May 2014 Auction

Laphroaig 40 Year Old

Distilled in 1960, this 40 year old was the official release following the 1960 vintage 40 year old at Oddbins.

The casks were matured in Warehouse #1 for 40 years, prior to bottling on 29th May 2001.  A mere 3,300 bottles of this Laphroaig 40 year old were made available and it remains the oldest official release of Laphroaig to date.

Macallan 30 Year Old Fine Oak

The older Macallan is, the harder it is to find.  

Macallan 30 year old Fine Oak edition matured in a mixture of European and American oak casks.  Presented in the discontinued shiny blue box, now replaced with a wooden box.

Port Ellen 1978 31 Year Old 10th Release 

The 10th Port Ellen to be released in Diageo's super premium editions, distilled in 1978 and bottled in 2010. 

Scored a massive 95 points on WhiskyFun.com, by Serge Valentin.

Bottle number 704 of 3,000.

Macallan Private Eye 

Arguably the most desirable/collectable bottle of Macallan, released in 1996 to mark the 35th Anniversary of Private Eye magazine.

The screen-printed label has been designed by the infamous Gonzo artist and Illustrator of Private Eye magazine Ralph Steadman.

The vatting used in this whisky included one cask from 1961 (#1580) amongst other casks and a total of 5,000 bottles were released.

Bottle 484 of 5,000.

Karuizawa 1980 31 Year Old Single Cask #6568

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

This Karuizawa was distilled in 1980 and bottled on the 2nd August 2011 and matured in single cask #6568. 

Port Ellen 1978 25 Year Old 4th Release

Port Ellen is the lost jewel of the Islay crown. Closure in 1983 has enabled this distillery to receive a near mythical amount of love and respect. As stocks get thinner on the ground, these bottles become rarer and rarer.

The fourth in the wildly popular Port Ellen annual releases.  Distilled in 1978 and bottled 25 years later in 2004, bottled at cask strength and limited to 5,100 bottles, this is bottle 1,419.

Please note that there are some very marks on the box.

Balvenie Tun 1858 Batch #1

A marriage of 6 American Oak casks and 3 European Oak Sherry casks created the first limited edition Balvenie Tun 1858, for the Taiwanese market. A limited release of only 2,600 bottles this has rarely been seen at auction.

As with the Balvenie Tun 1401, these whiskies are hand-selected by Malt Master David Stewart. Nine traditional whisky casks and two sherry butts are combined and rested for several months in Tun 1858.  The vintages range from 1966 and 1975.

The expression consists of the casks shown below.

Six traditional whisky casks   
#2387
#9917
#5036
#5245
#15338
#15328

Three sherry butts
#6443
#1041
#7497

Macallan Diamond Jubilee

Released in 2012 this specially designed bottle bears a unique image of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II created by the sculptor Arnold Martin.

The contents of this bottle were specially chosen for the months it was drawn from the casks, 6th February, the Queen's accession and the first week in June, traditionally when the Jubilees are celebrated.  Bottled at 52% in line with the year of the Queen's accession, only 2,012 bottles were released.

Macallan Coronation

The latest in the Macallan royal bottlings, this release from June 2013 consists of two 35cl bottles with a box designed by David Holmes. One bottle depicts the queen from 1953, matured solely in American oak sherry seasoned casks, while the other matured in Spanish sherry seasoned casks.   Only 1,953 boxes were produced to convey the date of the coronation in 1953.

Only available on Macallan’s website or at the distillery this quickly became one of the fastest selling releases of 2013. 

Bottled at 55.7% (1953 image)

Bottled at 58.1% (2013 image)

Bruichladdich 1966 36 Year Old Legacy #1

Bruichladdich released the Legacy series from 2002 until 2007, this is the first release was distilled in 1966 and bottled in 2002.

Limited to 1,500 bottles.

Bunnahabhain 1963 40 Year Old Feis Ile 2003

Bottled on the 20th May 2005 as Bunnabahhain's 2003 Feis Isle bottling. This was a combination of the last seven hogsheads of 1963 Bunnahabhain that were in existence, distilled on 11th May 1963. The cask yielded 743 bottles at a cask strength of 42.9%.

Brora 30 Year Old 2010 Release

The 9th release of Brora 30 year old from Diageo, bottled in 2010

Bottle number 242 of 3,000

Please note slight dent on the tin at the very bottom on the front.

Hanyu Ichiro's Malt The Joker 'Colour'

The 54th and final bottling in Ichiro's Card Series.

There are two Joker's released to complete the 54 bottle series, one in colour and one in Black and White.  This particular bottling is the Colour Joker, a vatting of 14 casks covering vintages from 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991 and 2000.  The casks used for this final bottling include a sherry butt, puncheon, hogshead, Cognac, chibidaru, Madeira hogshead and bourbon.

Only 3,640 bottles of this highly anticipated whisky have been made available.

Auchentoshan 1973 32 Year Old Sherry Cask

A stunning single cask Auchentoshan distilled on 4th March 1973 and matured exclusively in a Sherry cask before bottling on 8th July 2005.

Bottle number 093 of 480.

Macallan 1980 18 Year Old

Macallan 18 year old, distilled in 1980, bottled 1998.

Please note marks on neck label, which is slightly loose.

75cl

Brora 25 Year Old 2008 Release

The 8th and youngest release of Brora from Diageo, released in 2008.

Bottle number 1,307 of 3,000.

Macallan 1981 18 Year Old

18 year old Macallan, distilled in 1981.

Please note the rust on the inside of the tin as well as a few 'white marks and stains' on the box and the lid is slightly rusty.

Glenmorangie 1975 Cote de Nuits Wood Finish

Rumoured to be an exceptional Glenmorangie, this legendary malt was matured in bourbon casks prior to being finished in Cote de Nuit Burgundy Grand Cru casks.

Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch #5

From the distillery website the Balvenie Tun 1401, Batch 5 is a skillful marriage of some of the rarest treasures from the distillery’s Warehouse 24 – an unrepeatable selection of spirits sourced from seven traditional whisky casks and two sherry butts, whose ages span a number of decades, and which have all been hand-selected by Malt Master David Stewart. The whisky was rested for several months in Tun 1401 – The Balvenie’s traditional oak marrying vessel – to create a single malt that enhances its already precious parts.

Batch 5 was released in the UK market and is now completely sold out.

Limited to 2862 bottles.

Five traditional whisky casks   
#5241
#7044
#17894
#2384
#439

Four sherry butts
#6444
#13144
#13838
#978

Highland Park Thor 16 Year Old

The first in Highland Park's Valhalla series released in 2012 which also comprises of  the Loki and Freya released over the next two consecutive years.

This 16 year old Highland Park is a limited edition of 23,000 bottles.  

Highland Park Thor 16 Year Old

The first in Highland Park's Valhalla series released in 2012 which also comprises of  the Loki and Freya released over the next two consecutive years.

This 16 year old Highland Park is a limited edition of 23,000 bottles.  

Highland Park Thor 16 Year Old

The first in Highland Park's Valhalla series released in 2012 which also comprises of  the Loki and Freya released over the next two consecutive years.

This 16 year old Highland Park is a limited edition of 23,000 bottles.  

Macallan 1976 18 Year Old

Macallan 18 year old, distilled in 1976, bottled 1995.

Please note marks on label, please refer to image for a closer look.

Glenmorangie 1975 Cote de Nuits Wood Finish

Rumoured to be an exceptional Glenmorangie, this legendary malt was matured in bourbon casks prior to being finished in Cote de Nuit Burgundy Grand Cru casks.

Highland Park Thor 16 Year Old

The first in Highland Park's Valhalla series released in 2012 which also comprises of  the Loki and Freya released over the next two consecutive years.

This 16 year old Highland Park is a limited edition of 23,000 bottles.  

Aberlour 1964 25 Year Old

An old Aberlour, distilled in 1964 and bottled 25 years later presented in a lovely lockable wooden box.

Bottle number 5815 of 10,000.

75cl.

Springbank 1970 Local Barley Cask #1766

One of the infamous Local Barley bottlings from Springbank, distilled in June 1970 and bottled in July 1993.  

Only 268 bottles were released from this single cask #1766.

Hillside 1970 25 Year Old Rare Malt 75cl

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.

Hillside, more widely known as Glen Esk was released a handful of times within the Rare Malt series, three of these releases were within the US, including this bottle.  Distilled in 1970 and bottled as a 25 year old.

Bottle number 3299.

75cl

Ardbeg 1975 Bottled 2000

An old vintage release from Ardbeg, bottled in 2000 shortly after the Glenmorangie Takeover.

Port Ellen 1983 Douglas Laing 23 Year Old

Old Malt Cask release from Douglas Laing, this Port Ellen was distilled in December 1983 before being bottled 23 years later in October 2006.

A single cask yielding 549 bottles.

Karuizawa 1996 SMWS 132.4 17 Year Old

Otherwise known as 'Stunning Panaorama of Exotic Fruits'.

This Karuizawa was distilled on 4th September 1999 and bottled as a 17 year old in 2013.  

A single refill ex-sherry butt yielded 346bottles.

Port Ellen 1975 Silver Seal 25 Year Old

Bottled at the turn of the millenium this Port Ellen was distilled in 1975 and bottled by the Glasgow based independant bottlers Silver Seal.

Bottle number 195 of 288.

Please note box condition.