April 2025 Whisky & Spirits Auction Results

April 2025 marked the 10th Anniversary of Whisky.Auction and what better way to celebrate than with an auction full of enticing whiskies from vintage blends to rare single malts and an eclectic selection of spirits and liqueurs. Here is a look at just a handful of the highlights from the April Whisky and Spirits auction results.

*Aftersales Update*

This month’s aftersales saw plenty of desirable malts find their way to new owners and a number of these bottles were at the sharp end of the auction including a couple that usurped our previous top lot, the Macallan 1974 30 Year Old. The new entrants at number one and two were this Bowmore 1964 37 Year Old Fino Cask, one of only 300 bottles released, that took the top spot with a bid of £14,800, and this Dalmore 1926 50 Year Old fetching £10,000.

Further mature Scotch whiskies to achieve sales included this Glenfarclas 1952 Family Cask #1713 (£6,200), a Highland Park 1958 40 Year Old, presented with a gorgeous crystal decanter (£3,100), and a pair of Glenfiddich Ultimate 38 Year Olds, exclusively released for the Chinese market, that each sold for £3,000.

1970s vintages proved popular buys such as this Lagavulin 1979 38 Year Old Syndicate bottling (£2,600), Ardbeg 1972 Single Cask 2780 (£2,500) and a Macallan 1975 18 Year Old (£2,300).

It wasn’t all Scotch whisky as this Karuizawa 1984 30 Year Old Cask 8838 sold for £3,300, a Very Old Fitzgerald 1956 8 Year Old bottled in 1964 by Stitzel-Weller fetched £1,000, and a Gran Patron Anejo Burdeos Tequila in a lovely presentation box sold for £250.

Eclectic Lots

Fittingly, as in so many of our previous auctions, the top spot was taken by a Macallan. This auction, the honour went to this Macallan 1974 30 Year Old from the Fine & Rare series, that sold for £8,400. In addition to the scotch single malts there were inevitably some Japanese whiskies among the upper echelons of the auction. Collectors’ favourite Karuizawa featured with this Karuizawa 1971 Cask #7267 fetching £4,100 and a Karuizawa Noh 1983 28 Year Old selling for £2,800, while this Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016 sold for £2,500.

Top US lot went to an A.H. Hirsch Reserve 16 Year Old (£2,100) but it was beaten to being the most expensive lot from ‘across the pond’ by two first edition bottles of Canada’s Whistlepig 12 Year Old The Boss Hog, sold for £3,100-£3,300 each.

Cognac featured in the top tier as well with three 2nd edition bottles of Richard Hennessy fetching between £1,450 and £1,750 each, while the rum category was topped by two gorgeous vintage bottles of Caroni 90 Proof Navy Rum dating from the 1960s (£1,100-£1,250).

Islay

There was a particularly strong contingent of Islay malts in the auction with a range of sought after bottles from the island’s distilleries. Leading the category were two bottles of 1964 Black Bowmore 2nd Edition from a release of just 2000 bottles matured for 30 years in Oloroso Sherry casks. A Bowmore Bicentenary, bottled in 1979 in its distinctive hand-blown decanter, sold for £1,450.

Ardbeg provided some lovely bottles including the beautifully presented Ardbeg 1815 33 Year Old, one of only 400 bottles, that fetched £2,800. From neighbouring Lagavulin, there was a Lagavulin 1985 21 Year Old signed by the distillery managers Graham Logie and Donald Renwick (£1,700).

Port Ellen is ever popular among Islay malt fans and there were bottles from Diageo’s Special Releases, a 1978 25 Year Old (£,1000) and two 1979 24 Year Olds (£825-£900) as well as bottlings from Gordon & MacPhail including a 1979 Cask Strength bottled at 61.1% (£525) and a 1974 Connoisseurs Choice (£490).

Lovers of heavily peated malts could also bid on a Laphroaig 1996 20 Year Old Masterpieces (£600) or the amusingly titled ‘Kissing a Balrog’s Bum’, a Laphroaig 20 Year Old from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (£300). A specially labelled bottle of Laphroaig 1995 bottled for the Duke of Rothesay (better known as His Majesty King Charles III) sold for £230.

Talisker

Heading up the coast to Skye, there were a handful of island malts from Talisker that attracted plenty of attention. First among them was this Talisker 1957 Black Label Gold Eagle bottled in the 1970s by Gordon & MacPhail at 100 proof that fetched a hammer price of £1,250.

A trio of 1970s Talisker 8 Year Olds bottled by The Distillers Agency sold for £340-£350 each and the ever popular Talisker 10 Year Old Map Label bottles sold for between £150-£250.

Vintage Blends

We have always been big fans of vintage bottles at Whisky.Auction and blended whisky can often be overlooked, but as anyone who has visited our stand at The Whisky Show over the years can testify, old blends can be some of the most interesting bottles to open and taste.

This auction had some wonderful old blends such as this Antiquary Old Scotch Whisky (£180) dating from the 1940s, this White Horse (£575) or Dimple Spring Cap (£70) from the 1950s with the original boxes in very good condition, or from the 1960s an Usher’s Old Vatted Scotch (£270), Teacher’s Highland Cream (£80) and this Haig’s Gold Label (£120).

Collectible Decanters

Whisky and spirits are a serious business but we like a bit of fun as well and there were more than a few interesting decanters to brighten up any whisky shelf. There were a variety of transport inspired decanters from Jim Beam including an 1872 Locomotive (£220) and 1978 Corvette (£160), but also some weird and wonderful presentations including a Salad Bowl (£110), Poodle (£110) and a Coffee Mill (£130).

Besides Beam decanters, there was also a Leprechaun guitarist from Hoffman Kentucky Straight Bourbon (£65), an Evan Williams Millennium globe decanter (£180) or you could pick up a number of Hanshin Tigers Mercian baseball player bobblehead bottles (£30-£70).

See the full April Whisky & Spirits Auction results here.

See our past auction roundups here.