Our June auction was full of excellent old and rare spirits, collectors favourites and limited releases. Here are some of the highlights.
Yamazaki On Top
Our top two lots of the June auction were from Suntory’s Yamazaki Distillery and both of them were 25 year old whiskies. A Yamazaki 25 Year Old Limited Edition bound with a five-cord ‘Mizuhiki’ (symbolising the hands and heart of the giver and recipient of a gift) sold for £8,800, while the standard Yamazaki 25 Year Old release reached a hammer price of £6,000.
Record Breaking Single Malts
It was a great night for Macallan, when Macallan Glenlivet 1938 35 Year Old, bottled in the 1970s for Italian importers Pinerolo, hit a record breaking hammer price of £5,600. Records were also broken in the Lowlands category with some last minute bidding seeing the hammer price of this St Magdalene 1979 19 Year Old from the Rare Malts Selection shoot up to £1,700.
In other categories, this Springbank 30 Year Old Milroy Selection from Campbeltown sold for £1,200, while Highland Park dominated the Island category. Two Highland Park 18 Year Old’s bottled in the 1970s for the Italian market, sold for £1,050 each and a Highland Park 25 Year Old bottled in the 1990s reached £725.
History In A Bottle (or 12)
Some competitive bidding in the Blended Whisky category saw this rare large format (450cl) White Horse Spring Cap from the 1950s sell for £600, and a stunning set of twelve bottles of Johnnie Walker Red Label in the original wooden case reached £1,300.
Interest in historic bottles was particularly high in the Cognac category. This bottle of Jerome Napoleon 1811 Fine Champagne Cognac bottled in the 1940s sold for £1,400, while this charming Bisquit Dubouche 1858, bottled in the 1930s, hit £925.
Sweet Competition
The recent coverage of King Charles III’s Coronation may have been the catalyst for a bidding war which saw a bottle of Grand Marnier 1981 Royal Celebration, released to mark the wedding of Charles and Diana, reach £240. Equally intense was the competition for this old Italian liqueur, Flormont, which eventually reached a hammer price of £160.
Roundup
The handwritten labels of Romano Levi’s Grappa made an appearance at auction once again. A 1982 Grappa Ardente Dell’Unna Selvatica sold for £625, the 1987 Grappa Di Unna Donna Selvatica Con Erba Ruta reached £410.
Our top rum lot was a Rare Old Jamaican Rum at £700, while the top Armagnac was this stunning Baron De Lustrac 1943 Bar Armagnac complete with wooden presentation box, which sold for £650.
