietor of Edward & Edward (aka Whiskyteca Garten) in Salo, Samaroli imported outwith the standard distillery offerings, and sought out exclusive cask strength and sherry cask offerings like this for his clients. The back label of the bottle includes his tasting notes.
This Springbank was awarded 98 points by Serge Valentin on WhiskyFun.com
Glen Grant 1952 Gordon and MacPhail 60 Year Old / Diamond Jubilee 2012
Glen Grant is one of Speyside's most recognised distilleries. It was built in 1839 by James and John Grant, and was a huge facility for its time. Its size increased exponentially over time, in the hands of John's son, John \"The Major\" Grant (who also built the short-lived Caperdonich next-door), and twice in the 1970s following the merger with The Glenlivet Distillers and its subsequent takeover by Seagram. Glen Grant was bottled as a single malt as early as the late-19th century, and developed a global export market. None perhaps as important as in Italy, where their agent in the 1960s, Armando Giovinetti, turned it into the nation's favourite whisky, after discovering the palate preferences of his countrymen for very young single malts. So loved is Glen Grant in Italy, that the distillery is now owned by Gruppo Campari, who bought it from Pernod Ricard in 2006.
This whisky was filled into two 1st Fill Sherry Hogsheads #465 and #466 on 2nd February 1952. Cask #465 was transferred to the bonded warehouses of Gordon & Macphail in March 1968. On 2nd February, exactly 60 years after the whisky from cask #465 was distilled, it was bottled to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II from 1952 - 2012.
Each wooden box has been hand crafted by cabinet maker Ross Samson from Scottish Elwood, the stopper and collar are made from Sterling Silver by The Scottish Silver silversmith and the outer box has been lined with purple Harris Tweed fabric along with a jacket to match.
One of only 85 hand-blown crystal glass, designed by Glencairn Crystal, complete with a Swarovski crystal within the crown.
Due to the size and weight of this item, this lot will include a four bottle shipping fee.
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.
Bottled in the late 1990s, the Select Reserve were an early precursor to the Fine & Rare series, launched in 2002.
A truly stunning bottle of Macallan, distilled in 1946 and matured for over half a century until bottling.
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