With increasing interest among auction bidders, the May auction saw demand for old and rare whisky, high end Cognac and fine wines stabilise and increase.
The surge in demand for top end ‘drinking whiskies’, rather than simply collectable bottles, reflects the lockdown situation our bidders are currently find themselves in.
You can view the full results in our Past Auctions, meanwhile here are our own personal highlights:
Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery 45 Year Old
This Midleton is the peated Irish single malt which began its journey at the Old Midleton distillery in 1974, a year before the distillery closed. It was aged in a sherry cask which was filled into this Waterford Crystal decanter at 51.2% ABV.
Only 48 decanters were released worldwide and was the most expensive Irish whiskey ever released.
Winning Bid £35000
Macallan 1950 Handwritten Label, Bottled 1981 – Rinaldi
Two expressions of the 1950 vintage with handwritten labels, both bottled in 1981 for the Italian market and imported by Rinaldi. It’s interesting to note how the colour variation between batches and the condition of the label affects prices. Here the bottle in better condition fetched more than its rival, despite its darker liquid and lower ullage.
Winning Bid £6400 & £6000
Brora 1972 22 Year Old 58.7% Rare Malts Selection
One of the greatest whiskies of all time, and the best Brora ever according to Serge Valentin, scoring a whopping 97 points, this Brora was always expected to attract a lot of attention. Prices struggled to topple the £5000 mark through much of 2019, and several bottles appeared on the market with lower fill levels, so May was a timely return for this one.
Winning Bid £5000
Glen Garioch 1971 Sherry Cask 1239, Bottled 1997 – Samaroli
Silvano Samaroli bottled two 1971 vintage Glen Garioch’s, a full proof version and this one from a single sherry cask at 43% ABV. Like the Brora, this one comes with a fearsome reputation. It also helps that only 300 bottles were ever produced (many of which would have been consumed since 1997). The hammer price reflects both the scarcity of the bottle as well as the trust in the Samaroli brand.
Winning Bid £3200
Johnnie Walker Red & Black Label, Bottled 1940s & 1950s – Original Wooden Cases
These beautiful Johnnie Walkers in original wooden cases were a great barn find. Bottled in the 1940s and 1950s, these bottles were discovered in an Italian cellar and arrived with us still completely sealed inside their wooden cases and in wonderful condition. Interest in these historically significant and collectable lots was high, but most importantly it’s because they are expected to be superb drinking whiskies.
Winning Bid £1050 & £1750
Ben Nevis 1996 19 Year Old Cask 1424, Bottled 2016 – Private Cask Bottling
We love this privately bottled cask of Ben Nevis exclusively available through Whisky.Auction. The first bottles went on sale in October 2019. Since then prices have rocketed from £120 per bottle to £370 this month. The dramatic 200% increase is down to one thing, the great reviews, it’s a superb and unusual whisky and the seller is delighted with the terrific returns.
Winning Bid £370
Complete May 2020 Auction Results
