July 2018 Auction

Laphroaig 1967 Samaroli 15 Year Old Sherry Wood / Signed by Silvano Samaroli

Meetings between the Islay distilleries and the legendary Italian bottler, Silvano Samaroli, have produced an absolutely stellar selection of whisky over the years. No star in this constellation of greats shines quite as brightly however, as the Laphroaig 1967 sherry wood. Revered by whisky connoisseurs the world over, this is generally regarded as the best whisky ever committed to bottle. 

This is rated in joint first place on WhiskyBase.com's Top 1000 Whiskies of All Time, sharing the accolade only with Samaroli's other Islay epic, the Bowmore 1966 Bouquet. (Incidentally, the Bowmore has now overtaken the Laphroaig by a hair since appearing in last month's auction.) Both of these whiskies are rare gems. Open bottles of both at Singapore's the Auld Alliance Bar in 2016 drew visitors from all over the world for a rare opportunity to sample the liquid gold contained within them. One such lucky individual is Serge Valentin of WhiskyFun.com. His seasoned taste buds were treated to a dram of the Laphroaig at the Lindores Festival in Belgium in 2007, prompting him to award it an absolutely staggering 98 points. Not normally lost for words, all he managed on the subject was: 

\"Nose: even more of everything plus a fantabulously chocolaty and smoky sherry. I’m sorry, the rest will be censored by the anti-maltoporn brigade. Mouth: my god. Finish: my god. Comments: this is why we’re into whisky. We’re approaching perfection here.\" And what else is there to say, really?

The Laphroaig 1967 Samaroli is is an example of two heavyweights of the whisky world at the very top of their game. The 1960's was a golden era in production for many Islay distilleries, with the south-east coast's Laphroaig no exception. Today it is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries with its own in-house malting floor, and this vintage dates to the time when this provided 100% of the malt they used. Modern Laphroaig uses only a small percentage of its own malt, the rest sourced from Port Ellen, making this a truly pure example of what the distillery can produce, and a rare one at that.

While it takes a great distillery to produce a legendary whisky, it equally requires a keen eye, mind and palate to select the right cask, and Samaroli had all of these in spades. Renowned for hand-selecting his own barrels, this one was bottled by the man, widely regarded as a visionary, at the moment his raw talent was crystallising into something spectacular. He released his first bottles in 1979, followed by the acclaimed Flowers series in 1981. Then, just a year later as Samaroli was riding the crest of a wave of excitement and approval, came this, the Laphroaig 1967. The perfect moment. The perfect whisky.

This is bottle number 226, and it has been hand-signed by the late, great, Silvano Samaroli himself.

Bowmore 1964 Black Bowmore 50 Year Old 

The pinnacle of whisky collecting and investing the Black Bowmore is arguably one of most famous and sought after bottles of whisky ever produced. 

This is the latest and last iteration of this ground breaking Bowmore series of whiskies, again distilled in 1964 and bottled after 50 years in the cask.

This 'Last Cask' of Black Bowmore was vatted in 2007 from the remaining two Oloroso sherry hogsheads which were left over from the previous 2007 release of this legendary whisky.

The original Black Bowmore series released in the late 1990s were followed in 2007 by the Black, White and Gold Bowmore's all from 1964 and now finally this impressive eye desirable bottling.

Having only been removed from its original shipment box to be photographed, this lot is in supreme condition.

This is bottle #084 of 159.

Please note due to its weight, this lot has a 4 bottle shipping fee.

Macallan 1937 Lalique Golden Age of Travel 35 Year Old / The Aeroplane

This is the second release in Macallan's collaborative series with Lalique, the Golden Age of Travel. The famous Speyside distillery and the historic French crystal maker have worked together in the past, however never on such a grand scale as this.

The series will comprise of three stunning glass decanters, each celebrating a different mode of classic 1930's travel. Alongside this, the Aeroplane, is the Steam Train and the Ocean Liner, with two more set to be released in 2018 and 2019. First launched in 2015, the range is exclusive to Travel Retail.

The Aeroplane was the second release, and contains an incredible pre-war vintage Macallan, distilled all the way back in 1937. The whisky was first bottled in 1972, however remaining stocks of this spectacular 35 year old were re-bottled in 2016 as Macallan sought a liquid worthy of this decadent release.

The crystal decanter is presented in a luxurious leather suitcase style box. The decanter has an ornate Aeroplane design and frosted edges. The set is completed by an elegant replacement decanter stopper.

This is bottle number 40 of just 50.

Bowmore 1961 50 Year Old​

Distilled way back in 1961, this 50 year old is the oldest publicly available Bowmore ever bottled (there are a few bottles of 54 year old available to procure from the distillery). The spirit was distilled in December of that year and laid down to rest for half a century in two ex-bourbon hogsheads. The \"angel's share\" in these casks left only enough for a limited 200 bottles.

The presentation of this 50 year old celebrates more than just the craftsmanship of whisky. The bottle was hand-blown and engraved by two of Scotland's foremost glass artists, Brodie Nairn and Nichola Burns. The wooden cabinet and stand were carved and carpented by acclaimed woodsmith Peter Toaig, who used highly-prized burr elm grown in the Scottish Highlands. Finally, the presentation is completed with a solid silver neck collar and 50-year perpetual calendar, allowing you to \"look into the future\" as you savour the past, both fashioned by sixth generation silversmiths, Thomas Fattorini.

This is bottle 128 of 200. 

Macallan 1959 Fine and Rare​

Another fantastic example of old Macallan, The Macallan Fine and Rare Series of whiskies was designed to represent the very best vintages / whisky that Macallan had to offer, dating back as far as 1926.

Distilled in 1959 and bottled 43 years later in 2002, from single sherry hogshead #360.

Unique Reference: 6gp51d.

Signed and dated on 17 September 2003. Includes Certificate of Vintage Registration. (Please note we had have blacked out the name and address on the above image of the certificate)

Karuizawa 1965 Single Sherry Cask 50 Year Old #2372​ 

Karuizawa produced outstanding whiskies, many of which have received international acclaim. They have released almost 300 single casks which are becoming increasingly rarer and rarer as demand soars.

A special release from La Maison Du Whisky, this vintage Karuizawa was distilled in 1965 and matured in a sherry cask. 

Bottle number 239 of only 300.

Macallan 1997 Exceptional Cask #9182-01

The first cask from Macallan's new 'Exceptional Single Cask' range which were bottled in 2017 exclusively for the United States and parts of Asia.   This range takes it's name from a number of single cask bottlings Macallan released during the 1990s which are often described as some of 'the greatest Macallan of them all \".

Distilled on the 12th June 1997 and bottled over 20 years later after maturing in single European Oak Sherry Butt #9182 (Ref: 2017/ESB-9182/01)

Selected by Master Distiller Bob Dalgarno, this was the first cask to be reserved for the 2017 series on 2nd June of the same year.

One of only 111 bottles.

Bowmore 1964 Black Bowmore / Final Edition

An icon of the whisky world, it's hard to fathom where whisky collecting would be today without the Black Bowmore. 

Distilled on the 5th November 1964 and matured within Oloroso sherry casks before bottling in 1995. This is the last of three Black Bowmores released in the mid-nineties. 

This is bottle number 1150 of 1812.

Bowmore 1964 Oloroso Cask 38 Year Old

1964 is often referred to as the golden year for Bowmore, as there have been a high number of iconic releases from the vintage.

This 38 year old Oloroso sherry casked gem is no different. A single cask that comes from the same batch as that of the esteemed Black Bowmore releases.

This famous release was part of the Trilogy Series which also contained single cask bottlings from a bourbon cask and a Fino sherry cask. The three whiskies were presented in these stunning wooden cabinets.  

Bottle number 154.

On account of the box size, this lot has a 2 bottle shipping fee.

Brora 1972 Cask Strength 40 Year Old

At time of launch this was both the most expensive whisky ever released by Diagio and the oldest Brora ever made.

Presented in a stunning engraved glass decanter and wooden display case  this is bottle number 10.

Distilled in 1972 this is a vintage mate to some of the most sought after and legendary Broras ever produced, including the rare malts and the slightly more recent 44 year old.

Macallan 1938

A spectacular Macallan distilled in 1938 and bottled by Gordon and MacPhail as an official bottling in the 1980s.

This was released for the UK. 

Bottle number 691. 

Macallan 1969 Fine and Rare

Another fantastic example of old Macallan, The Macallan Fine and Rare Series of whiskies was designed to represent the very best vintages / whisky that Macallan had to offer, dating back as far as 1926.

Distilled in 1969 and bottled 32 years later in 2002, hogshead #10412. The outturn from this release was the equivalent of 173 full size bottles. 

Unique Reference: mkafjp.

Signed and dated on 25th October 2007. Includes Certificate of Vintage Registration. (Please note we had have blacked out the name and address on the above image of the certificate)

Macallan 1940 / Rinaldi Import

There were very few operational distilleries during World War Two which makes this bottle of Macallan exceptionally rare.  

Distilled in 1940 and bottled by Gordon and MacPhail in 1981. 

Bottle number 323. 

Karuizawa 1968 Single Cask #6955 / Whisky Live Taipei 2010

We are very excited to offer this bottle within our exclusive Karuizawa auction which runs from Wednesday 5th April to Monday 17th April.

Karuizawa produced outstanding whiskies, many of which have received international acclaim. They have released almost 300 single casks which are becoming increasingly rarer and rarer as demand soars.

This limited release was distilled in 1968 and bottled for Whisky Live Taipei in 2010.

Produced from single cask #6955.

This is bottle number 128 of 428.

Bottled at cask strength.

Macallan 1995/1996 Easter Elchies 2008​

The 2008 Easter Elchies bottling was a marriage of two single sherry hogshead casks #9455 and #4693, distilled in 1996 and 1996, respectively.

Macallan 1950

A stunning and incredibly rare presentation of Macallan, distilled in 1950. 

Bottled in 1980.

Bottle number 193. 

Macallan 1950 / Rinaldi Import​

A stunning and incredibly rare presentation of Macallan, distilled in 1950. 

Bottled in 1980, and imported by Rinaldi for the Italian market.

Bottle number 162. 

Springbank 1967 Local Barley

Springbank produced several 'Local Barley' bottlings from the mid 1960's, all of which have reached legendary status.

Distilled in October 1967 and bottled in August 1988.

Macallan 1995 Exceptional Cask #5326-06 75cl / US Import

The Macallan Exceptional Casks were bottled in 2017 exclusively for the United States and parts of Asia. This range takes it's name from a number of single cask bottlings Macallan released during the 1990s which are often described as some of 'the greatest Macallan of them all \".

Distilled on the 26th April 1995 and bottled over 22 years later after maturing in single European Oak Sherry Hogshead #5326 (Ref: 2017/ESH-5326/06)

Selected by Master Distiller Bob Dalgarno, this was the sixth cask to be reserved for the 2017 series on 2nd June of the same year.

One of only 281 bottles.

Glenfarclas 1959 Family Cask  #3227 / Release III

The Family Cask range was launched early in 2007 with a cask for each year from 1952 until 1994.

This is the third release of the 1959 vintage, bottled on the 15 July 2007 after maturation in cask number #3227.

One of 86 bottles. 

Karuizawa 35 Year Old Single Cask #7417 / Water of Life

Karuizawa produced outstanding whiskies, many of which have received international acclaim. They have released almost 300 single casks which are becoming increasingly rarer and rarer as demand soars.

This limited release 35 year old was bottled in 2015.

Produced from single cask #7417, which yielded only 473 bottles.

Bottled at cask strength.

Karuizawa 31 Year Old Sherry Cask #3667 / Golden Geisha

Karuizawa produced outstanding whiskies, many of which have received international acclaim. They have released almost 300 single casks which are becoming increasingly rarer and rarer as demand soars.

The 2 highly sought after releases were available to purchase by winners of a raffle hosted by The Whisky Exchange.

Aged for 31 years in sherry cask #3667 this bottle is number 166 of 225. 

Bottled at cask strength.

Glenfarclas 1963 Family Cask #179 / William & Son Cabinet

A very exclusive item containing Glenfarclas 1963 Family Cask presented in a rifle and shotgun cleaning kit created by William & Son, London.

William & Son are crafters of shotguns and rifles and this kit has been created to their exceptional standards. 

The Glenfarclas Family Cask was distillled in 1963 and bottled in October 2011, matured in in Sherry Hogshead number 179. 

Only 20 of these stunning cabinets were produced.

Please note this item will have the postage charge of four regular bottles, due to the weight.

Macallan 1981 Exceptional Cask #9780

This is the first release in the original 1990's Exceptional Cask range. 

Distilled in 22nd December 1981, matured in Fino sherry butt number #9780 before being bottled in July 1999.

Bowmore 1973 43 Year Old​

A 2016 super-premium Bowmore bottling.

Vatting the last 6 remaining bourbon hogsheads of 1973 this joins the ranks of some impressive bottles from that vintage. 

Casks #3883-3888 were distilled on the 10th of May 1973 and bottled on the 2nd of June 2016 at a staggering 43 years old.

Macallan 1982 Gran Reserva 

Macallan distilled in 1982 and bottled in 2002. Making this either 19 or 20 years old. 

Brora 1972 Rare Malt 22 Year Old / 58.7%

The Rare Malt Selection is a historic selection of single malt whiskies from operational and lost distilleries that were released by Diageo between 1995 and 2005.

It is often said that 1972 Brora is exceptional, and this is one of five Rare Malts of that vintage. The 1972 continued to be an important vintage when Diageo also released a 40 year old of the same vintage. 

Since its closure in 1983 the popularity of Brora has soared, this is a fantastic opportunity to own an historic bottle.

Bowmore 1973 43 Year Old​

A 2016 super-premium Bowmore bottling.

Vatting the last 6 remaining bourbon hogsheads of 1973 this joins the ranks of some impressive bottles from that vintage. 

Casks #3883-3888 were distilled on the 10th of May 1973 and bottled on the 2nd of June 2016 at a staggering 43 years old.

Macallan 1965 Anniversary Malt 25 Year Old

A stunning example of Macallan, distilled in 1965 and bottled in 1991 at 25 years old.

Matured exclusively in sherry wood.

Glenfarclas 1953 Single Cask 58 Year Old / Wealth Solutions

So few whiskies of this age are available these days, even Glenfarclas has no whisky remaining older than 1953. The whisky was distilled on 20th November 1953 and bottled on 13th February 2012, matured exclusively in a first fill sherry butt #1674.

A panel comprising of whisky connoisseur and a key member of the internationally renowned Malt Maniacs, Serge Valentin, Ben Ellefsen, Sales Director for Master of Malt, Michał Kowalski of Wealth Solutions and George Grant himself, unanimously made the selection from the remaining 4 casks distilled in 1953 and cask #1674 was selected to be bottled.

This single cask bottling was released at 58 years old and sold exclusively through the Wealth Solutions, Poland.

5* rated by Whiskyfun.com (no numerical score as Serge Valentin assisted with selection).

Bottle number 65 of 400.

Bowmore 1973 43 Year Old​

A 2016 super-premium Bowmore bottling.

Vatting the last 6 remaining bourbon hogsheads of 1973 this joins the ranks of some impressive bottles from that vintage. 

Casks #3883-3888 were distilled on the 10th of May 1973 and bottled on the 2nd of June 2016 at a staggering 43 years old.

Macallan 1948/1961 Royal Marriage 1981 / Rinaldi Import

A wonderful addition to any Macallan collection, the Royal Marriage bottling was released in 1981 to celebrate the wedding of The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer.

A marriage of casks from 1948 and 1961, the years of the couples' births.

Fratelli Rinaldi import for the Italian market.