No surprises this month, top lots were Macallan, Ardbeg and Dalmore. The Macallan 40 Year Old 2016 Release fetched £15200, followed closely by The Macallan 1974 30 Year Old Fine & Rare which finished up at £11400. The Macallan 1947 Campbell, Hope & King, scarcely seen at auction, ended at £5200.
The famed Ardbeg 1965 39 Year Old was the pick of the bunch from Islay coming in at a hammer price of £9800. A bottle of Laphroaig 10 Year Old from the 1970s finished at £2200, whilst the Lagavulin 1985 21 Year Old Cask Strength ended at £1450.
In the Highlands, the Dalmore 1966 40 Year Old continued it’s impressive run of form, fetching £5600 when the hammer finally fell. A bottle of Glen Garioch 1968 finished at £1400. Further South, the Springbank 1968 35 Year Old Chieftain’s fetched £1250
In the blended whisky category, the Johnnie Walker The Directors Blend 2011 returned to auction after a few months away, finishing up at £1800.
From Japan, the Karuizawa 1984 Cask #4021 bottled by Speciality Drinks came in at £3400, the highest price ever achieved at auction, whilst the Karuizawa 1992 Cask #343415 Year Old, Whisky Magazine Editor’s Choice fetched £1950, also a record price. More auction records were broken when the Hanyu 1991 #369 and Miyagikyo 1991 18 Year Old #114675, both bottled in 2009 for 10th Anniversary Whisky Live Japan finished at £1750 and £1200 respectively.
The Michter’s 25 Year Old Single Barrel Straight Rye was the top lot from America, finishing at £3700, whilst a bottle of Very Very Old Fitzgerald 12 Year Old, barrelled 1955 and bottled in 1967 by Stitzel Weller fetched £1300.
In rum, a bottle of Uitvlugt 1997 ULR Demerara Rum reached an impressive £1250, over double its previous best price, whilst another two 1940s bottles of Lemon Hart went under the hammer, the Lemon Hart 151 Proof Bottled Caldbeck, Macgregor & Co. finishing at £1150 and the Lemon Hart Overproof at £975. You can read more about the 1940s Lemon Hart rum here.
A bottle of Domaine De Bonnefont 1848 Reserve Cognac ended at £1550 after a flurry of late bidding and there was some last-minute action in the grappa category too, a bottle of Serafino Levi Neive Alba 1999 settling at £420 and a bottle of Romano Levi 1999 eventually finishing at £380.
Gin is also seeing growth, a bottle of Jackson & Sons Old Crown Gin bottled 1933-1944 fetched £160 and the Gordon’s Dry Gin Spring Cap
bottled 1950s Ships Stores sold for £140.
Macallan 40 Year Old, 2016 Release
A bottle of The Macallan 40 Year Old. This was matured in sherry seasoned Spanish oak casks for a minimum of 40 years and bottled at 45% ABV for release in 2016. The bottle is presented in a wooden case and includes the original outer packaging.
Winning bid £15200
Macallan 1974 30 Year Old Fine & Rare
A bottle of The Macallan 1974 Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky from the Fine & Rare collection. This was matured in sherry cask number 929038 for 30 years and bottled in 2004.
This bottle has unique reference number RAN5E9, it was registered with the distillery on 12 July 2006.
Winning bid £11400
Ardbeg 1965 39 Year Old Cask 3678 & 3679
A bottle of Ardbeg 39 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky. This was distilled in 1965 and bottled from two casks in 2005. This comes in a hand blown bottle with a numbered wax seal, and includes a miniature bottle of the same whisky.
Winning bid £9800
A bottle of The Dalmore 40 Year Old. This was distilled on 21 March 1966 and comes in a presentation box with a certificate of authenticity signed by Master Distiller Richard Paterson.
Winning bid £5600
Macallan 1947 Campbell, Hope & King
A bottle of The Macallan Pure Highland Malt Scotch Whisky. This was distilled in 1947 and bottled by Campbell, Hope & King Ltd., we estimate in the 1960s. This was imported to Italy by Rinaldi.
Winning bid £5200
Michter’s 25 Year Old Single Barrel Straight Rye
A bottle of Michter’s 25 Year Old Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey. This was matured in new charred American white oak barrels and bottled from barrel number 14L719.
Winning bid £3700
A bottle of Karuizawa Single Malt Japanese Whisky. This was distilled in 1984, matured in a first fill sherry cask and bottled in 2012 by Number One Drinks Company for Speciality Drinks Ltd.
It was bottled from cask number 4021.
Winning bid £3400
A bottle of The Macallan released in 1996 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of satirical magazine Private Eye. This is a vatting of casks selected by whisky maker FA Newlands and includes a cask from 1961, the year Private Eye was founded.
The screen-printed label was designed by cartoonist Ralph Steadman who worked with the magazine in the past.
Winning bid £3200
Laphroaig 10 Year Old Bottled 1970s
A bottle Laphroaig 10 Year Old Islay Malt Scotch Whisky. This was distilled and bottled in Scotland by D Johnston & Co., (Laphroaig) Ltd., Laphroaig Distillery, Isle of Islay. We estimate this was bottled in the 1970s.
Winning bid £2200
Karuizawa 1992 Cask #3434 15 Year Old – Whisky Magazine Editor’s Choice
A bottle of Karuizawa 15 Year Old Editor’s Choice. This was distilled in 1992, matured in an American white oak sherry butt and bottled at 60.6% ABV in 2007 to commemorate Whisky Magazine’s Whisky Live London 2008.
It was bottled from cask number 3434.
Winning bid £1950
Johnnie Walker The Directors Blend 2011
A bottle of Johnnie Walker The Directors Blend. This edition was released in 2011 and given exclusively to friends and colleagues of Johnnie Walker.
Winning bid £1800
Hanyu 1991 #369 Bottled 2009 – 10th Anniversary Whisky Live Japan
A bottle of Hanyu 18 Year Old. This was distilled in 1991, matured in a Japanese oak (Mizunara) cask and bottled at 57.3% ABV in 2009 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Whisky Live Japan.
This was bottled from cask number 369.
Winning bid £1750
Domaine De Bonnefont 1848 Reserve Staub & Co.
A bottle of Domaine de Bonnefont 1848 Reserve Fine Champagne Cognac, produced by A Staub & Co.
Winning bid £1550
Lagavulin 1985 21 Year Old Special Releases 2007
A limited edition bottle of Lagavulin 21 Year Old Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky. This was distilled in 1985 and bottled at cask strength in 2007 for Diageo’s Special Releases.
Winning bid £1450
Glen Garioch 1968 29 Year Old Cask #9
A bottle of Glen Garioch 29 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky. This was distilled on 18 May 1968 and bottled at cask strength in 1997 from a single hogshead held in the distillery archive.
Winning bid £1400
Very Very Old Fitzgerald 12 Year Old Barrelled 1955, Bottled 1967 – Stitzel Weller
A bottle of Very Very Old Fitzgerald 12 Year Old Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. This was barrelled in autumn 1955 and bottled in autumn 1967.
Winning bid £1300
Uitvlugt 1997 ULR Demerara Rum 17 Year Old – Velier
A bottle of Uitvlugt 17 Year Old ULR Demerara rum from Guyana. This was distilled in 1997 and bottled from a stock of five barrels in July 2014 for Italian importer Velier. This is one of 1404 bottles.
Winning bid £1250
Springbank 1968 35 Year Old – Chieftain’s
A bottle of Springbank 35 Year Old single malt Scotch whisky. This was distilled in October 1968, matured in a sherry butt and bottled in November 2003 by Ian Macleod as part of the Chieftain’s Series.
This is one of 498 bottles bottled from cask number 1413.
Winning bid £1250
Miyagikyo 1991 18 Year Old #114675 Bottled 2009 – 10th Anniversary Whisky Live Japan
A bottle of Miyagikyo 18 Year Old. This was distilled on 28 February 1991, matured in a sherry cask and bottled at 54% ABV in 25 December 2009 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Whisky Live Japan.
Winning bid £1200
Lemon Hart 151 Proof Bottled 1940s – Caldbeck, Macgregor & Co.
A bottle of Lemon Hart 151 Proof Royal Navy Demerara Rum, produce of British Guiana. This was imported by Caldbeck, Macgregor & Co. Ltd. for China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malayan Federation. We estimate this was bottled in the 1940s.
Winning bid £1150
Lemon Hart Overproof Bottled 1940s
A bottle of Lemon Hart Overproof Royal Navy Demerara Rum, produce of British Guiana. We estimate this was bottled in the 1940s.
Winning bid £975
A bottle of Serafino Levi Neive Alba grappa bottled in 1999.
The label was hand drawn by Romano Levi, each is unique.
Winning bid £420
Jackson & Sons Old Crown Gin Bottled 1933-1944
A bottle of R Jackson & Sons Special Liqueur Old Crown Gin. The duty medal indicates this was bottled between 1933 and 1944.
Winning bid £160
Gordon’s Dry Gin Spring Cap Bottled 1950s – Ships Stores
A bottle of Gordon’s Dry Gin sealed with a spring cap closure. This was distilled and bottled in London by Tanqueray, Gordon & Co. Ltd for Ships stores, we estimate in 1950s.
The label carries a royal warrant by appointment to Her Majesty the Queen.
Winning bid £140
