May 2019 Auction

Dalmore 1981 Constellation 30 Year Old Cask #3

An impressively aged Dalmore from their elegant Constellation collection. Distilled in 1981 and aged for 30 years in cask #3.

The Constellation Collection consists of 21 vintages, dating from 1964 through to 1992. Each bottle features hallmarked silver stoppers and an engraved decanter style bottle.

Cak #3 was matured until 2006 in American white oak before being tranferred into a Matusalem Oloroso serry butt for 5 years.

Bottle 93 of 669.

The Peninsula 2014 / Suntory

​A mature and heavily sherried Japanese blend produced by Suntory for The Peninsula luxury hotel in Tokyo.

Rumoured to contain some very old Japanese single malt, which is exciting as Suntory own both Yamazaki and Hakushu.

Talisker 1957 Cadenhead's 21 Year Old / Rossi Import

A very rare Talisker released by Cadenhead's of Aberdeen. 

Distilled at Talisker in February 1957 and bottled in July 1978 in the classic brown dumpy bottle.

Imported by Mario Rossi Jr. for the Italian market. 

Tesseron Extreme Cognac

A truly stunning decanter of one of the finest expressions of the Tesseron Cognac range. It is made with eaux-de-vie from the Grande Champagne region using Ugni Blanc, Folles Blanche and Colombard grapes.

Please note that this bottle includes a two bottle shipping fee.

Old Weller Original 107 Barrel Proof 7 Year Old 1960s / Stitzel-Weller

W L Weller is the original wheated bourbon, produced at the famous Stitzel-Weller distillery by the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle I.

Bottled in the late-1960s, likely sometime after the death of 'Pappy' as he is immortalised for the first time on a Weller label here, with William Larue Weller on the left hand side. pappy's son, Julian II is noted as the proprietor on the label and box, he assumed control in 1964.

Nowadays Weller is produced by the Sazerac company at Buffalo Trace, and these old Stitzel-Weller bottlings have become increasingly sought after.

Talisker 1981 Cask Strength 20 Year Old

Bottled in 2002 as part of Diageo's annual releases. This 1981 Talisker quickly became very desirable - no small thanks to Jim Murray who scored this 95 points and making the comment 'miss this and your life will be incomplete.' 

Matured in sherry casks and released as a 20 year old, this is bottle number 44 of 9000.

Old Fitzgerald 1963 Bottled in Bond 6 Year Old 100 Proof / Stitzel-Weller

We don't see vintage Old Fitzgerald very often, so we are particularly excited about this bottle which was distilled in the 'Fall' of 1963 and bottled in 'Fall' 1969.

Distilled at the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery while it was under the management of Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle I, and bottled a few years after his death by his son, Julian Van Winkle II.

Stitzel-Weller was eventually sold in 1972, with the Van Winkle family departing the business in the process.

Old Rip Van Winkle 15 Year Old 1990s

From the Van Winkle range this is a 15 year old at 107 proof. Absolutely stonking!

This was bottled in the late 1990s by Julian Van Winkle III at Old Commonwealth distillery (formerly known as Hoffman). Van Winkle moved the bottling of the Old Rip Van Winkle brand there following the death of his father in 1981. He reached an agreement with Buffalo Trace in 2002 that saw production and the remaining Van Winkle stock transferred there. The Old Rip Van Winkle 15 year old was discontinued shortly after, in 2004, and replaced by the familiar Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve of the same age.

Bottle number K9737.

Dalmore 20 Year Old 1970s

A very old bottle of Dalmore, bottled at 20 years of age in the 1970's.  

Bottled by the Mackenzie brothers at 75 proof. 

Dalmore 1973 Gonzalez Byass Finish 30 Year Old 75cl / US Import - Signed

Distilled on the 22nd March 1973 and matured in American oak before being finished in Matusalem Oloroso sherry casks from Gonzalez Byass, Jerez de la Frontera. This was then bottled as a 30 year old.

From the rear of the box of this whisky, 'In essence, the 1973 is a collector's item witnessing a unique collaboration between two premium brands to bring you the ultimate single malt experience.'  We couldn't have put it better!

Bottle number 1494. 

Taketsuru 25 Year Old Pure Malt

A very rare bottling of Taketsuru, originally introduced in 2012 this blended malt contains casks from Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries.

It is extremely limited and only 120 bottles were available throughout Europe. 

Dalwhinnie 1957 Cadenhead's 22 Year Old

As Scotland’s oldest independent bottler, Cadenhead’s have long been known for releasing stunning whiskies but none more so than those from their famous ‘dumpy’ series, which features some incredible 1950s and 60s vintages. Whisky from this bygone era of production have become increasingly elusive in recent years, making them exceptionally desirable. 

This Dalwhinnie was distilled in May 1957 and bottled in June 1979 in the iconic brown dumpy bottle. 

Oban 1969 Cask Strength 32 Year Old

A well-aged and incredibly desirable Oban, distilled in 1969 and released as a 32 year old.

Bottled in 2002, this is number 0838 of 6000.

Diplomatico 1997 Sherry Cask Finish

Diplomatico is a very highly respected rum, due to licensing arrangements this goes by the name Botucal in some regions. 

This is one of three single vintages produced, and has been finished in sherry casks. 

Talisker 1991 Casks of Distinction 27 Year Old #2088 / The Whisky Big Nose

A single cask of Talisker that was distilled in 1991 and bottled 27 years later exclusively for The Whisky Big Nose.

This Talisker is part of Diageo's Casks of Distinction programme. Casks of Distinction is the private sale of individual casks of rare and exceptional Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Diageo’s extensive stocks in Scotland. Hand selected by a team of whisky experts under guidance from Master Blender Dr. Craig Wilson, each cask is entirely unique and incredibly rare. Each Cask of Distinction is chosen on the basis of their quality, representing the most exceptional and singular expression of the distillery’s character.

One of only 240 bottles.

Taketsuru 25 Year Old Pure Malt

A very rare bottling of Taketsuru, originally introduced in 2012 this blended malt contains casks from Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries.

It is extremely limited and only 120 bottles were available throughout Europe. 

Taketsuru 25 Year Old Pure Malt

A very rare bottling of Taketsuru, originally introduced in 2012 this blended malt contains casks from Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries.

It is extremely limited and only 120 bottles were available throughout Europe. 

Taketsuru 25 Year Old Pure Malt

A very rare bottling of Taketsuru, originally introduced in 2012 this blended malt contains casks from Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries.

It is extremely limited and only 120 bottles were available throughout Europe. 

Taketsuru 25 Year Old Pure Malt

A very rare bottling of Taketsuru, originally introduced in 2012 this blended malt contains casks from Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries.

It is extremely limited and only 120 bottles were available throughout Europe. 

Dalmore Clan Mackenzie Series  3 x 70cl / Mackenzie, Castle Leod, Cromartie

These whiskies were release to pay homage to the Clan Mackenzie and generate funds for the restoration of the Clan Mackenzie's ancestral home, the Castle Leod.

• Dalmore Mackenzie 
  Distilled in 1992 and bottled in 2010. Matured in a bourbon hogsheads for 11 years before a finishing period of 6 years in port pipes. 46%. 
• Dalmore Castle Leod
  Distilled in 1995 and bottled in 2011. Matured in American white oak and Spanish sherry wood, before being finished in Bordeaux casks. 46%. 
• Dalmore Cromartie
  Distilled in 1996 and bottled in 2012. Matured in American white oak before being transferred to Oloroso sherry casks, from Gonzalez Byass. 45%

This lot has a 3 bottle shipping fee.

Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye 2017 Release

Part of Buffalo Trace's annual antique collection. Bottled at 63.6% alcohol, they do get higher ABV than this but it's still impressive!

The 2011 release won Jim Murray's Whisky of the Year! 

Buffalo Trace's Antique Collection celebrates various historic bourbon brands and figures. The Thomas H. Handy rye is named after the company's founder, and features an image of the eponymous Sazerac Coffee House where everything started on the bottle.

Old Rip Van Winkle 7 Year Old Decanter 1975 / Bay Colony Bicentennial

This is an incredible piece of bourbon history. Following the forced sale of Stitzel-Weller distillery by the Van Winkle family in 1972, Julian II (son of the legendary 'Pappy') was granted an office and a license to continue procuring and bottling Stitzel-Weller stock on site, as a gesture of goodwill by new distillery owners, Somerset Imports.

Although Julian had sold the distillery and all of its brands, he retained one, the pre-prohibition Old Rip Van Winkle label, which he immediately revived. The earliest releases from the Old Rip Van Winkle brand were decanters like this. Bottled in 1975 at 7 years old, the Stitzel-Weller whiskey it contains would have been barrelled at the distillery while Julian II was still in charge. While Old Rip Van Winkle was generally always bottled using Stitzel-Weller stock procured form its new owners, there aren't many like this that contain Van Winkle era Stitzel-Weller whiskey.

Following the death of Julian II, his son, Julian III took over the family business, moving bottling to Old Commonwealth distillery in 1983. With Stitzel-Weller's closure by United distillers in 1992 causing his stocks to begin thinning out, Van Winkle reached an agreement with the Sazerac company to store and bottle his remaining stock. He also entrusted production of new Van Winkle whiskey to their Buffalo Trace distillery, who were already using the familiar recipe to produce W.L. Weller, another former Stitzel-Weller brand. The Pappy Van Winkle brand we are familiar with today has been produced at Buffalo Trace since 2002.

This then, a Van Winkle era Stitzel-Weller bourbon, bottled for the Old Rip Van Winkle brand is a true collector's item. The decanter itself is a celebration of the Bay Colony bicentennial in 1975, and was produced by Cumberland Porcelain.

Tomatin 1981 Single Cask 32 Year Old #001

The very first cask distilled at Tomatin in 1981 this was aged 32 years in Oloroso sherry wood and bottled in 2014 in this stunning decanter.

Cask #001 was an Oloroso sherry butt.

One of 405 bottles.

Teeling The Revival Volumes 1-5 5 x 70cl

To celebrate the introduction of Whiskey distillation to Dublin, the Teeling family have produced a number of commemorative bottlings.

This lot is a set a all five releases. It includes....

• Teeling 15 Year Old The Revival Volume 1 / Rum Barrels
• Teeling 13 Year Old The Revival Volume 2 / Calvados Casks
• Teeling 14 Year Old The Revival Volume 3 / Pineau des Charentes Finish
• Teeling 15 Year Old The Revival Volume 4 / Muscat Finish
• Teeling 12 Year Old The Revival Volume 5 / Cognac & Brandy Casks

Note this lot will include a five bottle shipping fee.

Dailuaine 1975 Samaroli & Moon Import / Dreams

Moon Import was founded by Pepi Mongiardino in 1980 and he bottled his first whisky in 1982. Always beautifully labelled, Pepi is acclaimed for designing the packaging for Moon Import bottles himself, often using images found in old books. These iconic designs, coupled with the quality of the liquid saw Moon Import steadily grow in popularity. The company is still going strong, and their early releases are some of the brightest gems in any whisky collection.

The Dreams series was a 1999 collaborative effort between longtime friends Mongiardino and Samaroli. The unusually labelled series feature artworks designed by Nadia Pini and Hans Piu, and all bear Silvano Samaroli's signature printed on the capsule.

This Dailuaine was distilled in 1975 and is bottle number 308 of 594. 

Old Rip Van Winkle 4 Year Old Handmade Bourbon 1980s

An interesting bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle, the pre-prohibition whisky brand retained by the Van Winkle family following the sale of Stitzel-Weller distillery and its associated products in 1972.

Julian Van Winkle III continued bottling Stizel-Weller produced bourbon at Hoffman distillery in Lawrenceburg in the early 1980s, renaming it Old Commonwealth. This 4 year old bourbon was bottled using Stitzel-Weller stock in the ate 1980s, some of the last before the distillery would close a few years later in 1992.

Japanese import.

Old W.L. Weller 7 Year Old Special Reserve 1 Litre 1980s / Stitzel-Weller

An older 'Special Reserve' release of the original wheated bourbon.

This was likely distilled in the mid-1970s. The Van Winkle family were no longer owners of Stitzel-Weller distillery at this point, but were still using its stock to bottler their own eponymous brands. As we all know, that stuff itsn't half bad.

Teaninich 1973 Hunter Laing 40 Year Old / Old and Rare

An independent single cask bottling from Highland distillery, Teaninich.

This is part of Hunter Laing's Old & Rare series, a label they have bottled since 2013.

Distilled in December 1973 and bottled October 2014. 

One of 229 bottles drawn from a sherry hogshead.

Teaninich 1973 Hunter Laing 40 Year Old / Old and Rare

An independent single cask bottling from Highland distillery, Teaninich.

This is part of Hunter Laing's Old & Rare series, a label they have bottled since 2013.

Distilled in December 1973 and bottled October 2014. 

One of 229 bottles drawn from a sherry hogshead.

Teeling The Revival Volumes 1-5 5 x 70cl

To celebrate the introduction of Whiskey distillation to Dublin, the Teeling family have produced a number of commemorative bottlings.

This lot is a set a all five releases. It includes....

• Teeling 15 Year Old The Revival Volume 1 / Rum Barrels
• Teeling 13 Year Old The Revival Volume 2 / Calvados Casks
• Teeling 14 Year Old The Revival Volume 3 / Pineau des Charentes Finish
• Teeling 15 Year Old The Revival Volume 4 / Muscat Finish
• Teeling 12 Year Old The Revival Volume 5 / Cognac & Brandy Casks

Note this lot will include a five bottle shipping fee.

Tomatin 1982 Single Cask 28 Year Old

A very elegant presentation from the Tomatin distillery.

Distilled in January 1982 and bottled August 2010, this is from refill sherry puncheon number #92. 

Bottle 114 of 560. 

Old Forester 2006 Birthday Bourbon 12 Year Old

Released on 2nd September annually to mark the birthday of the distilleries founder George Garvin Brown.  This is the 17th.

This Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is a 12 year old vintage-dated expression, barrelled in 2006 and bottled in 2018.

Old Forester is produced by Brown-Forman and is one of bourbon's historic brands. It was ne of the first to ever be sold by the bottle in order to ensure quality control to capitalise on the medicinal whiskey trade in the 19th century. It was even named after local Louisville physician, Dr. William Forrester (they dropped the second 'R' fro the name when he retired).