The second Distillers One of One charity auction of unique Scotch whiskies and experiences has raised a total of £2,248,750 (US$2,715,815) for youth charities in Scotland.
Organised by the Distillers' Charity (the philanthropic arm of the Worshipful Company of Distillers) and auction house Sotheby's, the sale at Hopetoun House outside Edinburgh saw 39 lots from some of the biggest names in the Scotch whisky industry go under the hammer.
The total amount raised, which included 19 auction records, was almost double the pre-sale estimate. Hammer proceeds of £1.8 million will primarily go to the Distillers' Charity's Youth Action Fund, which offers personal, educational and employment support to young people across Scotland.
It follows the staggering £3.1 million achieved at the first Distillers One of One auction at Barnbougle Castle in December 2021, of which £2.45 million went to the auction's beneficiary charities.
Leading the lots was the Bowmore STAC 55 Years Old, the oldest whisky ever released by the distillery, housed in a magnum-sized hand-blown glass vessel. It sold for £562,500 (US$679,331), exceeding its estimate of £300,000-500,000.
Brora Iris 50 Years Old 1972, the oldest Brora single malt ever bottled, presented in a 1.5-litre decanter and suspended within an imposing stone sculpture, sold for £400,000 (US$483,080) – making it the most expensive bottle of Brora whisky ever sold at auction.
Auction records were also established for The Glen Grant with The Visionary, a 68-year-old single malt in a unique hand-blown magnum decanter which sold for £212,500 (US$256,636), more than double its estimate, and The Glenturret with Enduring Spirit, a collection of four Lalique crystal decanters which tripled its estimate to make £125,000 (US$150,962).
Other notable sales included:
- The Gordon & MacPhail Recollection Showcase, comprising five engraved Glencairn decanters each containing a rare single malt from a silent distillery (£93,750 / US$113,222)
- Old Pulteney Bow Wave 45 Years Old, the oldest expression released to date from the Wick distillery (£68,750 / US$83,029)
- The Only Drop from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, a unique bottle of 1989 spirit from a Speyside distillery (£18,750 / US$22,644)
- 'Christmas at Hazelwood', an elaborate advent calendar containing a 50ml measure of every House of Hazelwood whisky released to date alongside a full bottle of a unique 51-year-old blended Scotch whisky (£47,500 / $57,366)
- Aga by Kandoblanc, a duo of rare Scotch whiskies distilled in 1979 and bottled in 2023 (£45,000 / US$54,346)
- Glen Scotia 49 Years Old, taken from the distillery’s oldest remaining cask reserves and presented in a bespoke wooden case (£33,750 / US$40,760)
- The Last Drop Blending Experience, offering the winning bidder the opportunity to create their own blended Scotch whisky (£60,000 / US$72,462)
The full results of the auction can be viewed on the Distillers One of One website.
Grant Gordon, chairman of the Distillers’ Charity, said: “We’re very proud to see that the Scotch whisky industry has once more come together and raised an incredible amount in support of disadvantaged young people in Scotland. In the past 21 months, with proceeds from the first One of One auction, over 800 young people who were isolated, disengaged, and inactive have already benefited from support through the Youth Action Fund.
“This year’s auction has once more raised a substantial amount of funds, which will contribute towards our aspiration of changing the lives of another 1,000 young people across Scotland in the next two years. We sincerely thank all our industry leaders, the whisky collectors, and the craftspeople that pour their passion into every cask and bottle for their support and generosity, as well the Youth Action Fund’s charity partners who work tirelessly every day to support the young people in Scotland.”
Sotheby’s Global Head of Whisky, Jonny Fowle, said: “In 2021, the inaugural Distillers One of One sale broke the mould for whisky charity auctions not just through the creativity of the donations but also through the value generated for the Distillers’ Charity.
“For 2023, the participating distilleries really went above and beyond to stretch the bounds of their generosity and creativity. This galvanising feeling of partnership, community and conviviality built a resulting auction that was greater than the sum of its parts and the results have once again exceeded anything that we thought was possible before this project began. We would like to thank all of the donors who have worked so generously to make this auction a success and look forward to its development into 2025.”
The third and final Distillers One of One auction will take place in 2025, again with Sotheby's acting as the auction partner. More information can be found at distillersoneofone.com.
