May 2018 Auction

Johnnie Walker The Directors Blend Complete Collection 6 x 70cl

Never available at retail, this collection was only given to very important Diageo types. Very few bottles made it to the secondary market and collectors have fought to get hold of this essential part of Johnnie Walker history.

Incredibly rare, this is the complete 6 bottle collection consisting of annual releases between 2008 and 2013, each with their own unique presentation, design and character, yet all unmistakably Johnnie Walker.

• 2008 Release: ​​This grain whisky celebrates sweetness as the biggest component of any Blended Scotch.
  One of 450 bottles
  46%
   
• 2009 Release: A celebration of smokiness. This release contains Islay single malt whisky.
  One of 504 bottles
  43%
   
• 2010 Release: The rich smell of Autumn Fruit, focussed around the fruity flavours found in Johnnie Walker blends, using a generous number of sherry casks. This bottle features one of 6 different screen-printed labels by artist Lewis Moberly.
  One of 450 bottles
  65%
   
• 2011 Release: The effect of Wood on Whisky with packaging displaying the rich colour of oaked whisky, glorified through luxurious minimalism and delicate detailing. Featured in Ian Buxton's book, 101 Legendary Whiskies You're Dying to Try But (Possibly) Never Will.
  One of 504 bottles
  46%
   
• 2012 Release: Celebrating the aroma of Fresh Fruits. Instead of using the label to describe the contents of the bottle, LOVE design agency chose to use it to celebrate the recipient of the Blend, drawing inspiration from Johnnie Walker’s ‘Keep Walking’ philosophy.
  One of 504
  43%
   
• 2013 Release: Celebrating Malt and the deep resonance that aged Malts bring to the blend. Declared by Dave Broom to be one of the best whiskies of 2013.
  One of 588
  46%

Please note there will be a shipping charge for 6 bottles. 

Johnnie Walker Old Highland Whisky Circa 1907-1909 / White Label

Although not its official title at the time, this bottle of Old Highland Whisky was to become the Johnnie Walker White Label in 1909 after a re-branding exercise that saw all of their expressions renamed after their label colours and begin to feature the famous striding man, yet to appear here.

While the re-branded White Label was a 6 year old blend, the original Old Highland Whisky was a 5 year old.

The label on the bottle touts Johnnie Walker's Christchurch Exhibition award in 1907, meaning this example must have been bottled somewhere during the 2 year period between then and 1909, making this a wonderfully old bottle. It is not often that we can include the first world war when referring to pre-war whiskies!

There are no volume of ABV measurements on this bottle.

Jura 1965 36 Year Old

A highly sought after Isle of Jura, distilled in 1965 and bottled in this stunning and unusual packaging.

Bottle number 46 of 449, filled on 19th July 2001 from cask #590.

Signed by Michael Heads, the former distillery manager.

Jura 1969 Lord Astor

A 1969 vintage Jura, bottled by Lord Astor, otherwise known as Viscount Astor, or William Waldorf III. His family have held the Astor estate on Jura for many years and interstingly, the Viscount is planning to open up a second distillery on the Island.

If this indeed comes to pass, this private bottling may just be an important piece of its history.

There is no volume or ABV on the label.

Jefferson's 1991 Presidential Select 18 Year Old

Distilled from Wheat in the fall of 1991 and bottled 18 years later, after being aged in Stitzel Weller barrels. 

Jefferson's Reserve is a blend produced by Castle Brands, historically from whisky sourced from various distilleries. The company now owns the Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood and is increasingly warehousing more of its own stock.

Batch No. 7

Bottle No. 0059

Jefferson's 1991 Presidential Select 17 Year Old

Distilled from Wheat in the fall of 1991 and bottled 17 years later, after being aged in Stitzel-Weller barrels. 

Jefferson's Reserve is a blend produced by Castle Brands, historically from whisky sourced from various distilleries. The company now owns the Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood and is increasingly warehousing more of its own stock.

Batch no. 5, bottle no. 406.

Johnnie Walker Excelsior 75cl

Johnnie Walker Excelsior is an incredibly hard to find Johnnie walker distilled in 1947 and released at around 50 years old in 1997.

John E. Fitzgerald 20 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon 37.5cl

The famous bourbon brand Old Fitzgerald was named for John E. Fitzgerald.

This is their Very Special Reserve, aged 20 years and packaged in an attractive presentation box.

Distilled at the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery before it closed in the early 1990's, and bottled by Heaven Hill who purchased the brand soon after.

Jefferson's 1991 Presidential Select 18 Year Old / DrinkUpNY

Distilled from Wheat in the fall of 1991 and bottled 18 years later, after being aged in Stitzel-Weller barrels. 

Jefferson's Reserve is a blend produced by Castle Brands, historically from whisky sourced from various distilleries. The company now owns the Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood and is increasingly warehousing more of its own stock.

Batch No. 63 is a single barrel release from cask #12, selected and bottled especially for DrinkUpNY.

Bottle No. 60.

Jura 1973 Single Cask 30 Year Old

A stunning presentation of Isle of Jura 30 year old distilled on 10th November 1973, and matured in a single Gonzales Byass Oloroso Sherry Butt.

Single cask #3155 yielded only 468 bottles, this is bottle number 357.

Signed by Michael Head.

Jameson 15 Year Old Limited Edition

All Triple distilled pot still whiskey with no grain added, this was created as a special edition for the millennium.

Jack Daniel's Old No.7 1 Litre / UK Collectors Limited Edition 2014

One of the best selling whiskies in the world, bottled in a limited edition UK collectors bottle with engraved labelling.

There is no displayed ABV on the bottle but it is likely 40%.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Cube (Porsche Design)

A special edition of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, produced as a collaboration between Diageo and the Porsche Design Studio. The Cube is a storage box for a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label and four whisky glasses, the top half forms an ice bucket with a pair of tongs included.

A stunning presentation case for this exquisite blend.

Please note, shipping will be charged for 6 bottles on this lot.

Jefferson's 1991 Presidential Select 18 Year Old

Distilled from Wheat in the fall of 1991 and bottled 18 years later, after being aged in Stitzel Weller barrels. 

Jefferson's Reserve is a blend produced by Castle Brands, historically from whisky sourced from various distilleries. The company now owns the Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood and is increasingly warehousing more of its own stock.

Batch No. 15

Bottle No. 1725

Jameson 2007 Rarest Vintage Reserve​

A very well respected and rare Jameson, including some of their oldest and rarest vintages. Some of which is pot-still whisky matured in a Port Pipe. 

Bottle 07990.

Jameson 2007 Rarest Vintage Reserve​

A very well respected and rare Jameson, including some of their oldest and rarest vintages. Some of which is pot-still whisky matured in a Port Pipe. 

Bottle 04336.

Jameson 2007 Rarest Vintage Reserve​

A very well respected and rare Jameson, including some of their oldest and rarest vintages. Some of which is pot-still whisky matured in a Port Pipe. 

Bottle 04328.

Ichiro's Malt & Grain Takashimaya Blend / 180th Anniversary

An exclusive blend produced by Ichiro Akuto - the owner of Chichibu distillery, and the man responsible for bringing Hanyu and Karuizawa casks to the market.

This blend was produced for Takashimaya - a Japanese department store chain with outlets throughout Pacific Asia -  for their 180th anniversary and is a blend of grain whisky from the closed Kawasaki distillery with malt whisky from either Hanyu or Chichibu.  There is no age statement, but this bottle was released in the autumn of 2011.

Bottle No. 6 of only 500.

Jameson 2007 Rarest Vintage Reserve​

A very well respected and rare Jameson, including some of their oldest and rarest vintages. Some of which is pot-still whisky matured in a Port Pipe. 

Bottle 03614.

Jameson 2007 Rarest Vintage Reserve​

A very well respected and rare Jameson, including some of their oldest and rarest vintages. Some of which is pot-still whisky matured in a Port Pipe. 

Bottle 04323.

Ichiro`s Malt Gasai Cask Strength Blend / Hanyu and Chichibu

A cask strength vatting of the closed Japanese distillery of Hanyu with that of the relatively young distillery of Chichibu, where this whisky was matured, married and bottled.

Bottled exclusively for the Isetan Mitsukoshi group of Japanese department stores.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label New York Limited Edition 75cl / US Import

A limited bottling of Johnnie Walker Blue Label with an exclusive New York design on the bottle and box.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Great Inventions 75cl / Taiwan Edition​

A limited edition Blue Label in an attractive bottleand at a higher ABV than usual.

Jefferson's Presidential Select 25 Year Old 

Inspired by Thomas Jefferson's curiosity, experimental spirit and good taste.

Jefferson's Reserve is a blend produced by Castle Brands, historically from whisky sourced from various distilleries. The company now owns the Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood and is increasingly warehousing more of its own stock.

Batch No. 1

Bottle No. 0228.

J.A. Dougherty's 13 Year Old Private Stock Pure Old Whiskey / Prohibition Era Bottling

This is a fascinating piece of American whiskey history. A prohibiton era \"medicinal\" bourbon, aaged 13 summers in bond by J.A. Dougherty's Sons Inc. at their distillery in Pennsylvania.

The J.A. Dougherty's Sons distillery was one of the few given licenses to continue bottling whisky during the prohibition era, which had banned the sale and production of recreational alcohol in 1920.

The Pennsylvania based distillery acquired this barrel from the S.P. Lancaster distillery in Kentucky, one of the many to close down due to the effects of the Prohibition Act.

John Power & Son 7 Year Old Gold Label Irish Whiskey 1960s

This 1960's bottle of Power's is would have been produced at the long closed John's Lane distillery. Bottled in 1968, this was one of the first bottling's produced by the newly formed Irish Distillers group, established 2 years earlier. They would eventually move production of all of their brands to New Midleton in 1975.

Johnnie Walker Red Label 1940s

A very old bottle of Johnnie Walker Red Label, bottled during the second World War. 

Sealed with paper and plastic as the metal usually used to secure the bottles was rationed for the war effort.

No indications of volume or strength but the bottle is full sized.

Johnnie Walker Oldest

Johnnie Walker Oldest is the original bottling of what we now know as Johnnie Walker Blue Label, these are becoming more and more difficult to find.

Imperial 1979 SMWS 11 Year Old 65.2​

Imperial distilled in October 1979 and matured for 11 years until being bottled in July 1991. 

Bottled by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. 

Jade Mountain 45 Year Old Scotch Malt Whisky / Batch #2​

An impressively aged blended malt from Hunter Laing.

Named for Mount Yu in Taiwan, this is a Taiwan exclusive bottled at cask strength.

Jade Mountain 45 Year Old Scotch Malt Whisky / Batch #2​

An impressively aged blended malt from Hunter Laing.

Named for Mount Yu in Taiwan, this is a Taiwan exclusive bottled at cask strength.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare 1st Edition​ / Brora​

A limited release of Johnnie Walker's most premium brand. The Ghost and Rare blends will focus on Scotland's lost and sorely missed distilleries, with this first release built around malt from the legendary Brora. Other \"Ghosts\" rearing their welcome heads from the annals of whisky history is malt from lost Speyside distillery Pittyvaich, and Cambus grain, which closed in 2002 and 1993 respectively.

Given that Brora shut it's doors in 1983, were talking about whisky that was distilled at least 34 years ago!

Speaking of the Ghost and Rare series, master blender Jim Beveridge had the following to say:

“Whiskies from these ghost distilleries are becoming increasingly rare. From our library of irreplaceable casks that we keep exclusively for Johnnie Walker Blue Label, I've chosen a few uniquely full-bodied expressions of these precious malts and grains to let people explore, in a new way, the extraordinary richness found in our pinnacle whisky.”​