March 2019 Auction

Karuizawa 1964 Single Cask 48 Year Old #3603 / Wealth Solutions

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 on the 1st September 1964 and bottled on the 24th December 2012 after 48 years of ageing.

Produced from single sherry cask #3603, which yielded only 143 bottles. This bottle number 95.

This release was an exclusive bottling for Wealth Solutions of Poland.  The box is constructed from Polish black fossil oak.

This extremely rare 1964 single cask is arguably one of the most sought after Karuizawa whiskies ever released and is always highly contested.

Bottled at cask strength.

Laphroaig 1967 Samaroli 15 Year Old Sherry Wood / Silver Cap

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. The bottle is part of the sought after Silver Cap series, which includes another spectacular sherry cask from Tormore. This is also the first appearance of the label used by Samaroli for his Distillery Drawing\" series of Laphroaig releases.

This periodically trades the pole position in WhiskyBase.com's Top 1000 Whiskies of All Time with Samaroli's other Islay epic, the Bowmore 1966 Bouquet. 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 563 of 720.

Karuizawa 29 Year Old Sherry Cask / Murasaki 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.

One of two highly sought after 'Purple Geisha' released in 2018 by Elixir distillers. This particular single cask has been matured for over 29 years in a single sherry cask.

Bottle number 28 of only 60.

Laphroaig 14 Year Old circa 1953 / Carlton Import, US

A spectacular old bottling of Laphroaig single malt from the Isle of Islay.

Aged 14 years and bottled, around 1953 for the US market. This was imported by longtime partners, The Carlton Company of Baltimore, MD.

Karuizawa 1981 Single Cask 35 Year Old #6412 / Fazzino

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.

An impressive 2017 bottling, distilled in 1981 and matured exclusively in sherry butt #6412.

The box and bottle bear art work by renowned 3D artist Fazzino.

Karuizawa Five Decades 1960 - 2000

One of the most exciting new releases of the past year. This very exclusive bottling of Karuizawa was launched at department store Isetan in Shinjuku.

The whisky contains a vatting of casks from five decades of Karuizawa, from the 1960s right up until the distillery's closure in 2000, only leaving out a very low period of production during the 1950s.  The last part of the story, the whisky was then transferred into an ex-Karuizawa cask for a number of years before being bottled in 2015. 

This delightfully engraved decanter is presented in a well crafted wooden box with keys included.

The guys at Nonjatta have commented on this bottle as Karuizawa's 'Swan Song'.

Karuizawa 1981 Single Cask 35 Year Old #6809

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.

An impressive 2016 single cask bottling, distilled in 1981 and matured exclusively in sherry cask #6809.

Laphroaig 1970 Samaroli

A truly legendary Laphroaig, distilled in 1970 and bottled in 1986 by R.W. Duthie for Silvano Samaroli.

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 on the pantheon of whisky greats.

Emmanuel Dron, whisky collector and owner of the Auld Alliance bar has stated that, \"if I had to bring only one bottle to a desert island, it would be [this] Laphroaig 1970 bottled in 1986.\" This is part of the 'Distillery Drawing' collection of Laphroaig bottlings from Samaroli, which includes the legendary 1967 Sherry Cask.

Bottle number 694 of only 720 produced.

Hanyu 1988 Ichiro's Malt 'Card' #7003 / Queen Of Clubs

Distilled in 1988 and bottled in 2008 from cask number 7003. 

Initially matured in hogshead prior to being finished in a new American oak hogshead.

Bottle number 35 of 330. 

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. 

Vintage Karuizawa like this is incredibly rare.

Hanyu 1986 Ichiro's Malt 'Card' #9033 / King of Hearts

Hanyu is a closed Japanese distillery that received a new lease of life from Ichiro Akuto, who bottled the last of the stock in the iconic card range. 

Distilled in 1986 and bottled in 2009, after being aged in a hogshead then finished in a Pedro Ximenez sherry butt. 

Bottle number 33 of 444. 

Karuizawa 1984 Single Cask 29 Year Old #8897 / Geisha Label

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 1984 and bottled after 29 years of maturation.

Produced from single Bourbon cask #8897.

This bottle is one of a pair which were released for The Whisky Exchange's 2014 Whisky Show; the other bottle being a single Sherry cask #5347 which features a mirror-image label.

Bottled at cask strength.

Hanyu 1988 Ichiro's Malt 'Card' #9108 / King of Clubs​

A single cask Hanyu, distilled in 1988 and matured in a hogshead prior to being finished in an ex-Cognac cask and bottled in 2010. 

This is the King of Clubs face card in the legendary series of Playing Card bottlings by Ichiro's Malt.

Bottle number 301 of 417. 

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 extremely rare. 

Karuizawa 1980 Single Cask 35 Year Old #8283 / Moon Above the Sea at Daimotsu Bay

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 1980 and bottled in 2015 at an impressive 35 years old..

Produced from single bourbon cask #8283, which yielded only 401 bottles.

Bottled at cask strength, this stunning bottling presents Moon above the Sea at Daimotsu Bay, part of Tsukioka Honen's \"One Hundred Aspects of the Moon\" series on the box and label art. 

Karuizawa 1981 Single Cask 35 Year Old #171 / Eight Headed Dragon

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 1981 and bottled in 2016 at an impressive 35 years old..

Produced from single sherry cask #171, which yielded only 530 bottles.

Bottled at cask strength, this is one of several 35 year old releases depicting Japanese mythology on their labels. The Eight Headed Dragon on this label is borrowed form the cover of a popular series of stories published by Hasegawa Takejiro in the 18th century. The dragon is named Yamata no Orochi.

Presented in a stunning lock and key presentation box.

Laphroaig 1974 Sherry Cask 31 Year Old

A legendary official release of Laphroaig, distilled in 1974 and bottled 31 years later for La Maison Du Whisky.

This stunning whisky was limited to only 910 bottles and is renowned for its incredible sherry influence.

Another highly acclaimed and award-winning whisky, this was given an impressive 95 points from Serge Valentin on WhiskyFun, not to mention its Gold Medal and Non Plus Ultra award from the Malt Maniacs!

Bottle number 288 of 910

Hanyu 1988 Ichiro's Malt 'Card' #9003 / King of Diamonds​

One of Ichiro's Malt's legendary 'Card' series bottlings from the lost Hanyu distillery.

A single cask Hanyu distilled in 1988 and matured in a hogshead prior to being finished in an American Oak Sherry Butt and bottled in 2006. 

Bottle number 208 of 555. 

Karuizawa 1988 Sherry Cask 60.3% / Finest Whisky Deluxe

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.

Distilled in 1988, this Karuizawa was matured in a sherry cask and exclusively presented at Finest Whisky Deluxe in Berlin in June 2018. 

This is bottle number 14 of only 60, and comes with an origami model of a crane, or 'tsuru'. 

Imported by The Number One Drinks Company Ltd. 

Hanyu 1986 Ichiro's Malt 'Card' #9023 / Ace of Diamonds

Part of the legendary Card series produced by Ichiro Akuto, this was distilled at the lost Japanese distillery of Hanyu in 1986  and bottled in 2008  from cask #9023.

This rare Hanyu was initially matured in a traditional hogshead before a second maturation in a cream sherry butt.

Bottle number 56 of 527.

Hanyu 2000 Ichiro's Malt 'Card' #9030 / Four of Diamonds

A single cask #9030 Hanyu, bottled within the Ichiro's Malt 'Card' series of whiskies.

Distilled in 2000 and matured in a hogshead before being moved into a PX sherry butt for a second maturation period. 

Bottle 325 of 546.

Karuizawa 1981 Noh Single Cask 35 Year Old #6183 

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 limited bottling was distilled in 1981 and bottled in 2017.

Charged from single sherry cask #6183, which yielded 486 bottles. 

Bottled at cask strength.

Karuizwawa 1976 Single Cask #7818 / Geisha Label

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 1976 and bottled in 2010.

Produced from single cask #7818, which yielded 554 bottles. This is bottle number 213.

Bottled at cask strength.

Karuizawa 1972 Single Cask #7038

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 1972 and bottled on 4th October 2011.

Produced from single cask #7038 and bottled at cask strength.

Karuizawa 1976 Noh Single Cask 32 Year Old #6719 / Kamiasobi - Haoromo 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.

Bottled at cask strength exclusively for Kamiasobi, a Japanese theater group set up to make Noh genre performances more accessible to a greater audience. This label illustrates the Haoromo Noh play, one of the most popular.

This limited release was distilled in 1976 and bottled in 2009.

Produced from single cask #6719, which yielded only 486 bottles.

Karuizawa 1972 Single Cask #7038

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 1972 and bottled on 4th October 2011.

Produced from single cask #7038 and bottled at cask strength.

Karuizawa 1991 Single Cask #259 / One of 85 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 1991 and bottled in 2016.

Produced from single sherry cask #259, which yielded only 85 bottles.

Bottled at cask strength.

Karuizawa Cask Strength 1st-4th Release / 4 x 70cl

This cask strength series of Karuizawa was exclusively released to the Taiwanese market. Included here are all four releases.

The cask strength series is a blend of sherry casks from 1999 and 2000, all bottled at 61.7%. 

This lot has a 4 bottle shipping fee.

Laphroaig 1966 Signatory Vintage 31 Year Old

A spectacular Laphroaig, distilled on 4th April 1966 and bottled 31 years later on 15th May 1997.

Matured in cask #1094, this is bottle number 2 of 210. 

Karuizawa 1981 Single Cask #6056 / TWE ​

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 1981 and bottled in 2013.

Produced from single cask #6056, which yielded an unspecified number of bottles.

This bottle was released as an exclusive to The Whisky Exchange.

Bottled at cask strength.

Hanyu 1990 Ichiro's Malt 'Card' #466 / Queen of Spades

This Hanyu was distilled in 1990, and bottled in 2009 as part of Ichiro Akuto's legendary 'Playing Card' series. 

Initially matured in a hogshead before being finished in a port pipe. 

Bottle number 267 of 737. 

Hanyu 1988 Full Proof 'Nice Butt' Single Cask #9307

A 1988 vintage Hanyu, bottled fro Full Proof Europe with their usual, unusual label.

This is a single cask from the closed Japanese distillery, bottled in 2008.

Number 200 of 534 bottles.