March 2019 Auction

Remy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl Cognac / Anniversary Edition

Remy Martin is perhaps the most well known of all Cognac producers and has established a reputation for quality that very few others can relate to.

This is a spectacular example of the Louis XIII Tres Vieille Cognac Baccarat decanter which holds Grande Champagne cognac aged between 40 and 100 years.

The Black Pearl Anniversary edition was bottled to celebrate 140 years of the Maison, from 1874 until 2014.

This is decanter 705 of 775.

Royal Brackla 1924 60 Year Old

A real rarity, Royal Brackla was distilled in 1924 and bottled at a whopping 60 years old.

At that time owned by Buchanan's, this was not a widely available product and was even closed with a Black & White (another Buchanan's product) branded screw cap. 

Bottle number 9.

Ardbeg 1972 Kingsbury 28 Year Old / Hand Writing

This is a fantastic independently bottled Ardbeg, from Japan's Kingsbury.

Kingsbury are Japan's most sought after independent bottler. They were founded in 1989 by Eaglesome, the high-end deli in Campbeltown that was purchased by J & A Mitchell & Co of Springbank distillery, and turned into one of the region's finest whisky merchants. They initially bottled Kingsbury's exclusively for the Japanese market using their Cadenhead's stock, before the label was acquired by native firm, the Japanese Import System. They have released a number of some of the most collectible whiskies, including a Bowmore 1966, and two dark sherry casked Ardbeg.

This is part of a beautifully labelled series called Hand Writing, perhaps an affectionate nod to a similar Samaroli series around 10 years earlier?

Distilled in 1972 and bottled at natural cask strength after 28 years.

Ardbeg 1974 Provenance 4th Release 75cl / US Import

One of the legendary Ardbeg Provenance bottlings, distilled in 1974 and matured for around 25 years before bottling in September 2000.

This is the hard to come by 4th release in the series, and was exclusive to the US and Asian markets.

These whiskies are highly acclaimed and desirable, including certificate and tartan insert.

Bottle number 6086.

Ardbeg 1974 Samaroli 15 Year Old

One of two releases of a 1974 vintage Ardbeg bottled for Silvano Samaroli. At 240 bottles, this is the much rarer of the two.

Samaroli is perhaps Italy's most revered independent bottler of Scotch whisky. With an impeccable taste in single cask whiskies, and an eye for aesthetics (if not English spelling at times!), he is regarded by many as a visionary. Many of his bottles now occupy deserved sports in pantheon of whisky greats.

This bottling was bottled for Samaroli in Scotland by R.W. Duthie & Co. in 1990, and is bottle number 97.

Ardbeg 1975 Intertrade 13 Year Old Sherry Wood

A stunning vintage Ardbeg, distilled on 26th June 1975 and bottled at cask strength on 13th July 1988 for Intertrade.

Intertrade was established in Italy in the early 1980s by Nadi Fiori, a contemporary of Silvano Samaroli and Moon Import's Pepi Mongiardino. His company is perhaps less well known than theirs, but bottled some of the most well-regarded and collectible whiskies on the market.

This is one of two cask strength 1975 vintage Arbeg bottled for Fiori. This sherry cask by Gordon & MacPhail, and another from a new oak hogshead.

Bottle number 444 of 543.

Ardbeg 1975 Single Cask #4718

Vintage Ardbeg is a rare find these days and we are lucky to offer this 1975 vintage.

Sing sherry cask #4718 was filled on 26th December 1975 and bottled 20th October 1999

Bottle number 8 of 238.

Ardbeg 1976 Single Cask #2392

Distilled in 1976 and matured for 24 years in a sherry butt #2392.

This bottle was hand-bottled at cask strength by distillery manager Stuart Thomson and is number 526 of 528 bottles.

Ardbeg 1976 Single Cask #2394

A very highly sought after Ardbeg, distilled on 24th November 1976 and bottled on 18th July 2000.

Exclusively bottled by hand for the Ardbeg Committee this single cask sherry butt yielded only 466 bottles, this is bottle number 441.

Signed by Stuart Thomson.

Very Xtra Old Fitzgerald 1955 Bonded 10 Year Old 100 Proof / Stitzel-Weller

We don't see vintage Old Fitzgerald very often, so we are particularly excited about this bottle which was distilled in 1955 and bottled in 1965.

Distilled at Stitzel-Weller distillery when it was under the management of the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle and bottled in the year of his death by his son, Julian II who had taken over the year prior.

These pure Van Winkle era Stitzel-Weller bottlings are rare gems and incredibly sought after.

Presented in a lockable fel-lined box with two glasses.

Ardbeg 1992 Single Cask #2780

A single cask Ardbeg, distilled on 1972 and bottled at over 30 years old on 2004.

Bottle number 160 of 216 drawn from single cask #2781, a bourbon hogshead.

Ardbeg 1974 Single Cask #2740

A Single Cask Ardbeg filled on 14th June 1974 and bottled at cask strength 29 years later, on the 11th August 2003

Cask No.2740, one of 120 bottles.

Ardbeg 1973 Single Cask #1143

Vintage Ardbeg is a rare commodity these days and we are lucky to offer this 1973 vintage single cask.

Distilled on the 16th of March 1973 and bottled on the 22nd of December 2006 from single bourbon hogshead #1143.

Bottle Number 48 of 216.

Ardbeg 1975 Single Cask #1378

Vintage Ardbeg is a rare commodity these days and we are lucky to offer this 1975 vintage single cask.

Distilled on the 28th of March 1975 and bottled on the 8th of November 2006 from a single sherry butt #1378.

Bottle Number 10 of 453.

Rosebank 20 Year Old Full Proof 1980s / Zenith Import

Rosebank is a sorely missed Lowland single malt, now increasingly difficult to find.

This was specially bottled by The Distillers Agency, a subsidiary of The Distillers Company (now Diageo), for Zenith Italia, the company owned by importer G.P. Bonfanti.

Bottle Number 286 of 2580.

Van Winkle 1985 Family Reserve Rye / Un-Chillfiltered European Exclusive

Blink and you might miss it, but this is not the standard 13 year old Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye that at first glance it may appear. Labelled simply as the 1985 vintage, this was released in 2001 when the Family Reserve was actually 15 years old. Although it is commonly known as a 13 year old, the rye actually continued to age in cask until 2004 when it was eventually tanked at Buffalo Trace. 

The Family Reserve Rye is presumed to have been distilled at Medley in Owensboro, with Cream of Kentucky rye from Bernheim blended through it after it was tanked in 2004. More recent bottlings are also expected to contain whiskey distilled at Buffalo Trace. This however is the unblended Medley liquid.

Bottled by Julian Van Winkle III at Old Commonwealth distillery in Lawrenceburg, he has personally confirmed that this un-chillfiltered version was an experiment for the European market, at the request of a French customer. Un-chillfiltering is unheard of with bourbon in the US, but is the preference here. Van Winkle also noted that he believes this release does have some flavour lost in the regular chillfiltered product.

Bottled at the higher strength of 100 proof, this is a particularly rare gem.

Van Winkle 1985 Family Reserve Rye / Un-Chillfiltered European Exclusive

Blink and you might miss it, but this is not the standard 13 year old Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye that at first glance it may appear. Labelled simply as the 1985 vintage, this was released in 2001 when the Family Reserve was actually 15 years old. Although it is commonly known as a 13 year old, the rye actually continued to age in cask until 2004 when it was eventually tanked at Buffalo Trace. 

The Family Reserve Rye is presumed to have been distilled at Medley in Owensboro, with Cream of Kentucky rye from Bernheim blended through it after it was tanked in 2004. More recent bottlings are also expected to contain whiskey distilled at Buffalo Trace. This however is the unblended Medley liquid.

Bottled by Julian Van Winkle III at Old Commonwealth distillery in Lawrenceburg, he has personally confirmed that this un-chillfiltered version was an experiment for the European market, at the request of a French customer. Un-chillfiltering is unheard of with bourbon in the US, but is the preference here. Van Winkle also noted that he believes this release does have some flavour lost in the regular chillfiltered product.

Bottled at the higher strength of 100 proof, this is a particularly rare gem.

Bottle number A2580. 

Ardbeg 1976 Samaroli

A very highly sought after Ardbeg, distilled 1976.

Samaroli is perhaps Italy's most revered independent bottler of Scotch whisky. With an impeccable taste in single cask whiskies, and an eye for aesthetics (if not English spelling at times!), he is regarded by many as a visionary. Many of his bottles now occupy deserved sports in pantheon of whisky greats.

This bottling was bottled for Samaroli in Scotland by R.W. Duthie & Co. in 1993, and is the final addition to his Ardbge series. Almost unbelievably, Samaroli reportedly had great difficulty selling the first release in this series, the 1974 vintage from 1983. It was not until a few years later that demand for the peaty flavours began to increase in Italy.

This is one of the final bottlings from Samaroli's partnership with R.W. Duthie, who had to stop working with him in the early 1990s due to increasing demand from their other client, Cadenhead's.

Bottle 567 of 1020.

Ardbeg 1963 Sestante 30 Year Old / White Crest

A very, very rare Ardbeg indeed, distilled in 1963 and bottled by the world renowned Italian bottlers, Sestante in 1993.

Released as part of the White Crest label series, which included a number of releases from Ardbeg as well as other distilleries. The range was bottled from the 1980s all the way through to the early 2000s.

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.

Ardbeg from this period are so hard to come by these days, and it is well worth investigating these older bottlings, even more so when they are from bottlers such as Sestante.

Van Winkle 13 Year Old Family Reserve Rye / 1999 Release

As sought after as the other members of this 'family'.

This is bottle A1857, and was released in 1999 when the whiskey was actually now 14 years old, despite the label. The Van Winkle Family reserve rye actually continued to age in cask until 2004 when it was eventually vatted. They are all labelled as 13 years old regardless.

The Family Reserve Rye is presumed to have been distilled at Medley in Owensboro, with Cream of Kentucky rye from Bernheim blended through it after it was tanked in 2004. As of 2018, the rye batches have been distilled and bottled at Buffalo Trace.

Bottled at the Old Commonwealth distillery in Lawrenceburg by Julian Van Winkle III. 

A.H. Hirsch Reserve 1974 16 Year Old 1990s / Squat Gold Wax for Velier

A legendary bottle of bourbon that has had a whole book written about itself: The Best Bourbon You'll Never Taste by Charles K Cowdery.

Distilled in Spring 1974, this bourbon is bottled from a single 400 barrel batch commissioned by Adolph Hirsch and distilled under contract at Michters distillery (then known as Pennco), just outside Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania. Hirsch was a former Schenley executive who had briefly worked at Michter's during his time there, and it is believed he commissioned the whisky as financial favour to the distillery, and actually had little plans for its use. So, it lay aging in the warehouses for much longer than generally expected for a bourbon at the time. 

With the closure of Michter's distillery, the bourbon was sold by Hirsch to Gordon Hue in 1991, who set about bottling it immediately.

Responsibility for the early bottling was entrusted to Julian Van Winkle III at his Old Commonwealth site in Lawrenceburg. However, his partnership with the Sazerac Company and creation of the Pappy Van Winkle brand in 2002, also saw bottling of the Hirsch Reserve moved briefly to Buffalo Trace. This is one of Van Winkle's earlier 1990's bottlings. Van Winkle's ledgers show that he was drip-fed orders for the Hirsch Reserve, and only produced limited case numbers to order when requested by Hue. This has lead to a variety of different bottlings at different ages. This gold wax topped \"squat\" bottle was filled at a slightly lower proof than others. This is essentially the same release as the \"squat black wax,\" however it was bottled for Velier and the Italian market instead.

Gordon Hue, who had maintained exclusive distribution rights to the Hirsch product despite the Van Winkle and Sazerac connections, eventually sold the brand to Preiss Imports who moved the subsequent and final bottling (technically re-bottling) to Kentucky Bourbon Distillers' Willett facility.

In his book Cowdery refers to the bourbon as one of the \"best whiskeys I've ever tasted.\"

Mash bill contains 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley.

Rittenhouse 21 Year Old Single Barrel Straight Rye

A wonderful Rye, appreciated greatly for it's use within Manhattan's and other Rye based cocktails.

Aged for 21 years in barrel #3.

Bottle number 9.

Rittenhouse was once the flagship product of of Pennsylvania's Continental Distilling Corp, produced at their Publicker distillery. Modern iterations of the brand, such as this one, are produced by Heaven Hill. At 21 years old, this would have been distilled at the original Heaven Hill plant in Bardstown before a fire there necessitated a relocation to Bernheim distillery in 1999.

Very Very Old Fitzgerald 1955 Bonded 12 Year Old 86 Proof / Stitzel-Weller

We don't see vintage Old Fitzgerald very often, so we are particularly excited about this bottle which was distilled in the Spring of 1955 and bottled in 1967.

Distilled at the Stitzel-Weller distillery while it was still being run by the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle, and bottled at the distillery by his son, Julian II, who assumed control following his father's death in 1965.

This is an export Bottled in Bond bourbon, allowing it to be filled at a lower 86 US proof, rather than the domestic requirement of 100 proof set out by the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897.

Rosebank 34 Year Old George Strachan 1970s

A well-aged single malt from the now closed Rosebank distillery. Bottled some time in the 1970s by George Strachan Ltd.

George Strachan was a delicatessen and general store founded in Deeside in 1926. They bottled ssome incredibly well regarded single malts between the 1960s and 1980s, many of which were sought out by Italian importers for their quality.

Co. Import, Pinerolo import for the Italian market.

Ardbeg 1975 Douglas Laing 25 Year Old

A rare independent bottling of Ardbeg, distilled in October 1975 and bottled in October 2000.

This is part of Douglas Laing's Old Malt Cask range, back when it was still part of their portfolio. Hunter Laing have bottled the label since 2013.

One of 702 bottles.

Ardbeg 1976 Samaroli

A very highly sought after Ardbeg, distilled 1976.

Samaroli is perhaps Italy's most revered independent bottler of Scotch whisky. With an impeccable taste in single cask whiskies, and an eye for aesthetics (if not English spelling at times!), he is regarded by many as a visionary. Many of his bottles now occupy deserved sports in pantheon of whisky greats.

This bottling was bottled for Samaroli in Scotland by R.W. Duthie & Co. in 1993, and is the final addition to his Ardbeg series. Almost unbelievably, Samaroli reportedly had great difficulty selling the first release in this series, the 1974 vintage from 1983. It was not until a few years later that demand for the peaty flavours began to increase in Italy.

This is one of the final bottlings from Samaroli's partnership with R.W. Duthie, who had to stop working with him in the early 1990s due to increasing demand from their other client, Cadenhead's.

Bottle number 382 of 1020.

Richard Hennessy Cognac

Richard Hennessy is the pinnacle of 200 years of cognac producing experience, knowledge and passion of Maison Hennessy, with a special blend of exceptionally delicious and rare eaux-de-vie aged from 40 years to nearly 200 years old.

Each carafe is numbered and crafted from pure hand-blown crystal.

Very Old Fitzgerald 1951 Bonded 8 Year Old / Stitzel-Weller

We don't see vintage Old Fitzgerald very often, so we are particularly excited about this bottle which was distilled in the Spring of 1951 and bottled in 1959.

Distilled at the Stitzel-Weller distillery while it was still being run by the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle, and bottled at the distillery by his son, Julian II, who assumed control following his father's death in 1965.

Bottled in bond.

Royal Lochnagar 1988 Single Cask 30 Year Old / The Prince's Foundation

A whisky fit for the (potential future) King! 

This single cask release of Royal Lochnagar was taken from American oak cask #1129, which was gifted to HRH Prince Charles and initially sold to raise funds for The Prince's Foundation. 

The whisky itself was distilled in 1988 to commemorate the 140th anniversary of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visiting the distillery in 1848, and was bottled in 2018 to celebrate the 70th birthday of His Royal Highness. 

One of 206 bottles.

Rosebank 1981 Cask Strength 25 Year Old

This is the oldest official bottling of Rosebank, the legendary closed Lowland distillery, released in 2007.

Distilled in 1981 and released within Diageo's Super Premium selection.

One of a limited release of only 4,710 bottles. This is bottle number 3496.

Van Winkle 13 Year Old Family Reserve Rye / 2010 Release

As sought after as the other members of this 'family'.

This is bottle B544, and was released in 2010 when the whiskey was actually now 19 years old, despite the label. The Van Winkle Family Reserve rye actually continued to age in cask until 2004 when it was eventually tanked at Buffalo Trace. They are all labelled as 13 years old regardless.

The Family Reserve Rye is presumed to have been distilled at Medley in Owensboro, with Cream of Kentucky rye from Bernheim blended through it after it was tanked in 2004. The rye was the last of the remaining reserves that Julian Van Winkle III warehoused at Buffalo Trace by the time it finally ran out in 2016. A new batch, distilled at Buffalo Trace was first bottled in 2018.

Serial number is M2731018:42

Rosebank 15 Year Old 1980s / Zenith Import

Rosebank is a sorely missed Lowland single malt, now increasingly difficult to find.

This was specially bottled by The Distillers Agency, a subsidiary of The Distillers Company (now Diageo), for Zenith Italia, the company owned by importer G.P. Bonfanti.

This is one of 13,596 bottles filled at 50% ABV, with the remainder of the 15,996 batch filled at full proof.