May 2018 Auction

Yamazaki 1998 Single Cask #CU70066​

Single cask Yamazaki's are very rare and hard to find these days.

This was distilled in 1998 and matured in sherry butt #CU70066 until bottling in 2012.

Bottle number 116.

Yamazaki 25 Year Old

As we all know Yamazaki has ascended into one of the most desirable and sought after whiskies in the world.

This 25 year old is matured exclusively in the finest Oloroso sherry casks and presented in a very elegant, simple box.

Bottle number 27956.

Beam Suntory import for the UK market.

Ardbeg 1974 Provenance 23 Year Old / First Release

One of the legendary Ardbeg Provenance bottlings, distilled in 1974 and matured for 23 years until being released in 1998.

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

This is the first release, bottled on 18th November 1997: number 3197.

Yamazaki 15 Year Old Sherry Butt / Isetan

A 15 year old Yamazaki, bottled especially for Isetan from sherry casks.

Ardbeg 1974 Provenance 23 Year Old 75cl / US Import

One of the legendary Ardbeg Provenance bottlings, distilled in 1974 and matured for 23 years until being released in 1998.

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

Bottled on 9th April 1998: number 1641.

Ardbeg 1975 Single Cask #4720

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

Distilled on the 26th of December 1975 and bottled on the 16th of February 2006 from a single sherry cask #4720.

Bottle Number 127 of 207.

Ardbeg 1964 Gordon and MacPhail

A very old bottling of Ardbeg by Gordon and MacPhail, distilled in 1964 and bottled in 1995, a fantastic, rare and old vintage.

Yoichi 1988 Single Cask 25 Year Old #100215

Ditilled in June 1988 and bottled in July 2013.

This is a 25 Year Old Single Cask from Nikka's Yoichi distillery.

Bottled at 62% from cask #100215.

LMDW import.

Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara Oak

An 18 year old malt from the oldest whisky distillery in Japan. In order to create the expression, Suntory’s chief blender Shinji Fukuyo tasted a hundreds of mizunara-matured whiskies and selected casks with varying ages.

Mizunara oak is incredibly rare.

Yamazaki 2000 Single Cask #ES60046 / Takashimaya Buyer's Selection

Single cask Yamazaki's are very rare and hard to find these days.

This was distilled in 2000 and matured in sherry butt #ES60046 until bottling in 2010.

Bottle number 293.

This cask was selected especially by the buyers at Japanese department store, Takashimaya.

Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara Oak

An 18 year old malt from the oldest whisky distillery in Japan. In order to create the expression, Suntory’s chief blender Shinji Fukuyo tasted a hundreds of mizunara-matured whiskies and selected casks with varying ages.

Mizunara oak is incredibly rare.

Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara Oak

An 18 year old malt from the oldest whisky distillery in Japan. In order to create the expression, Suntory’s chief blender Shinji Fukuyo tasted a hundreds of mizunara-matured whiskies and selected casks with varying ages.

Mizunara oak is incredibly rare.

Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara Oak 75cl / US Import

An 18 year old malt from the oldest whisky distillery in Japan. In order to create the expression, Suntory’s chief blender Shinji Fukuyo tasted a hundreds of mizunara-matured whiskies and selected casks with varying ages.

Mizunara oak is incredibly rare.

Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara Oak

An 18 year old malt from the oldest whisky distillery in Japan. In order to create the expression, Suntory’s chief blender Shinji Fukuyo tasted a hundreds of mizunara-matured whiskies and selected casks with varying ages.

Mizunara oak is incredibly rare.

Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2009 / First Release

The original release of Yamazaki sherry cask, released back in 2009.

Matured in Oloroso sherry casks for between 12 and 15 years , the 2013 bottling recently won 'Best Whisky in the World' according to Jim Murray and his Whisky Bible.

Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara Oak 

An 18 year old malt from the oldest whisky distillery in Japan. In order to create the expression, Suntory’s chief blender Shinji Fukuyo tasted a hundreds of mizunara-matured whiskies and selected casks with varying ages.

Mizunara oak is incredibly rare.

Old Rip Van Winkle 12 Year Old Old Time Rye / Rinaldi Import

The old style Rip Van Winkle 12 Year Old which is extremely rare. This was bottled in 1997 using whisky from Medley distillery and bottled by Julien Van Winkle III in Lawrenceburg. The following year, the same reserves were bottled as the 13 year old Family Reserve Rye, which became an annual release with the same age statement, despite continuing to age in cask for a further five years before being tanked at 19 years old in 2004. Later releases of Van Winkle rye are blended with Bernheim's Cream of Kentucky, and Buffalo Trace distilled whiskey, making this original release incredibly sought after.

As popular and impressive as the older members of this legendary family of whiskies.

This 70cl was imported to the US market by Fratelli Rinaldi.

Ardbeg 1973 Douglas Laing 27 Year Old

A rare independent bottling of Ardbeg, distilled in March 1973.

Released within Douglas Laing's Old and Rare collection, this 27 year old was bottled in 2000.

Bottle only 240 bottles of this incredible Ardbeg were released.

Old Vandegrift 1917 Pure Whisky 1 Pint / Pre-Prohibition​

This was distilled in the Spring of 1917 at Hammond Distillery in Indiana, and was presumably some of their last whiskey given they were forced to close down when Prohibition was enacted in April that year.

Hammond Distillery has an infamous subsequent history of association with illicit bootlegging and smuggling, attributed to none other than Al Capone.

The whiskey used for this was likely saved from the hands of prohibition gangland by the Pennsylvania Distillery Inc, who bonded it in New York and bottled it in 1934 under a special medicinal license, despite the fact prohibition had already been repealed a year earlier.

Yamazaki 1995 Single Cask #5R70327

Single cask Yamazaki's are very rare and hard to find these days.

This was distilled in 1995 and matured in hogshead #5R70327 until bottling in 2009.

Bottle number 146 of 189.

Ainslie's Royal Edinburgh 1950s​

Produced by Ainslie and Heilbron, Royal Edinburgh is an infamous blend containing high quantities of Brora.  

This particular bottle is estimated to be from the 1950s.

Yamazaki Mizunara Cask 2014 / Japan Exclusive

Yamazaki has been thrust into the spot light after their Sherry Cask release of 2013 received the title of Best Whisky in the World title from Jim Murray.  

They release several other limited annual releases including this Mizunara matured bottling. Mizunara (Japanese Oak) is famous for imparting it's own characteristics onto the whisky stored within them such as sandalwood and other notes however it is more prone to leakage during maturation. 

This 2014 release was an exclusive to the Japanese market. 

Old Heaven Hill 28 Year Old / Japanese Import

An old Japanese import of some impressively aged Kentucky bourbon.

Bottled in the very early 1990s at 28 years old, this is named Old Heaven Hill, and was distilled (although they could not have known at the time) what is now Old Heaven Hill distillery. The original Heaven Hill site would tragically burn down around 5 years after this was produced.

A new Heaven Hill distillery was then established through the purchase and renaming of Bernheim distillery from United Distillers.

Yamazaki 1998 Single Cask #CV70089

Single cask Yamazaki's are very rare and hard to find these days.

This was distilled in 1998 and matured in sherry butt #CV70089 until bottling in 2011.

Bottle number 182.

Avonside 1938 Gordon and MacPhail 33 Year Old​ / Pinerolo​ Import

Rumour has it that Avonside was actually single malt from Glenlivet, however the title has also been used by Gordon and MacPhail for younger blends and blended malts.​

Distilled in 1938 and bottled as a 33 year old by Gordon and MacPhail using their Connoisseur's Choice branding in the late 1970's.

Bottle number 174.

Official Pinerolo Italian Import. 

Ardbeg Lord of the Isles 25 Year Old

A highly sought after and iconic Ardbeg, released between 2002 and 2007.

Named after the 'Lord of the Isles' who ruled the Western Isles and parts of Argyll between the 12th and 15th Centuries.

Old Fitzgerald Bonded 6 Year Old Classic Decanter / Stitzel-Weller​

We don't see vintage Old Fitzgerald very often, so we are particularly excited about this bottle which was distilled and bottled at the original Stitzel-Weller Distillery, before it closed and production of 'Old Fitz' was moved to Heaven Hill. 

The distillation date on the tax seal is badly faded, however the bottling date appears to be 1972, making the distillation year roughly 1966, consistent with other examples of this bottle. If this is the date, the whiskey was likely barreled by Julien Van Winkle II, who took over as master distiller following the death of his father in 1965.

Imported to the Italian market by D&C, Bologna.

Oban 16 Year Old Manager's Dram Bicentenary 1994

The Manager’s Dram series of whiskies were bottled exclusively for employees of what is now known as Diageo.  These whiskies were selected by the respective distillery managers within Diageo malt distilling and bottled at natural cask strength.

Bottled to celebrate Oban’s 200th anniversary, 1794 – 1994  this 16 year old was released exclusively from sherry casks by distillery manager John William and his employees listed on the rear of the bottle.

Bottled July 1994.

Yamazaki 1993 Single Cask  #3Q70047 Heavily Peated

Distilled in May 1993 and bottled in June 2008, this unusually for Yamazaki is heavily peated. 

Bottle number 385 of 473.

Ardbeg Lord of the Isles 25 Year Old

A highly sought after and iconic Ardbeg, released between 2002 and 2007.

Named after the 'Lord of the Isles' who ruled the Western Isles and parts of Argyll between the 12th and 15th Centuries.

Old Fitzgerald 7 Year Old Prime Bourbon Half Pint 1970s

A popular bourbon produced at Stitzel Weller distillery. This is an older bottling of the 7 year old product from the 1970's. At this time the distillery was still run by the Van Winkle family and this would have been barreled by Julien Van Winkle II.

The Old Fitzgerland brand is now owned and produced by Heaven Hill, with these older Stitzel-Weller productions becoming real collector's items.

Old Weller Antique Original 107 Brand 7 Year Old 1980s

W L Weller is the original wheated bourbon, produced at the famous Stitzel-Weller distillery.

Imported for the Italian market.