April 2025 Auction

Bathtub Gin

An award-winning gin from Ableforth’s made using the traditional method of Cold Compounding. Botanicals include juniper, orange peel, coriander, cassia, cloves and cardamom.

Ardnamurchan Miniatures 4 x 5cl

This is a set of four miniatures inlcuding

• Ardnamurchan AD/09.20:01  46.8%  5cl
• Ardnamurchan AD/CK.371-30/07/15  59.2%  5cl
• Ardnamurchan AD/CK.670-16/10/15  59.5%  5cl
• Ardnamurchan AD/CK.364-17/11/14  58.2%  5cl

Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select / Holiday Edition 2022

The Woodford Reserve distillery in Versailles, Kentucky, has a rich history; it was built by Elijah Pepper as the Old Oscar Pepper distillery in the early 1800s, and lists James Crow of Old Crow fame among its former Master Distillers, and Colonel E H Taylor also managed it for a time. The distillery was closed during Prohibition and the stocks sold as medicinal spirit by Frankfort Distillery, but was revived in 1935 by R A Baker under the Labrot & Graham name. It was then acquired by Brown-Forman in 1941 who operated it for the next twenty years, eventually shutting it down and selling off the estate to a local farmer. The company bought the land back in 1993 however, and set about bringing the old distillery back to life. Distilling recommenced in 1994, and unusually for Kentucky, all takes place on small copper pot stills from Forsyths in Scotland. The Woodford Reserve brand was then launched in 1996. Initial batches contained bourbon distilled at Brown-Forman's plant in Shively, moved to Versailles for ageing. The first bourbon distilled in Versailles was incorporated into the blend in 2006, and the modern product remains a combination of column still whiskey from Shively and pot still whiskey from the Woodford Reserve stills.

Angus McKay 5 Year Old Highland Pure Malt 1990s

A bottle of blended Scotch whisky produced for the Italian market.

Produced by Angus McKay and Co.

Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select Batch #92

The Woodford Reserve distillery in Versailles, Kentucky, has a rich history; it was built by Elijah Pepper as the Old Oscar Pepper distillery in the early 1800s, and lists James Crow of Old Crow fame among its former Master Distillers, and Colonel E H Taylor also managed it for a time. The distillery was closed during Prohibition and the stocks sold as medicinal spirit by Frankfort Distillery, but was revived in 1935 by R A Baker under the Labrot & Graham name. It was then acquired by Brown-Forman in 1941 who operated it for the next twenty years, eventually shutting it down and selling off the estate to a local farmer. The company bought the land back in 1993 however, and set about bringing the old distillery back to life. Distilling recommenced in 1994, and unusually for Kentucky, all takes place on small copper pot stills from Forsyths in Scotland. The Woodford Reserve brand was then launched in 1996. Initial batches contained bourbon distilled at Brown-Forman's plant in Shively, moved to Versailles for ageing. The first bourbon distilled in Versailles was incorporated into the blend in 2006, and the modern product remains a combination of column still whiskey from Shively and pot still whiskey from the Woodford Reserve stills.

Ardbeg 10 Year Old Miniature x 5

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest is blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997.

Released in October 2008, this limited edition tamed version of Ardbeg was peated to an average of 8ppm, much lower than the more usual 24ppm. Rather controversially, the Blasda was also bottled in clear glass, at 40% ABV and was chill filtered in contrast to the distillery's usual output which is typically un-chill filtered and offered in the iconic green bottles.

Auchentoshan Select 1 Litre

Famed for its exclusive use of triple distillation, Auchentoshan is based on the outskirts of Glasgow and was owned for the duration of the 1960s by Tennents brewery. They sold it to Eadie Cairns at the end of the decade, who upgraded the site and began officially bottling it as a single malt. The distillery passed through the hands of Morrison Bowmore before becoming part of the Beam Suntory table today. Unusually, none of the Auchentoshan output is reserved for blends, meaning there has been a wealth of distillery bottled single casks and independent releases throughout the years. 

Prior to the launch of the Three Wood, this was the introductory single malt from Authentoshan. The Select was moved to their duty free range in 2008 before it was eventually discontinued.

Absolut Vodka / Andy Warhol Foundation

This bottle's design is adapted from Andy Warhol's collaboration with Absolut in the 1980s and the limited edition release was produced in collaboration with the Andy Warhol Foundation.

Absolut Vodka Masquerade Edition

A striking, sequin-clad bottle of Absolut. 

Absolut Svea Limited Edition

A special release from Swedish vodka producers, Absolut. The Svea is a special edition apple ginger flavoured vodka with a bottle desinged by Swedish artist Fredrik Soderberg.

Absolut Vodka Limited Edition 1 Litre / Karnival

A limited-edition flavoured vodka from Absolut vodka which is said to tase of Passion fruit and Orange blossom. This bottle was only available exclusively at local carnival festivals.

The bottle design of the Absolut Vodka Karnival Edition was designed by the Brazilian cartoonist and writer Rafeal Grampa.

One of 240,000 bottles. 

Absolut Vodka Mode Edition 1 Litre

A classic bottle of vodka from Absolut.

Absolut Svea Limited Edition

A special release from Swedish vodka producers, Absolut. The Svea is a special edition apple ginger flavoured vodka with a bottle desinged by Swedish artist Fredrik Soderberg.

AnCnoc 12 Year Old

Knockdhu could be considered by many to be the genesis of what is now the whisky giant, Diageo. Then known as DCL, a consortium of Lowland grain distillers, they built Knockdhu distillery in their first foray into malt whisky distilling in 1893. They operated the distillery until 1983 when, like much of their portfolio, they closed it down due to an oversupply resulting from the Scotch market downturn of the period. The distillery was bought and re-opened by Inver House in 1988, who quickly turned out the first official single malt bottlings. The product was swiftly rebranded as AnCnoc in 1993 however, purportedly to avoid confusion with the similarly named Knockando.

Absolut Vodka 1 litre

A very famous premium vodka produced with winter wheat and with water from the compny's own wells near Åhus in Southern Sweden. Absolut Vodka has been part of the French group Pernod Ricard since 2008.

This bottle is from a series of four million bottles, each with a uniquely designed artwork.

Absolut Vodka Unique Edition 1 litre

A very famous premium vodka produced with winter wheat and with water from the compny's own wells near Åhus in Southern Sweden. Absolut Vodka has been part of the French group Pernod Ricard since 2008.

This bottle is from a series of millions of bottles, each with a uniquely designed artwork on the bottle.

Willett Family Estate 7 Year Old Single Barrel Rye #2612 / LMDW

Kentucky Bourbon Distillers are the owners of the Willett distillery in Bardstown. Willett distillery was built in 1936, just a few years after the repeal of National Prohibition by Lambert Willett, a former distiller for Max Selliger & Co. The distillery was initially a success, principally through its Old Bardstown and Johnny Drum brands, however it was hit hard by the bourbon slump of the 1970s. The result was an ill-advised move into producing ethanol for the production of \"gasohol,\" spurred by the 1979 energy crises. When that market re-stabilised, Willett was left floundering and eventually closed in the early 1980s. Lambert's granddaughter, Martha Willett and her husband, Even Kulsveen, then purchased the distillery and established Kentucky Bourbon Distillers in 1984. They originally bottled the remaining barrels of 1970s-distilled stock, however as that gradually diminished, they began sourcing barrels from other producers in order to replenish it, becoming one of the most important independent bottlers in Kentucky. The majority of their barrels were believed to have come from neighbouring Heaven Hill, and with these casks they developed a wealth of important brands, including the Willett Family Estate, Noah's Mill and Rowan's Creek. In addition, they contract-bottled brands for other companies, such as the Very Olde St Nick and Black Maple Hill brands. Revered for the quality of their whiskey, their products have become some of the most collectible to come out of Kentucky. One January 21st, 2012, the company re-opened Willett distillery, and have been slowly replenishing its warehouses with its own whiskey ever since.

This Willett Family Estate release was aged in hand selected white oak barrels for 7 years.

One of only 207 bottles.

Aultmore 2011 SMWS 10 Year Old 73.135

'Cutting Logs with a Daisy Chainsaw'

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) was founded in 1983 by a group of friends lead by tax accountant Phillip ‘Pip’ Hills as a private members club. The concept behind the society was to source casks from all over Scotland which would then be bottled and made available exclusively to its members. Perhaps the most famous feature of these bottles are the unique codes. Each distillery is represented by a different number and the following digits indicate that particular release. That same year, the SMWS set up its first location in Leith’s Vault buildings in Edinburgh where it still stands today.

This whisky was distilled on 25th March 2011 and bottled from a 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel.

Aultmore distillery was procured by John Dewar & Sons in 1925. So key is it to their blends, that it has been part of their outfit ever since, and has rarely been bottled as an official single malt. United Distillers included in the Flora & Fauna range of the 1990s, but it was not until after Bacardi acquired Dewar's in 1998 that the distillery's excellent spirit was rewarded with its own fully fledged single malt brand. Thankfully, casks have always been made available for independent bottlings like this.

One of 213 bottles.

Wormtub 10 Year Old Single Cask

This is a single malt from an undisclosed distillery in Speyside, finished in a single Oloroso sherry cask. It was bottled by Atom labs under the name Wormtub, which draws its name from a piece of condensing equipment used in the distilling process in some distilleries.

Wormtub condensers are rarely used in modern distilling, with many distilleries opting for more modern Shell and Tube condensers. A handful of distilleries still use these old condensers however, as they tend to produce a heavier, oilier spirit than their modern counterparts.

William Lawson's Finest Blended Whisky 1980s

One of the most popular blends in France, William Lawson's Finest.

This is an older bottling from circa 1980s.

Weller's Cabin Still 5 Year Old Bourbon Miniature circa 1950s / Stitzel-Weller

The Stitzel-Weller company was officially established in 1933 at the repeal of National Prohibition in the US. It was the result of a merger between the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery and its biggest customer, W.L. Weller & Sons. The Stitzel-Weller distillery opened on Kentucky Derby day in 1935, and quickly developed a reputation for its high quality wheated bourbon, and its main brands were Old Weller, Old Fitzgerald and Cabin Still. The original ownership was shared between Alex T. Farnsley, Arthur Philip Stitzel and Julian Van Winkle. The former passed-away in 1941 and 1947, respectively, leaving the Van Winkle family as the sole heirs to the business. 'Pappy' died in 1965, having handed the reigns to his son, Julian II the year prior, who ran it until 1972 when the board of directors forced him to sell it to the Norton-Simon subsidiary, Somerset Imports. When they were bought over by the American arm of Scottish distillers, DCL, its subsequent iteration invested heavily in bourbon. So much so in fact, that their newly rebuilt Bernheim distillery had such capacity that Stitzel-Weller was rendered surplus to requirements. It was shut down in 1992. Still part of the Diageo portfolio, it has never re-opened and instead now houses the visitor experience for their Bulleit brand.

Cabin still was actually the catalyst for Somerset Imports' purchase of the distillery, and they used the brand to bottle their vast supply of ageing stocks from other distilleries. Cabin Still remains available today, produced by Luxco who had acquired it from Heaven Hill following their purchase of it from the closing Stitzel-Weller in 1992. This Van Winkle era Stitzel-Weller distilled version is a truly rare opportunity to own an example of the brand in its prime.

This was matured for 5 years, and bottled in the 1950s.

Ardbeg 1965 Cadenhead's 24 Year Old / Sestante White Label

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest is blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997. The lack of demand in the period prior to this, thankfully, saw a lot of casks sold to independent bottlers, many of which have gone on to become legendary releases.

The rising demand for its product in the 1970s meant that Ardbeg was forced to stop using its own malted barley, instead buying it in from the neighbouring Port Ellen maltings. The result was a change in the style and profile of the distillery's whisky, and pre-1974 vintages such as this are incredibly sought after by connoisseurs and collectors alike.

The Sestante import company was founded in the 1970s by Ernesto Mainardi, and he bottled his first single casks under the name in 1985. Alongside his contemporary, Silvano Samaroli, Mainardi pioneered giving his customers a choice of both standard 40-46% bottlings, and cask strength releases from the same casks. Along with his other brand, Silver Seal, Mainardi's bottlings are incredibly sought after.

These \"White Label\" bottles were actually existing Wm. Cadenhead releases that Mainardi purchased in Scotland and imported to Italy. As he was not the licensed distributor for Wm. Cadenhead, the labels were changed at the customs office in Cesena upon import, to avoid any conflict of interests. 

He ordered two batched of the Ardbeg, an initial batch of 240 bottles (twenty of which were labelled as the rare Andy & Norman bottling), and later at the request of various Italian collectors, a further 120 bottles. Whether the whisky is the same for both batches is not known.

Auchentoshan American Oak

Famed for its exclusive use of triple distillation, Auchentoshan is based on the outskirts of Glasgow and was owned for the duration of the 1960s by Tennents brewery. They sold it to Eadie Cairns at the end of the decade, who upgraded the site and began officially bottling it as a single malt. The distillery passed through the hands of Morrison Bowmore before becoming part of the Beam Suntory table today. Unusually, none of the Auchentoshan output is reserved for blends, meaning there has been a wealth of distillery bottled single casks and independent releases throughout the years.

Introduced to the distillery core range in 2014 as a replacement for the discontinued Auchentoshan Classic, this is matured exclusively in first fill ex-boubon casks.

Adnams Sloe Gin

This sloe gin was produced by Adnams Copper House Distillery, in England. Adnams Small Batch gin is steeped with the wild sloe berries of the blackthorn tree, creating a spirit rich in fruit flavour and classic gin botanicals.

Auchentoshan 10 Year Old 

Famed for its exclusive use of triple distillation, Auchentoshan is based on the outskirts of Glasgow and was owned for the duration of the 1960s by Tennents brewery. They sold it to Eadie Cairns at the end of the decade, who upgraded the site and began officially bottling it as a single malt. The distillery passed through the hands of Morrison Bowmore before becoming part of the Beam Suntory table today. Unusually, none of the Auchentoshan output is reserved for blends, meaning there has been a wealth of distillery bottled single casks and independent releases throughout the years. 

This is an bottling of the 10 year old expression, bottled here for the US market. A core range expression for many years, the 10 year old was eventually retired in 2008.

Absolut Vodka Limited Edition 1 Litre 

A classic bottle of vodka from Absolut.

This limited edition bottle of Absolut is presented in a plastic casing in the colours of the original Pride flag.

Wild Turkey Kentucky Legend 1990s

The Wild Turkey distillery, then known as Boulevard, was built in 1935 by the Ripy Brothers in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The Wild Turkey brand name originated around 1941 when some, shared on a hunting trip, was referred to as \"some of that wild turkey whiskey.\" It is distilled at bottled by the Austin Nicholls company and for many years they had sourced the whiskey from the Ripy's, but eventually bought the distillery from them in 1972, renaming it in the process. Of almost equal importance, the purchase of the distillery included the contract of legendary master distillery, Jimmy Russell, who started working there in 1954. His name is synonymous with the brand, and his son succeeded him 2015. In 2011 a new Wild Turkey distillery was built on the same site, replacing the original Ripy plant after 76 years.

This is an unusual and particularly hard to find bottling of Wild Turkey, known as the Kentucky Legend.

Absolut Vodka 1 Litre

A classic bottle of vodka from Absolut.

Absolut Vodka Rock Edition

A striking, leather-clad bottle of Absolut. 

Absolut Svea Limited Edition

A special release from Swedish vodka producers, Absolut. The Svea is a special edition apple ginger flavoured vodka with a bottle desinged by Swedish artist Fredrik Soderberg.

Worldwide Whisky & Assorted Spirits Miniature x 11

An interesting and eclectic selection of whisky, bourbon, gin and vodka miniatures.