March 2019 Auction

Glen Elgin 1965 Samaroli 14 Year Old / Cadenhead's 1979

An incredibly rare expression from this lesser known Speysider. Distilledin 1965 and bottled as a 14 year old.

Silvano Samaroli began his career in the whisky industry as an importer in 1968, operating as the Italian agent for Speyside's Linkwood distillery. This 1979 bottling of Glen Elgin is part of his first foray into the independent bottling scene. The series comprises of two Springbank, as well as a Macallan, Highland Park and Glenlivet, among others. They were bottled for him by Cadenhead's, in the classic brown dumpy glass of the era, using unique labels that Samaroli had designed himself.

This is bottle 265 of 360 produced.

Glenfarclas 21 Year Old 1970s / Edward and Edward

Produced for the European markets, this square bottled Glenfarclas is very hard to come by. 

This bottle was specially selected for legendary Italian bar owner, Edoardo Giaccone. It was was imported by Co. Import, Pinerolo.

Giaccone was something of a trailblazer, and was importing specially bottled official single malts for his bar from the late 1960s, this is one of his earliest. He opened the famous venue in 1958, and it has been called a few different things over the years, including Garten, Edward & Edward (during the period this was imported), and La Taverna del Comandante.

Edoardo set the stage for later legendary bottlers such as Silvano Samaroli, Nadi Fiori and Ernesto Mainardi. Moon Import founder, Pepi Mongiardino said, \"he was the first person I visited\" when he became the distributor for Bruichladdich in 1981. Giaccone did not have any of his own labels or series, but was the first person in Italy to have official bottlings produced exclusively for him. Through his bar, Italy was treated to exclusive releases from Clynelish, Bowmore, Dalmore, Highland Park and even Jack Daniel's.

Bottle number 254.

George T Stagg 2009 Release

The legendary George T Stagg is among the most desirable spirits in the world, winning Jim Murray's Whisky of the Year award on numerous occasions, not to mention countless other awards.

The Antique Collection celebrates historic US whiskey brands, figures and places. George T. Stagg was a 19th century distiller, and the Buffalo Trace distillery was named after him until 1999 when it adopted its current title.

This version of the annual release is a 16 year old whiskey.

Glenlochy 1963 Signatory Vintage 30 Year Old

There are not many Glenlochy bottlings around. Signatory Vintage bottled this one in October 1993, having matured in sherry cask #761 for 30 years.

Bottle number 44 of 190.

Glenlivet 1961 Specially Selected

A spectacular old vintage single malt from the iconic Speyside distillery, Glenlivet.

Distilled 1961 and bottled in the 1980s, this bottle pre-dates their Cellar Collection range.

Glenlivet 1965 Intertrade 20 Year Old

A 20 year old Glenlivet, distilled in May 1968 and bottled by Intertrade in November 1985. This is one of two vintage Glenliver bottled by Nadi Fiori with this label style, the other being a 1973 sherry cask.

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.

Glenfiddich 1979 Samaroli / Cream Labels

An independent release of Glenfiddich is a rare thing to see, especially when produced by as sought after a bottler as 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.

This is a part of a mini-series of three 1970s vintage single malts, known as the Cream Labels, bottled in 1990. The range includes a Bowmore and a Glen Grant, and is often expanded to also comprise an earlier Coilltean labelled Glen Garioch and a more recent Glen Keith due to their similar labels and vintages.

This was bottled for Samaroli by long-time partners, R.W. Duthie of Aberdeen, one of the last before they would part ways later that decade.

Bottle 412 of 480 drawn from single cask #14797.

Glenfarclas 1976 40 Year Old Collector Series VI

Part of an extremely exclusive 6 bottle collection, each representing one of six generations of the Grant Family.

Distilled in 1976 and bottled on 19th May 2016.

One of 1500 bottles.

Glenfarclas 1966 Sherry Hogshead Casks

A German exclusive small batch release from Glenfarclas distillery.

Distilled in 1966 on either 22nd April or 3rd June, this vintage release comes from Sherry Hogsheads #2603, #2604, #3551 and #3552.

Bottled on 28th September 2012.

Bottle number 148 of 656.

Glen Moray 1962 Cadenhead's 21 Year Old / US Import

Cadenhead's are Scotland's oldest independent bottler, operating for over 175 years, but perhaps none of their bottlings are as sought after as these 'dumpy' style bottles. All of these were produced with brown glass and an iconic black label, with each distillery given its own letterpress font in homage to William Cadenhead's early career in the printing business.

Distilled in December 1962, this Glen Moray was bottled in January 1984. 

Glen Grant 1965 Signatory Vintage 34 Year Old Decanter / with Miniature 5cl

A millennium decanter of 34 year old Glen Grant, produced by Signatory Vintage. Distilled in Speyside in 1965 and matured in Spanish sherry butt #5344.

Bottled on the 11th of October 1999 in Edinburgh, under the supervision of Signatory Vintage Managing Director, A.W. Symington.

Bottle 161 of 390.

Lot includes a replacement stopper for the decanter, and a 5cl tasting sample.

Glen Grant 50 Year Old Gordon and MacPhail

A 50 Year Old bottle of Glen Grant from Gordon and MacPhail who, once upon a time, owned the distillery.

This is a spectacular age-statement release in the Distillery Labels series.

John Jameson and Son's Redbreast 12 Year Old 1968 / Gilbey's

An old bottle of Redbreast 12 year old Irish whiskey, bottled by Gilbey's of Ireland Ltd. 

The practice of merchant bottlings was common throughout Ireland and indeed, many of the most recognisable Irish whiskies today started out as such. Jameson in particular did not officially bottle their own whiskey until 1968, after the Irish Distillers merger with Powers and Cork Distillers. The then Dublin-based distillers offered their products only by the barrel, which is how this Gilbey's bottling came about.

Distilled at the closed Bow Street distillery which ceased production 1971 and now houses the Jameson visitor's centre. 

We estimate this bottle to be from or slightly after 1968 based on the bottle press date.

No strength or capacity stated. 

Glendronach 1991 Kingsman Edition 25 Year Old

Personally selected by film director Matthew Vaughn to mark the release of Kingsman: The Golden Circle, this limited edition Highland single malt from The GlenDronach Distillery was born in the same year as the movie protagonist and Kingsman agent, Gary \"Eggsy\" Unwin.

Distilled in 1991 and matured in the finest sherry casks for more than 25 years, each one of the 2,000 bottles is hand-numbered by Vaughn and Glendronach master blender Rachel Barrie and presented in a bespoke green display case and adorned by a gold metal Kingsman charm.

One of 2137 bottles.

Glen Grant 42 Year Old Gordon and MacPhail 1970s

A fantastic bottling of Glen Grant, bottled by Gordon & MacPhail in the late 1970's meaning that the spirit would have been distilled in the 1930's. 

Glenfiddich 29 Year Old Spirit of a Nation / South Pole Challenge 2013

This limited edition Glenfiddich was matured for 29 years, with a 3 month finishing period in their 'Spirit of a Nation' American oak barrel.

One of only 250 bottles produced in honour of the South Pole Challenge 2013, in which Team Glenfiddich completed the 335km race to to the Antarctic centre in just 13 days and freezing -35°C temperatures. 

Bottle number 141 of 250.

John Jameson and Son 10 Year Old circa 1936 / A Millar & Co

An old bottle of Jameson 10 year old Irish whiskey, bottled by Adam Millar & Co. in what appears to have been around the 1930s, or possibly earlier. Adam Millar established a distillery at 10-13 Thomas Street in Dublin's Liberties in the 1890s, and despite competition from the much larger Roe distillery across the road, operated until the mid-20th century. The Dublin Civic Trust Thomas Street Study in 2001 however found that wine was being produced on the still these until the late 1970s. The Millars whiskey brand was revived by Cooley distillery in the 1980s.

The practice of merchant bottlings was common throughout Ireland and indeed, many of the most recognisable Irish whiskies today started out as such. Jameson in particular did not officially bottle their own whiskey until 1968, after the Irish Distillers merger with Powers and Cork Distillers. The then Dublin-based distillers offered their products only by the barrel, which is how this bottling came about.

Distilled at the closed Bow Street distillery which ceased production 1971 and now houses the Jameson visitor's centre. 

No strength or capacity stated. 

John Jameson and Son 10 Year Old circa 1966 / P & H Egan

An old bottle of Jameson 10 year old Irish whiskey, bottled by P. & H. Egan of Tullamore. 

The practice of merchant bottlings was common throughout Ireland and indeed, many of the most recognisable Irish whiskies today started out as such. Jameson in particular did not officially bottle their own whiskey until 1968, after the Irish Distillers merger with Powers and Cork Distillers. The then Dublin-based distillers offered their products only by the barrel, which is how this bottling came about.

Distilled at the closed Bow Street distillery which ceased production 1971 and now houses the Jameson visitor's centre. 

We estimate this bottle to be from or slightly after 1966 based on the bottle press date.

No strength or capacity stated. 

Glen Grant 1969 Samaroli 9 Year Old Sherry Wood  / Cadenhead's 1979

This legendary bottling company was established in 1968 by Silvano Samaroli, in Bologna, Italy.

Silvano Samaroli began his career in the whisky industry as an importer in 1968, operating as the Italian agent for Speyside's Linkwood distillery. This 1979 bottling of Glen Grant is part of his first foray into the independent bottling scene. The series comprises of two Springbank, as well as a Macallan, Highland Park and Glenlivet, among others. They were bottled for him by Cadenhead's, in the classic brown dumpy glass of the era, using unique labels that Samaroli had designed himself.

Bottle number 223 of 360.

Glenburgie 1962 Cadenhead's 18 Year Old

Cadenhead's are Scotland's oldest independent bottler, operating for over 175 years, but perhaps none of their bottlings are as sought after as these 'dumpy' style bottles. All of these were produced with brown glass and an iconic black label, with each distillery given its own letterpress font in homage to William Cadenhead's early career in the printing business.

Distilled November 1962 and then bottled in December 1980, this is an 18 year old Glenburgie.

Glen Albyn 1964 Cadenhead's 27 Years Old

A Glen Albyn distilled in 1964 and bottled by Cadenhead's at cask strength in 1992. 

US import.

Glen Grant 1949 Gordon and MacPhail 35 Year Old

Nobody offers a selection of vintages like Gordon and MacPhail.

This Glen Grant was distilled on 3rd November 1949 and bottled after 35 years.

Gordon & MacPhail are the only independent company to have bottled whisky under license from the distillery with an exclusive label, for many these were the only official bottlings available for a long time. The modern Distillery Labels series is an homage to these bottles.

Glenlochy 1969 Rare Malt 26 Year Old 58.8% 75cl / South African Import

A very rare bottling of Glenlochy from within the Rare Malts Selection. One of the harder bottles from the series to find.

Distilled in 1969 and bottled as a 26 year old, this is bottle number 130.

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.

South African import. 

Glen Grant 1962 Gordon and MacPhail 

This sumptuous Glen Grant was distilled in 1962 and bottled by Gordon and MacPhail in 2008 after 45 years of maturation. 

Glenlivet 1965 Intertrade 20 Year Old

A 20 year old Glenlivet, distilled in May 1965 and bottled by Intertrade in November 1985. This is one of two vintage Glenlivet bottled by Nadi Fiori with this label style, the other being a 1973 sherry cask.

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.

John Jameson and Son 10 Year Old circa 1930s/40s / W A Scott

An old bottle of Jameson 10 year old Irish whiskey, bottled by W.A. Scott of O'Curry Street, Kilkee. There's a still a Scott's Bar in the same location today. 

The practice of merchant bottlings was common throughout Ireland and indeed, many of the most recognisable Irish whiskies today started out as such. Jameson in particular did not officially bottle their own whiskey until 1968, after the Irish Distillers merger with Powers and Cork Distillers. The then Dublin-based distillers offered their products only by the barrel, which is how this bottling came about.

Distilled at the closed Bow Street distillery which ceased production 1971 and now houses the Jameson visitor's centre. 

We estimate this bottle to be from around the 1950s, but it may be older.

No strength or capacity stated. 

Glen Garioch 1975 Moon Import / The Birds II

Moon Import was founded by Pepi Mongiardino in 1980. Heeding the advice of the late, great, Silvano Samaroli, he opted to be \"free from the big companies,\" and became the official distributor for Islay's Bruichladdich, and later Tamnavulin and Tullibardine, preferring however to procure casks from private owners. Mongiardino bottled his first whisky in 1982, titled the Half Moon series. Always beautifully labelled, Pepi is acclaimed for designing the packaging for Moon Import bottles himself, using images found in old books. The famous Birds, Animals, Costumes and Sea series were all labelled using pictures he discovered in an 18th century German encyclopaedia. These iconic designs, coupled with the quality of the liquid saw Moon Import steadily grow in popularity, and with the help of Intertrade founder, Nadi Fiori, they exported their first bottles to Japan in 2001. 

Mongiardino bottled two The Birds series, the first in 1987, and the second where this was included, in 1990.

This is bottle number 286 of 600. 

George T Stagg 2006 Release

The 2006 edition of George T Stagg from Buffalo Trace, released as part of the annual Antique Collection at their usual impressive strength, this time at 69.05%.

The Antique Collection celebrates historic US whiskey brands, figures and places. George T. Stagg was a 19th century distiller, and the Buffalo Trace distillery was named after him for most of the 20th century, becoming Ancient Age in 1983 and adopting its current title in 1999.

This bottling of the annual release is a 15 year old.

Glendronach 1991 Kingsman Edition 25 Year Old

Personally selected by film director Matthew Vaughn to mark the release of Kingsman: The Golden Circle, this limited edition Highland single malt from The GlenDronach Distillery was born in the same year as the movie protagonist and Kingsman agent, Gary \"Eggsy\" Unwin.

Distilled in 1991 and matured in the finest sherry casks for more than 25 years, each one of the 2,000 bottles is hand-numbered by Vaughn and Glendronach master blender Rachel Barrie and presented in a bespoke green display case and adorned by a gold metal Kingsman charm.

One of 2137 bottles.

Glen Grant 1957 Gordon and MacPhail

A vintage Glen Grant, distilled in 1957 bottled by Gordon & MacPhail.

This is part of the Gordon & MacPhail Distillery Labels series, which replicates the livery the Elgin-based bottlers used in the mid-20th century when they produced the only official bottlings (under license) for many distilleries like this.

Glenmorangie 1981 Sauternes Wood Finish

Another legendary Glenmorangie in this auction, limited to only 4,000 bottles.

This Glenmorangie was distilled in 1981 and spent the final two years of maturation in Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes casks.  

Bottle number 1696. 

Glen Avon 15 Year Old Gordon and MacPhail Cask Strength / Sestante Import

A wonderful old bottling of a mystery Speyside by Gordon and MacPhail, specially bottled for Sestante in Italy.

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.

This is a cask strength version of the 15 year old. Mainardi has previously stated that Glen Avon was Glenfsrclas single malt, but this has never been confirmed (or denied) by Gordon & MacPhail.

Mainardi imported a lot of Glen Avon in the 1980s, bottling several spectacular dark sherry casks in his famous crystal decanters.