The first of the autumn sales was a thrilling affair at McTear’s with nearly a hundred WMI-eligible bottles of Highland Park coming under the hammer, likely to be the biggest collection ever presented at auction. There was plenty of choice from Ambassador Casks, the Vintage 1973 casks, Eunson’s Legacy and the Bicentenary 1977 to more modern releases such as Hjarta and travel retail exclusives. What stood out was last year’s Earl Magnus 15 Years Old selling for £340 and the recent Earl Haakon 18 Years Old making £220. The label from this popular series was modelled on old bottles of Highland Park, an example of such Fine Old Highland Pot Still Pure Malt went at McTear’s for £700. After these results, Highland Park nudged up to 7th place and the high prices paid for recent creations bode well for the future limited editions.
AUCTION WATCH Is Glasgow the capital city of whisky auctions? As well as McTear’s, the city is also home to the Scottish Whisky Auctions website run by Tam Gardiner and Bill Mackintosh and October witnessed the inaugural whisky auction by Mulberry Bank Auctions.Starting out is never easy and with the whisky part of the sale achieving 42 per cent sold by lot and 45 per cent by value, then Mulberry Bank have room to grow. It was good to see the Springbank Local Barley 1966 reach £1,100, Aberfeldy’s Manager’s Dram make £200 and the Octomore 1.1 peak at £160. There was precious little that didn’t sell at McTear’s this month, with an outstanding £8,500 paid for The Macallan 50 Years Old Millennium Malt, The Glenrothes 28 Years Old distilled 1947 scooped £1000- £1200, the rare Talisker 28 Years Old 1973 drew £1,100 and the Caol Ila 20 Years Old 150th anniversary bottling made a notable £800.Much more was to come in the Bonham’s sale in Edinburgh where a bottle of The Glenlivet distilled in 1883 and bottled in 1931 topped £15,000, equalling the record for the most expensive auctioned bottle of the year. The Macallan 50 Years Old from 1928 took £13,500, bottles of The Macallan Royal Marriage 1948/61 departed for a record £1,300 and the Glen Grant Royal Wedding Reserve bowed out at £1,100.To celebrate our one 100th issue, we have unveiled the top 100 distilleries ranked by their auction performance for the first time.This provides an opportunity to check on the position of the rare malt whiskies from closed distilleries that sell in smaller volumes than others.With last November’s substantial sales expiring from the chart next month, expect the WMI value to fall and some position changes in the top 10.WMI = 446.0 (↑+5.6%) TOP 100
Rank Distillery % Average Price Change
1 = The Macallan -1.7%
2 = Bowmore +1.1%
3 = Glenmorangie +1.6%
4 = Springbank -1.3%
5 = Ardbeg -2.3%
6 = The Glenlivet +24.0%
7 +1 Highland Park -12.2%
8 -1 Glenfiddich +1.0%
9 +6 Lagavulin -8.2%
10 +1 Port Ellen +4.9%
11 -1 Laphroaig -10.4%
12 +1 Caol Ila -9.1%
13 -1 Bruichladdich -15.8%
14 = Glenfarclas +8.1%
15 +1 Rosebank +0.2%
16 -7 Glen Grant +3.6%
17 = The Dalmore 0.0%
18 = The Balvenie -8.1%
19 = Glen Moray -6.0%
20 +6 The Glenrothes +17.6%
21 +2 Talisker +3.2%
22 -1 Mortlach -3.4%
23 -3 Aberlour -16.4%
24 +5 Jura +3.5%
25 -3 Bunnahabhain -5.1%
26 -1 Glengoyne +7.7%
27 -3 Glendronach -5.4%
28 +3 Clynelish +4.9%
29 -2 Glen Garioch -10.1%
30 +6 Knockando -2.8%
31 +1 Brora -0.7%
32 +6 Auchentoshan +22.1%
33 -5 Linkwood -12.1%
34 +1 Cardhu +8.7%
35 -5 Strathisla +8.5%
36 +17 Arran +7.8%
37 +3 Oban +4.7%
38 +8 Tobermory -5.1%
39 -2 Longmorn -7.0%
40 +9 Royal Lochnagar +2.4%
41 +6 Dallas Dhu +0.7%
42 +6 St Magdalene +1.6%
43 -9 Tamnavulin -11.1%
44 -1 Glenturret -0.9%
45 -4 Cragganmore -10.0%
46 -2 Bladnoch -14.9%
47 -5 Dalwhinnie +7.5%
48 -9 Tomatin -13.0%
49 +1 Benromach +2.2%
50 -5 Edradour -7.2%
51 +4 Glendullan +12.8%
52 = Loch Lomond +0.4%
53 +7 Teaninich +2.5%
54 +2 Tamdhu +3.9%
55 +15 Glen Ord +10.5%
56 -2 Old Pulteney +4.1%
57 = Aberfeldy +1.6%
58 +6 Mannochmore +5.9%
59 +4 Blair Athol +1.6%
60 +6 Tomintoul -2.8%
61 -2 Ben Nevis +2.8%
62 +6 Dufftown +0.2%
63 -1 Scapa -2.8%
64 -13 Glen Mhor -6.7%
65 -32 Miltonduff -22.3%
66 +7 Fettercairn +2.4%
67 +2 Glenkinchie -5.2%
68 +4 Hillside 0.0%
69 -11 Benrinnes -10.3%
70 +1 Tormore -104.9%
71 -1 Ladyburn -7.2%
72 -11 Craigellachie -9.6%
73 +10 Auchroisk -2.8%
74 -9 Glenlochy +17.0%
75 +2 Glen Albyn -7.5%
76 -9 Inchgower +3.7%
77 +7 Glenury Royal +3.5%
78 +10 Dailuaine 0.0%
79 +1 Littlemill +4.9%
80 -5 Aultmore -16.3%
81 +6 Lochside +16.0%
82 -1 Glen Deveron +16.9%
83 -5 Millburn +4.0%
84 +2 North Port Brechin +0.5%
85 -3 Royal Brackla +10.8%
86 +9 Glen Elgin +12.3%
87 +4 Balblair +3.6%
88 +16 Kilchoman +7.7%
89 -4 Glencadam -2.8%
90 -11 Balmenach +5.6%
91 -1 Glenburgie 0.0%
92 -16 Glenlossie +1.8%
93 = Imperial +0.9%
94 -2 Glenglassaugh -2.3%
95 -6 Tullibardine +5.1%
96 +1 Speyside +6.1%
97 -3 Glen Fyne 0.0%
98 +1 Convalmore -6.1%
99 +2 Banff -1.0%
100 -4 Glen Keith -18.8%
FORTHCOMING AUCTION DATES (subject to change) 7th December 2011
McTear’s, Glasgow Tel +44 (0)141 810 2880
8th December 2011
Bonham’s, New York Tel +1 917 206 1644
10th December 2011
Mulberry Bank Auctions, Glasgow Tel +44 (0)141 225 8181
10th December 2011
Cluny Bank Auctions, Buckie Tel +44 (0)1542 833318
14th December 2011
Bonham’s, Edinburgh Tel +44 (0)1292 520 000
21st December 2011
McTear’s, Glasgow Tel +44 (0)141 810 2880
AUCTION WATCH Is Glasgow the capital city of whisky auctions? As well as McTear’s, the city is also home to the Scottish Whisky Auctions website run by Tam Gardiner and Bill Mackintosh and October witnessed the inaugural whisky auction by Mulberry Bank Auctions.Starting out is never easy and with the whisky part of the sale achieving 42 per cent sold by lot and 45 per cent by value, then Mulberry Bank have room to grow. It was good to see the Springbank Local Barley 1966 reach £1,100, Aberfeldy’s Manager’s Dram make £200 and the Octomore 1.1 peak at £160. There was precious little that didn’t sell at McTear’s this month, with an outstanding £8,500 paid for The Macallan 50 Years Old Millennium Malt, The Glenrothes 28 Years Old distilled 1947 scooped £1000- £1200, the rare Talisker 28 Years Old 1973 drew £1,100 and the Caol Ila 20 Years Old 150th anniversary bottling made a notable £800.Much more was to come in the Bonham’s sale in Edinburgh where a bottle of The Glenlivet distilled in 1883 and bottled in 1931 topped £15,000, equalling the record for the most expensive auctioned bottle of the year. The Macallan 50 Years Old from 1928 took £13,500, bottles of The Macallan Royal Marriage 1948/61 departed for a record £1,300 and the Glen Grant Royal Wedding Reserve bowed out at £1,100.To celebrate our one 100th issue, we have unveiled the top 100 distilleries ranked by their auction performance for the first time.This provides an opportunity to check on the position of the rare malt whiskies from closed distilleries that sell in smaller volumes than others.With last November’s substantial sales expiring from the chart next month, expect the WMI value to fall and some position changes in the top 10.WMI = 446.0 (↑+5.6%) TOP 100
Rank Distillery % Average Price Change
1 = The Macallan -1.7%
2 = Bowmore +1.1%
3 = Glenmorangie +1.6%
4 = Springbank -1.3%
5 = Ardbeg -2.3%
6 = The Glenlivet +24.0%
7 +1 Highland Park -12.2%
8 -1 Glenfiddich +1.0%
9 +6 Lagavulin -8.2%
10 +1 Port Ellen +4.9%
11 -1 Laphroaig -10.4%
12 +1 Caol Ila -9.1%
13 -1 Bruichladdich -15.8%
14 = Glenfarclas +8.1%
15 +1 Rosebank +0.2%
16 -7 Glen Grant +3.6%
17 = The Dalmore 0.0%
18 = The Balvenie -8.1%
19 = Glen Moray -6.0%
20 +6 The Glenrothes +17.6%
21 +2 Talisker +3.2%
22 -1 Mortlach -3.4%
23 -3 Aberlour -16.4%
24 +5 Jura +3.5%
25 -3 Bunnahabhain -5.1%
26 -1 Glengoyne +7.7%
27 -3 Glendronach -5.4%
28 +3 Clynelish +4.9%
29 -2 Glen Garioch -10.1%
30 +6 Knockando -2.8%
31 +1 Brora -0.7%
32 +6 Auchentoshan +22.1%
33 -5 Linkwood -12.1%
34 +1 Cardhu +8.7%
35 -5 Strathisla +8.5%
36 +17 Arran +7.8%
37 +3 Oban +4.7%
38 +8 Tobermory -5.1%
39 -2 Longmorn -7.0%
40 +9 Royal Lochnagar +2.4%
41 +6 Dallas Dhu +0.7%
42 +6 St Magdalene +1.6%
43 -9 Tamnavulin -11.1%
44 -1 Glenturret -0.9%
45 -4 Cragganmore -10.0%
46 -2 Bladnoch -14.9%
47 -5 Dalwhinnie +7.5%
48 -9 Tomatin -13.0%
49 +1 Benromach +2.2%
50 -5 Edradour -7.2%
51 +4 Glendullan +12.8%
52 = Loch Lomond +0.4%
53 +7 Teaninich +2.5%
54 +2 Tamdhu +3.9%
55 +15 Glen Ord +10.5%
56 -2 Old Pulteney +4.1%
57 = Aberfeldy +1.6%
58 +6 Mannochmore +5.9%
59 +4 Blair Athol +1.6%
60 +6 Tomintoul -2.8%
61 -2 Ben Nevis +2.8%
62 +6 Dufftown +0.2%
63 -1 Scapa -2.8%
64 -13 Glen Mhor -6.7%
65 -32 Miltonduff -22.3%
66 +7 Fettercairn +2.4%
67 +2 Glenkinchie -5.2%
68 +4 Hillside 0.0%
69 -11 Benrinnes -10.3%
70 +1 Tormore -104.9%
71 -1 Ladyburn -7.2%
72 -11 Craigellachie -9.6%
73 +10 Auchroisk -2.8%
74 -9 Glenlochy +17.0%
75 +2 Glen Albyn -7.5%
76 -9 Inchgower +3.7%
77 +7 Glenury Royal +3.5%
78 +10 Dailuaine 0.0%
79 +1 Littlemill +4.9%
80 -5 Aultmore -16.3%
81 +6 Lochside +16.0%
82 -1 Glen Deveron +16.9%
83 -5 Millburn +4.0%
84 +2 North Port Brechin +0.5%
85 -3 Royal Brackla +10.8%
86 +9 Glen Elgin +12.3%
87 +4 Balblair +3.6%
88 +16 Kilchoman +7.7%
89 -4 Glencadam -2.8%
90 -11 Balmenach +5.6%
91 -1 Glenburgie 0.0%
92 -16 Glenlossie +1.8%
93 = Imperial +0.9%
94 -2 Glenglassaugh -2.3%
95 -6 Tullibardine +5.1%
96 +1 Speyside +6.1%
97 -3 Glen Fyne 0.0%
98 +1 Convalmore -6.1%
99 +2 Banff -1.0%
100 -4 Glen Keith -18.8%
FORTHCOMING AUCTION DATES (subject to change) 7th December 2011
McTear’s, Glasgow Tel +44 (0)141 810 2880
8th December 2011
Bonham’s, New York Tel +1 917 206 1644
10th December 2011
Mulberry Bank Auctions, Glasgow Tel +44 (0)141 225 8181
10th December 2011
Cluny Bank Auctions, Buckie Tel +44 (0)1542 833318
14th December 2011
Bonham’s, Edinburgh Tel +44 (0)1292 520 000
21st December 2011
McTear’s, Glasgow Tel +44 (0)141 810 2880
