April 2025 Auction

Wemyss Malts Peat Chimney

Wemyss Malts was founded in 2005 by William Wemyss, who had previously been a wine producer in Western Australian and Provence, France. The first Wemyss Malts output was a selection of blended malts, but the company has also bottles vintage independent single malts. These are generally titles with elaborate descriptors, in a similar vein to the Scotch Malts Whisky Society, and are highly regarded. In the 2013 the Wemyss family also bought the Kingsbarns distillery project, which they completed the following year, beginning production in 2015.

Previously a 12 year old release, this non-age statement blended malt combines peated Islay, Island and Highland malts with 'lighter' Speyside malts.

White Peak 2018 3 Year Old / Temperance Club 3

The White Peak distillery became the first full-scale distillery in England's Peak District when it was established by local couple Max & Claire Vaughan in 2016. 

This lightyl peated 3 year old whisky was matured in STR Ex-Red Wine and First Fill Ex-Bourbon casks before being botted on the 8th of August 2021.

A distillery bottling for Temperance Club Members.

Yamazaki Suntory Very Rare Old 76cl

Suntory are one of the founding fathers of Japanese whisky, established by Shinjirō Torii in 1899 as a wine store in Osaka. The venture was hugely successful, and the company was renamed Kotobukiya in 1921, which built its first distillery three years later, Yamazaki. The distillery produced both malt and grain whiskies which the company blended together, releasing its first Suntory White Label in 1929, the resulting popularity of which saw the firm renamed after it 1963. Expansion in the next decade saw the company move its grain production to a new Chita distillery in 1972, and open a second malt distillery, Hakushu, the following year. Suntory today has a large stake in both the bourbon and Scotch whisky industry, but remains at the forefront of its native whisky market too.

This is an older bottling of Japanese blended whisky from Suntory, bottled around the 1970s.

These bottles would have been produced using malt and grain distilled at Yamazaki distillery. Suntory's grain whisky production was moved to Chita distillery during their expansion in the 1970s.

Wolfburn Quarter Cask Father's Day 2021

Wolfburn distillery is the most northerly on the Scottish mainland, located in the town of Thurso. The original Wolfburn distillery was built in 1821 by William Smith, and was operational for around 30 years before closing. The current Wolfburn distillery was built as close to the site of the original as possible, just 350 metres from its ruins. Distilling began there in January 2013.

This Wolfburn was matured in refill quarter casks, and bottled to celebrate Father's Day in 2021.

One of 980 bottles.

Yamazaki Suntory Pure Malt 12 Year Old Miniature 1990s

Suntory’s flagship distillery, Yamazaki was founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923. The town of Yamazaki was chosen to be the site of Japan’s first commercial distillery due to its very ‘Scottish’ climate, and with it being an area where three rivers converge. In its early days, Yamazaki produced both malt and grain for Suntory's blends, but the opening of the Chita distillery in 1972 allowed the company to focus on its single malt brand. It is now one of the world's most desirable. The first spirit ran from the stills in 1924, on 11th November at 11:11am.

First introduced in 1984, the Yamazaki 12 year old was Japan's first seriously marketed single malt. With the introduction of the Distiller's Reserve in 2014, the 12 year old expression was elevated in the core range, and is becoming increasingly difficult to find.

Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon 80 Proof 70cl

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.

Weingut Carl Freudenberg Baden Dry Gin 50cl

A dry gin produced by Weingut Carl Freudenberg in the town of Weinheim in Germany.

Please note: These bottles were sold unsealed by the distillery. Whisky Auctioneer will not offer for sale bottles that were originally sealed and no longer are. In instances like this, we have taken every effort to understand the provenance and to authenticate the liquid.

Cork displays correct information for this producer. 

Wagging Finger 2019 KWCS 50cl

This was distilled in 2019 by the Wagging Finger for the KWCS 2019 WOW Maturation project. Wagging Finger is a new Dutch distillery based in Deventer. Mostly specialising in the production of genever and gin, they have recently branched out to include whisky among their range of products. This was bottled for the King's Court Whisky Society (KCWS) in Haarlem.

The whisky was bottled from a single virgin American oak cask in 2023.

Ysabel Regina PX Cask Finish Brandy

This is a blend of brandies and Cognacs, finished in Pedro Ximénez casks. The rear label proudly discloses that the blend contains more than 1% Cognac.

Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select

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.

Wild Turkey 80 Proof 1990s 20cl

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.

An older bottling 20cl of the 80 proof.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Yamazaki 1990 Single Sherry Cask #ON70172

Suntory’s flagship distillery, Yamazaki was founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923. The town of Yamazaki was chosen to be the site of Japan’s first commercial distillery due to its very ‘Scottish’ climate, and with it being an area where three rivers converge. In its early days, Yamazaki produced both malt and grain for Suntory's blends, but the opening of the Chita distillery in 1972 allowed the company to focus on its single malt brand. It is now one of the world's most desirable. The first spirit ran from the stills in 1924, on 11th November at 11:11am.

This Yamazaki was distilled in January 1990 and matured in single Spanish oak sherry butt #ON70172. It was bottled as part of Suntory's The Cask of Yamazaki range in October 2007.

One of 438 bottles.

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.

Ye Monks Scotch Whisky Gift Pack 3 x 75cl 1980s / Venezuela Import

Ye Monks Scotch Whisky was blended and bottled by Donald Fisher Ltd. This gift pack of three bottles was produced in the 1980s for the Venezuelan market (hence the pink stripes).

Please note this lot will carry a three-bottle shipping fee.

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.

Worldwide Whisky & Assorted Spirits Miniature x 11

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