This month's Drams Under the Hammer features the sales of a very rare Dalmore bottle and The Macallan Distill your World New York Single Cask edition, as well as a host of upcoming auctions from Whisky Auctioneer, including a 1979 Lagavulin.
What you missed…
Rare 50-year-old Dalmore sells big
A bottle of the rare Dalmore 50 year old from 1926 has sold for £15,860 in an online-only Fine Whisky & Spirits Sale. The total price of the bottle, which was presented in a ceramic decanter and its original wooden presentation, fell between the estimated £13,000 and £18,000.
The rare Dalmore wasn’t the only expression to catch a high price at the auction. A bottle of The Macallan Fine & Rare 30 year old 1973, bottled in 2003, sold for £14,640. Only 534 bottles were drawn from cask no. 6098, and the total price finished fractionally above the estimate.
Elsewhere, a bottle of Macallan-Glenlivet 22 Year Old sold for £6,100, as did a Macallan 1950, while a bottle of Springbank Local Barley 24 Year Old 1966 sold for an impressive £8,540.
Speaking on the online auction, Bonhams whisky specialist Georgia Porteous commented: “In a strong and varied sale, the Dalmore-50-year old-1926 stood out for its rarity and desirability and not surprisingly emerged as the top lot. There were also impressive performances from a good selection of Macallans with the Macallan Fine & Rare-30 year old-1973 providing the pick of the crop.”
The Macallan Distil your World New York Single Cask Edition Achieves $250,000
Earlier in the month, Sotherby’s first whisky online sale of the year in New York featured the sale of a limited edition version of The Macallan’s recent release of Distil Your World New York.
The total sale price was $250,000, with with proceeds of the sale benefitting ChaShaMa, a non-profit arts organisation based in New York City.
The bottle is housed in a blue presentation box featuring an engraved aerial map of New York, as well as a booklet about the bottle and the series itself.
Sotheby’s head of whisky & spirits Jonny Fowle spoke on the sale: “Today’s auction marked an exciting start to the year with an exceptional result that nearly tripled the pre-sale estimate for the limited edition release. We are proud to have seen a depth of bidding around the world to benefit New York City artists through the ChaShaMa charity.”
Coming up…
Macallan 65 Year Old Lalique Six Pillars Collection
Words by Heather Storgaard
After more than a decade of collaboration with luxury French glassmakers Lalique, The Macallan 65 Years Old concludes the Six Pillars collection of amazing high age statement Macallan whisky presented in Lalique crystal decanters.
Representing “Peerless Spirit”, this whisky shows off one of the six facets Macallan believe set them apart from other distillers, and indeed one that makes them so extremely sought-after by collectors. Limited to 450 individually numbered bottles worldwide, Whisky Auctioneer offer a rare chance to start or complete the Six Pillars collection in this month’s auction.
Lagavulin 1979 The Syndicate 40 Year Old
Words by Heather Storgaard
Little is known about The Syndicate on Islay, a group founded by Islay property investor John McTaggert, but their quality of casks is extremely well-regarded. Particularly lauded for their selection of incredibly special 1970s casks, this 1979 Lagavulin available in Whisky Auctioneer’s February auction is a stand-out example of their best spirit. With elegant, simple designs, these bottlings have become quite the collector’s item, causing excitement among Islay lovers whenever they appear at auction.
Bowmore 1964 Fino Cask 37 Year Old
Words by Heather Storgaard
Both Islay’s oldest working distillery and a clear forerunner in the era of iconic single malts, Bowmore is of massive importance to Scotch whisky and Islay in particular. Whisky Auctioneer’s February auction includes the Bowmore 1964 Fino Cask 37 Year Old, presented in a beautiful wooden cabinet made by Charles Kirkby & Sons of Sheffield, England. 1964 was a particularly impressive year for the distillery, producing not only this bottle but also the legendary Black Bowmore.
This article is sponsored by Whisky Auctioneer and is created in partnership with the team at Whisky Magazine. This sponsorship does not influence Whisky Magazine's coverage of auctions and Whisky Auctioneer do not have input on editorial decisions.
Whisky Auctioneer is one of the global market leaders and trusted authorities on the buying and selling of whisky and spirits at auction. Founded in 2013 and located in Perth, Whisky Auctioneer utilises its expertise and knowledge combined with its auction platform, to increase interest and passion in the whisky and spirits community.
Whisky Auctioneer endeavours to make the market more accessible for buyers and sellers of any background and geography. Its monthly global auctions feature some of the most comprehensive selections of old, rare and collectible whiskies and spirits available online.
Whisky Auctioneer became the first online auction house to sell a million-pound bottle and outperformed the nearest traditional auction house by 200 per cent in value from spirits sales in 2020, showcasing the move that whisky collectors, investors and drinkers have already made online and firmly establishing their leading position within the modern secondary whisky market.
What you missed…
Rare 50-year-old Dalmore sells big
A bottle of the rare Dalmore 50 year old from 1926 has sold for £15,860 in an online-only Fine Whisky & Spirits Sale. The total price of the bottle, which was presented in a ceramic decanter and its original wooden presentation, fell between the estimated £13,000 and £18,000.
The rare Dalmore wasn’t the only expression to catch a high price at the auction. A bottle of The Macallan Fine & Rare 30 year old 1973, bottled in 2003, sold for £14,640. Only 534 bottles were drawn from cask no. 6098, and the total price finished fractionally above the estimate.
Elsewhere, a bottle of Macallan-Glenlivet 22 Year Old sold for £6,100, as did a Macallan 1950, while a bottle of Springbank Local Barley 24 Year Old 1966 sold for an impressive £8,540.
Speaking on the online auction, Bonhams whisky specialist Georgia Porteous commented: “In a strong and varied sale, the Dalmore-50-year old-1926 stood out for its rarity and desirability and not surprisingly emerged as the top lot. There were also impressive performances from a good selection of Macallans with the Macallan Fine & Rare-30 year old-1973 providing the pick of the crop.”
The Macallan Distil your World New York Single Cask Edition Achieves $250,000
Earlier in the month, Sotherby’s first whisky online sale of the year in New York featured the sale of a limited edition version of The Macallan’s recent release of Distil Your World New York.
The total sale price was $250,000, with with proceeds of the sale benefitting ChaShaMa, a non-profit arts organisation based in New York City.
The bottle is housed in a blue presentation box featuring an engraved aerial map of New York, as well as a booklet about the bottle and the series itself.
Sotheby’s head of whisky & spirits Jonny Fowle spoke on the sale: “Today’s auction marked an exciting start to the year with an exceptional result that nearly tripled the pre-sale estimate for the limited edition release. We are proud to have seen a depth of bidding around the world to benefit New York City artists through the ChaShaMa charity.”
Coming up…
Macallan 65 Year Old Lalique Six Pillars Collection
Words by Heather Storgaard
After more than a decade of collaboration with luxury French glassmakers Lalique, The Macallan 65 Years Old concludes the Six Pillars collection of amazing high age statement Macallan whisky presented in Lalique crystal decanters.
Representing “Peerless Spirit”, this whisky shows off one of the six facets Macallan believe set them apart from other distillers, and indeed one that makes them so extremely sought-after by collectors. Limited to 450 individually numbered bottles worldwide, Whisky Auctioneer offer a rare chance to start or complete the Six Pillars collection in this month’s auction.
Lagavulin 1979 The Syndicate 40 Year Old
Words by Heather Storgaard
Little is known about The Syndicate on Islay, a group founded by Islay property investor John McTaggert, but their quality of casks is extremely well-regarded. Particularly lauded for their selection of incredibly special 1970s casks, this 1979 Lagavulin available in Whisky Auctioneer’s February auction is a stand-out example of their best spirit. With elegant, simple designs, these bottlings have become quite the collector’s item, causing excitement among Islay lovers whenever they appear at auction.
Bowmore 1964 Fino Cask 37 Year Old
Words by Heather Storgaard
Both Islay’s oldest working distillery and a clear forerunner in the era of iconic single malts, Bowmore is of massive importance to Scotch whisky and Islay in particular. Whisky Auctioneer’s February auction includes the Bowmore 1964 Fino Cask 37 Year Old, presented in a beautiful wooden cabinet made by Charles Kirkby & Sons of Sheffield, England. 1964 was a particularly impressive year for the distillery, producing not only this bottle but also the legendary Black Bowmore.
This article is sponsored by Whisky Auctioneer and is created in partnership with the team at Whisky Magazine. This sponsorship does not influence Whisky Magazine's coverage of auctions and Whisky Auctioneer do not have input on editorial decisions.
About Whisky Auctioneer
Whisky Auctioneer is one of the global market leaders and trusted authorities on the buying and selling of whisky and spirits at auction. Founded in 2013 and located in Perth, Whisky Auctioneer utilises its expertise and knowledge combined with its auction platform, to increase interest and passion in the whisky and spirits community.
Whisky Auctioneer endeavours to make the market more accessible for buyers and sellers of any background and geography. Its monthly global auctions feature some of the most comprehensive selections of old, rare and collectible whiskies and spirits available online.
Whisky Auctioneer became the first online auction house to sell a million-pound bottle and outperformed the nearest traditional auction house by 200 per cent in value from spirits sales in 2020, showcasing the move that whisky collectors, investors and drinkers have already made online and firmly establishing their leading position within the modern secondary whisky market.
