March 2018 Auction

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 brand new release from La Maison Du Whisky. A 1965 vintage Karuizawa distilled in 1965 and matured in a sherry cask. 

Bottle number 122 of only 199 produced.

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 brand new release from La Maison Du Whisky. A 1965 vintage Karuizawa distilled in 1965 and matured in a sherry cask. 

Bottle number 225 of only 300.

Bowmore 1964 Black Bowmore 29 Year Old 1st Edition​

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

The first release of three, all distilled in 1964 and matured within single Oloroso sherry casks before being bottled in 1993. Sherry casks were used far more regularly in the 1960's than they are now, and this bottle is testament to the quality of these casks.

The Black Bowmore not just a whisky but a true artifact from the history of the spirit, representing a turning point for single malts. Appearing at a zenith in the popularity of sherry-casked whisky, which was for the first time creating a fashionable buzz around single malt whiskies, seeing it replace cognac as the after dinner drink of choice at banqueting tables, and customers now willing to pay the heady sum of £120 for a bottle. We may look back and scoff at this now but this was a princely fee back in the early 90's when the Black Bowmore was first stocked by Oddbins in the UK.

Speaking of the Black Bowmore, Dave Broom writes:

\"If you look at Black Bowmore as fiction, you see it grow from being a simple tale about a product into something which acquires the trappings of legend and myth. What was once ‘Islay’ had been condensed into distilleries; distilleries compressed into specific peculiarities – in Black Bowmore’s case, the magical, never fully explicable weirdness of the conditions in No 1 Vaults, one of walls of which sits below the level of the loch outside; a place of cold and damp, where evaporation is minimal, where elements are both preserved and warped into new shapes, where time slows and things deepen.\"

Bottle number 932 of 2000 produced.

This example comes with the original wax seal many of which were recalled and re-sealed with the more common foil seal.

Macallan 1951

Technically not part of the series, however this is certainly a fine and rare Macallan!

Distilled in 1951 and bottled from two sherry casks #1541 and #1542

One of only 632 bottles.

Macallan 40 Year Old 2017 Release

The highly anticipated 2017 release of the Macallan 40 Year Old. Here's what Macallans Nick Savage has to say about it:

\"After a gentle slumber for over 40 years in our exceptional Sherry-seasoned oak casks, this rare single malt offers a rich, classic Macallan flavour and a beautiful natural colour. An outstanding and distinct single malt to add to the collection of unique, mature expressions from The Macallan, this release has been limited to 465 bottles. This 40 years old will be highly sought after by whisky connoisseurs around the world.\"

Bottle #312 of 465

Macallan 40 Year Old 2017 Release

The highly anticipated 2017 release of the Macallan 40 Year Old. Here's what the distillery's Nick Savage has to say about it:

\"After a gentle slumber for over 40 years in our exceptional Sherry-seasoned oak casks, this rare single malt offers a rich, classic Macallan flavour and a beautiful natural colour. An outstanding and distinct single malt to add to the collection of unique, mature expressions from The Macallan, this release has been limited to 465 bottles. This 40 years old will be highly sought after by whisky connoisseurs around the world.\"

Bottle number 331 of only 465!

Macallan 40 Year Old 2017 Release

The highly anticipated 2017 release of the Macallan 40 Year Old. Here's what the distillery's Nick Savage has to say about it:

\"After a gentle slumber for over 40 years in our exceptional Sherry-seasoned oak casks, this rare single malt offers a rich, classic Macallan flavour and a beautiful natural colour. An outstanding and distinct single malt to add to the collection of unique, mature expressions from The Macallan, this release has been limited to 465 bottles. This 40 years old will be highly sought after by whisky connoisseurs around the world.\"

Bottle number 311 of only 465!

Johnnie Walker The Directors Blend Complete Collection 6 x 70cl

Never available at retail, this collection was only given to very important Diageo types. Very few bottles made it to the secondary market and collectors have fought to get hold of this essential part of Johnnie Walker history.

Incredibly rare, this is the complete 6 bottle collection consisting of annual releases between 2008 and 2013, each with their own unique presentation, design and character, yet all unmistakably Johnnie Walker.

• 2008 Release: ​​This grain whisky celebrates sweetness as the biggest component of any Blended Scotch.
  One of 450 bottles
  46%
   
• 2009 Release: A celebration of smokiness. This release contains Islay single malt whisky.
  One of 504 bottles
  43%
   
• 2010 Release: The rich smell of Autumn Fruit, focussed around the fruity flavours found in Johnnie Walker blends, using a generous number of sherry casks. This bottle features one of 6 different screen-printed labels by artist Lewis Moberly.
  One of 450 bottles
  65%
   
• 2011 Release: The effect of Wood on Whisky with packaging displaying the rich colour of oaked whisky, glorified through luxurious minimalism and delicate detailing. Featured in Ian Buxton's book, 101 Legendary Whiskies You're Dying to Try But (Possibly) Never Will.
  One of 504 bottles
  46%
   
• 2012 Release: Celebrating the aroma of Fresh Fruits. Instead of using the label to describe the contents of the bottle, LOVE design agency chose to use it to celebrate the recipient of the Blend, drawing inspiration from Johnnie Walker’s ‘Keep Walking’ philosophy.
  One of 504
  43%
   
• 2013 Release: Celebrating Malt and the deep resonance that aged Malts bring to the blend. Declared by Dave Broom to be one of the best whiskies of 2013.
  One of 588
  46%

Please note there will be a shipping charge for 6 bottles. 

Bowmore 1964 White Bowmore 43 Year Old

The second in this famous series, the White Bowmore was matured strictly in bourbon casks to create a comparison to the more famous Oloroso casked Black Bowmore

Bottled at 42.8%

Bottle 405 of 732.

Bowmore 1964 Black Bowmore 30 Year Old 2nd Edition

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

The second release of three, all distilled in 1964 and matured within single Oloroso sherry casks before being bottled in the mid-nineties. Sherry casks were used far more regularly in the 1960's than they are now, and this bottle is testament to the quality of these casks.

The Black Bowmore not just a whisky but a true artefact from the history of the spirit, representing a turning point for single malts. Appearing at a zenith in the popularity of sherry-casked whisky, which was for the first time creating a fashionable buzz around single malt whiskies, seeing it replace cognac as the after dinner drink of choice at banqueting tables, and customers now willing to pay the heady sum of £120 for a bottle. We may look back and scoff at this now but this was a princely fee back in the early 90's when the Black Bowmore was first stocked by Oddbins in the UK.

Speaking of the Black Bowmore, Dave Broom writes:

\"If you look at Black Bowmore as fiction, you see it grow from being a simple tale about a product into something which acquires the trappings of legend and myth. What was once ‘Islay’ had been condensed into distilleries; distilleries compressed into specific peculiarities – in Black Bowmore’s case, the magical, never fully explicable weirdness of the conditions in No 1 Vaults, one of walls of which sits below the level of the loch outside; a place of cold and damp, where evaporation is minimal, where elements are both preserved and warped into new shapes, where time slows and things deepen.\"

This is bottle number 166 of 2000.

Karuizawa 1983 Single Cask #3557 / Only 50 Bottles

Karuizawa produced outstanding whiskies, many of which have received international acclaim.

Distilled in 1983 and bottled in 2014, this bottle was released for the Karuizawa Masterclass on 3rd October 2015, at The Whisky Show.

This was an extremely limited bottling, only 50 bottles were created and released to mark this event.

Each bottle is individually numbered. 

Macallan 1946 Select Reserve 52 Year Old

A truly stunning bottle of Macallan distilled in 1946 and matured for over half a century until bottling. Presented in a gorgeous wooden box under lock and key. Complete with certificate.

Bottle number 1583. 

Bowmore 18 Year Old Sherriff's / Pear Shaped Bottle

An incredibly rare Bowmore, presented in a wonderful pear shaped glass bottle. Likely released in the 1960s, with a similar capsule to that found on the 7 year old Sherriff's bottling.

The liquid inside has been bottled at 18 years of age, making it likely to have been distilled in the late 1940s when the distillery was owned by J.B. Sheriff & Co.

Karuizawa 1971 Noh Single Cask 41 Year Old #1842 / Prineus Germany Exclusive

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 series features different masks used in Noh, one of Japan's traditional performing arts. This image features the mask of the Noh character, Hannya, a sorrowful female serpent-demon.

This limited release was distilled in 1971 and bottled in 2013

Produced from single cask #1842, which yielded only 82 bottles.

Bottled at cask strength for German Importer, Prineus.

Macallan 1946 Select Reserve 52 Year Old

A truly stunning bottle of Macallan distilled in 1946 and matured for over half a century until bottling.

Bottle number 1403. 

This particular bottle was purchased direct from the distributor by the seller.

Glen Garioch 1971 Samaroli Sherry Wood Full Proof

A full proof, sherry-aged bottling of Glen Garioch from Italian importer, Samaroli.

Bottle number 533 of 2280 bottles produced.

Macallan 1948 Select Reserve 51 Year Old

A magnificent bottle of Macallan distilled in 1948 and matured for over half a century until bottling on the 26th November 1999.  The 1948 Select Reserve was chosen from just three spanish sherry oak casks, and distilled from choice barley harvested in the late summer of 1947.

Macallan decided to allocate each bottle an individual date rather than the more conventional bottle number. Of the 366 bottles released, not one bottle carries the same date as any other. This particular bottle is labelled 14th April 1948.

Karuizawa 33 Year Old Sherry Cask #8908 / Emerald 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.

This is another sought after single cask release from Elixir Distillers, the bottling arm of London's The Whisky Exchange. Here's what they had to say:

\"The distinctive emerald labels combine beautiful Japanese art forms with complex hot foil and intricate embossing embellishments, giving the bottles a sculptured finish. They were designed by The Whisky Exchange’s creative director Raj Chavda, who is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Art.\"

One of only 170 bottles drawn from single Sherry cask #8908. Released in February 2018.

Karuizawa 33 Year Old Sherry Cask #8908 / Emerald 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.

This is another sought after single cask release from Elixir Distillers, the bottling arm of London's The Whisky Exchange. Here's what they had to say:

\"The distinctive emerald labels combine beautiful Japanese art forms with complex hot foil and intricate embossing embellishments, giving the bottles a sculptured finish. They were designed by The Whisky Exchange’s creative director Raj Chavda, who is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Art.\"

One of only 170 bottles drawn from single Sherry cask #8908. Released in February 2018.

Karuizawa 1968 Single Cask #6955

Distilled in 1968 in the now long closed Japanese distillery of Karuizawa, this single cask was bottled on 17th June 2010. 

42 Year old Karuizawa is extremley rare. 

Springbank 1969 Signatory Vintage 40 Year Old Cask Strength / WhiskyBase #1 Rated​

Legendary 1960's vintage Springbank, distilled on 12th February 1969 and bottled independently by Signatory Vintage on 14th September 2009 as a 40 year old. Despite it's old age this whisky has an alcohol content of of 54.4% vol. Matured in single refill sherry butt #263 which has allowed some of the original distillery character to shine through with a note of subtle sweetness.

This particular single cask is the highest ever rated whisky on WhiskyBase, and has been for a long time!

One of 356 bottles.

Karuizawa 1983 Single Cask #8333 / 68 Bottles

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 bottling was distilled in 1983 and bottled in 2013.

Produced from single Sherry Butt, cask #8333, which yielded only 68 bottles.

Bottled at cask strength.

Macallan 2004 Exceptional Cask #11650-02 

We are excited to offer a complete collection of the new range of Macallan Exceptional Casks 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 16th October 2004 and bottled over 12 years later after maturing in single European Oak Sherry Butt #11650 (Ref: 2017/ESB-11650/02).

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

One of only 298 bottles.

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

We are excited to offer a complete collection of the new range of Macallan Exceptional Casks 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.

Macallan 1947 Campbell, Hope and King / Rinaldi Import

A very old Macallan distilled in 1947. Bottled in the 1960's at about 15 years old and imported to Italy by Fratelli Rinaldi. 

Yamazaki Keizo Saji Age Unknown 75cl

Selected from the finest barrels in the Yamazaki aging warehouses in celebration of the life of Keizo Saji and his receipt of the Order of the Sacred Treasure. 

The whisky is exclusively of 25 years or older but is otherwise 'Age Unknown' and drawn from the Yamazaki reserve stock. Some sources estimate the stock to be older than 30 years.

This particular lot includes an official letter and booklet.

Johnnie Walker and Sons Signature Blend by Jenson Button

Created as part of the 'Step inside the Circuit' campaign to celebrate the success of Johnnie Walker sponsoring the Vodaphone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 Team. Driver Jenson Button visited the Johnnie Walker House in Shanghai where he selected his favourite flavours and scents, which were to become the basis for the Signature blend created by JW Master Blender, Jim Beveridge.

Limited to only 25 bottles, which were available to purchase by invitation only.

Bottle comes attractively packaged, including Formula 1 wheel nut, decanter stopper, and presentation booklet.

Saburomaru 1960 55 Year Old Japanese Single Malt

This is the oldest bottled Japanese whisky ever... 

Wakatsuru Shozou own Saburomaru Distillery, which has been producing limited amounts of whisky since 1952/3, This was distilled in 1960 and matured in a red wine cask with the characteristics of \"Port\" for 55 years.

The malt was heavily peated and distilled in a continuous still (By current Scotch Whisky Association rules this wouldn't be allowed to be called a single malt if produced in Scotland). 

Bottle number 99 of only 155 bottles. 

Karuizawa 35 Year Old Bourbon Cask #8518 / Emerald 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.

This is another sought after single cask release from Elixir Distillers, the bottling arm of London's The Whisky Exchange. Here's what they had to say:

\"The distinctive emerald labels combine beautiful Japanese art forms with complex hot foil and intricate embossing embellishments, giving the bottles a sculptured finish. They were designed by The Whisky Exchange’s creative director Raj Chavda, who is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Art.\"

One of only 265 bottles drawn from single Bourbon cask #8518. Released in February 2018.​

Karuizawa 1999 Single Cask #895 and Karuizawa 2000 Single Cask #7721

Karuizawa 1999 Cask Strength Single Cask #895 Distilled in 1999 in 2000 and bottled in 2016 after maturation is a sherry cask. 59.0%. One of 320 bottles.

Karuizawa 2000 Cask Strength Single Cask #7721 distilled in 2000 and bottled in 2016 after maturation is a sherry cask. 59.0%. One of 367 bottles.

Please note there is a shipping charge for two bottles with this lot.

Karuizawa 1980 Harbour City 35 Year Old Cask #4376

Karuizawa produced outstanding whiskies, many of which have received international acclaim.

It is amazing that we still see single casks of Karuizawa being released, this is a 1980 vintage single cask matured for 35 years. 

One of only 212 bottles.