This month's Drams Under the Hammer features a lot of exciting near-end-of-the-year auctions for bidders to sink their teeth into. From a very exclusive 48-year-old Dalmore, to the chance to own a piece of rare Ardbeg history, this month's features offers plenty to keep an eye on over the coming weeks.
What you missed...
31-year-old Macallan Sherry Butt exceeds estimate
As featured in last month’s Drams Under the Hammer, Sotheby’s in London hosted a sale headlined by a very rare 31-year-old Macallan Sherry Butt.
Its estimated sale price came in between £400,000 and £800,000, however the total sale smashed that amount, with a price of £937,500.
Distilled on 30 September 1991, the estimated bottle yield for the cask is 528 bottles, at a Navy Strength 0f 51.3% ABV.
As discussed previously, there were other Macallan expressions as part of the auction, including a 65-year-old and a 35-year-old. The former sold for £52,500, at the higher end of its estimate, while the latter performed significantly better than predicted with a total of sale of £32,500.
Coming up...
Buffalo Trace Antique Collection
Words by Heather Storgaard
Hot on the tails of the distillery's announcement of their 2022 releases, Whisky Auctioneer's October auction features some of the collection's earliest and most collectible releases of Buffalo Trace. With bottles on offer including the George T Stagg 2002 Inaugural Release, this is a great chance to expand your Bourbon collection. The auction runs until the 7th November, and for more information, visit the Whisky Auctioneer website.
Ardbeg 1974 – 1 of 36
Words by Heather Storgaard
Ardbeg went through big changes in the course of the 1970s, making vintages from the first-half of the decade extremely sought after by both connoisseurs and collectors. This 1974 vintage offered by Whisky Auctioneer contains the last batch of spirit to have been made exclusively using on-site-peated malt. A particularly special bottle, this 31 Year Old cask bottling is one of only 36, and therefore a rare chance to make a real piece of Ardbeg history a part of your collection.
Bowmore 50 Year Old Vaults Edition
Words by Heather Storgaard
Debuting in 2018, this 2022 release is the final edition of Bowmore's Vaults series. This vintage joins the 1965, 1966 and 1964 which make-up the complete collection. One of only 339 bottles, this is a rare find available from Whisky Auctioneer. As the oldest running distillery on Islay, Bowmore holds an iconic status on the island that is famed for its rich, peaty single malts and whisky heritage. With a striking bottle design, this Bowmore 50 would stand out among the highest quality collection.
Bidding open for 48-year-old Dalmore
Launched in September, The Luminary No. 1 The Rare comprises a 48 year old single malt whisky, which is housed in a sculpture designed by Kengo Kuma. Only three bottles and two sculptures have been created.
While one of these will be located at the distillery’s Highland home, the second is set to be auctioned at Sotheby’s in London on 16 November. Online bidding is now open, with the estimated price between £95,000 and £180,000.
Part of the proceeds will be donated to V&A Dundee, with the sale said to mark another milestone in the creative collaboration between Kuma and master distiller Richard Paterson.
Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s head of whisky & spirits, North America and EMEA, commented: “Working with The Dalmore always brings new surprises as their creativity seemingly knows no bounds. The Luminary is not simply an extremely rare bottle, but one of exceptional quality with an exquisite design lovingly put together by Richard and Kuma. This is Sotheby’s third partnership with The Dalmore in recent years and there is no better way to close out our 2022 auctions in London than with this marriage of whisky and design.”
Yamazaki Junshin
One of only 200 bottles of Yamazaki Junshin privately released this year is set to be auctioned at Bonhams Fine and Rare Wine & Whisky sale in Hong Kong, taking place on 18 November.
Formulated by Suntory’s chief blender Shinji Fukuyo, the Junshin is a combination of Yamazaki single malts aged in Mizunara oak casks, Spanish sherry oak casks and peated malt matured in American oak puncheon, all aged for more 20 years.
It’s estimate is between HK$250,000-320,000.
Diego Lanza, Bonhams Senior Whisky Specialist, commented: “Presented as a splendid gift not meant for the secondary market, the Yamazaki Junshin comprises the rarest and oldest – up to 62 years old – vintages ever produced by the Yamazaki distillery, which is something usually only found in their best products, such as the Yamazaki 50-year-old and 55-year-old. It is fair to say that the Yamazaki Junshin is as rare as these trophy bottles. We therefore expect a lot of interest from global collectors, not only because this will be the very first time it is offered to the public, but also ahead of Yamazaki’s 100th anniversary next year.”
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...
31-year-old Macallan Sherry Butt exceeds estimate
As featured in last month’s Drams Under the Hammer, Sotheby’s in London hosted a sale headlined by a very rare 31-year-old Macallan Sherry Butt.
Its estimated sale price came in between £400,000 and £800,000, however the total sale smashed that amount, with a price of £937,500.
Distilled on 30 September 1991, the estimated bottle yield for the cask is 528 bottles, at a Navy Strength 0f 51.3% ABV.
As discussed previously, there were other Macallan expressions as part of the auction, including a 65-year-old and a 35-year-old. The former sold for £52,500, at the higher end of its estimate, while the latter performed significantly better than predicted with a total of sale of £32,500.
Coming up...
Buffalo Trace Antique Collection
Words by Heather Storgaard
Hot on the tails of the distillery's announcement of their 2022 releases, Whisky Auctioneer's October auction features some of the collection's earliest and most collectible releases of Buffalo Trace. With bottles on offer including the George T Stagg 2002 Inaugural Release, this is a great chance to expand your Bourbon collection. The auction runs until the 7th November, and for more information, visit the Whisky Auctioneer website.
Ardbeg 1974 – 1 of 36
Words by Heather Storgaard
Ardbeg went through big changes in the course of the 1970s, making vintages from the first-half of the decade extremely sought after by both connoisseurs and collectors. This 1974 vintage offered by Whisky Auctioneer contains the last batch of spirit to have been made exclusively using on-site-peated malt. A particularly special bottle, this 31 Year Old cask bottling is one of only 36, and therefore a rare chance to make a real piece of Ardbeg history a part of your collection.
Bowmore 50 Year Old Vaults Edition
Words by Heather Storgaard
Debuting in 2018, this 2022 release is the final edition of Bowmore's Vaults series. This vintage joins the 1965, 1966 and 1964 which make-up the complete collection. One of only 339 bottles, this is a rare find available from Whisky Auctioneer. As the oldest running distillery on Islay, Bowmore holds an iconic status on the island that is famed for its rich, peaty single malts and whisky heritage. With a striking bottle design, this Bowmore 50 would stand out among the highest quality collection.
Bidding open for 48-year-old Dalmore
Courtesy of Sotheby"s
Launched in September, The Luminary No. 1 The Rare comprises a 48 year old single malt whisky, which is housed in a sculpture designed by Kengo Kuma. Only three bottles and two sculptures have been created.
While one of these will be located at the distillery’s Highland home, the second is set to be auctioned at Sotheby’s in London on 16 November. Online bidding is now open, with the estimated price between £95,000 and £180,000.
Part of the proceeds will be donated to V&A Dundee, with the sale said to mark another milestone in the creative collaboration between Kuma and master distiller Richard Paterson.
Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s head of whisky & spirits, North America and EMEA, commented: “Working with The Dalmore always brings new surprises as their creativity seemingly knows no bounds. The Luminary is not simply an extremely rare bottle, but one of exceptional quality with an exquisite design lovingly put together by Richard and Kuma. This is Sotheby’s third partnership with The Dalmore in recent years and there is no better way to close out our 2022 auctions in London than with this marriage of whisky and design.”
Yamazaki Junshin
Press Bonhams
One of only 200 bottles of Yamazaki Junshin privately released this year is set to be auctioned at Bonhams Fine and Rare Wine & Whisky sale in Hong Kong, taking place on 18 November.
Formulated by Suntory’s chief blender Shinji Fukuyo, the Junshin is a combination of Yamazaki single malts aged in Mizunara oak casks, Spanish sherry oak casks and peated malt matured in American oak puncheon, all aged for more 20 years.
It’s estimate is between HK$250,000-320,000.
Diego Lanza, Bonhams Senior Whisky Specialist, commented: “Presented as a splendid gift not meant for the secondary market, the Yamazaki Junshin comprises the rarest and oldest – up to 62 years old – vintages ever produced by the Yamazaki distillery, which is something usually only found in their best products, such as the Yamazaki 50-year-old and 55-year-old. It is fair to say that the Yamazaki Junshin is as rare as these trophy bottles. We therefore expect a lot of interest from global collectors, not only because this will be the very first time it is offered to the public, but also ahead of Yamazaki’s 100th anniversary next year.”
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.
