May 2019 Auction

Ardbeg 1965 Cadenhead's 23 Year Old / Mizuhashi Total Liquor Supply

An incredibly rare bottling of Ardbeg, distilled back in 1965 and sherry cask matured for 23 years.

This is part of series of five well-regarded cask selections by Mizuhashi Total Liquor Supply in Japan, all bottled in 1988 and 1989 by Cadenhead's. The series includes another sherry casked single malt, this time from Tamnavulin, as well an a Glendullan, Glen Ord and Glencadam. All were bottled at cask strength.

Serge Valentin of WhiskyFun loved this one, awarding it a princely 97 points, stating, \"an entrancing simplicity, and one of my favourite whiskies ever.\"

Please note condition of lot as shown. This bottle is leaking, Whisky Auctioneer Ltd cannot be held liable for any further leakage/damage caused whilst the bottle is in transit, including lots sent using Risk Free Shipping. Collection is advised.

Springbank 12 Year Old Sherry Cask 1980s / Samaroli Import

A ludicrously rare and highly sought after official bottling of Springbank, officially bottled for Samaroli Imports. This dates from the early 1980s when Silvano Samaroli's independent bottling business was still in its infancy, and he was still operating as an official importer. Taking inspiration from the legendary Edoardo Giaccone, proprietor of Edward & Edward (aka Whiskyteca Garten) in Salo, Samaroli imported outwith the standard distillery offerings, and sought out exclusive cask strength and sherry cask offerings like this for his clients. The back label of the bottle includes his tasting notes.

Rumoured to be the same liquid as that of the Samaroli Springbank that was awarded 98 points on WhiskyFun.com

These bottles make it to market so infrequently we wouldn't recommend missing out on this, there's no telling when you might get another chance to pick one up.

Bottle 609 of 2400.

Springbank 1950 40 Year Old

A highly impressive bottling of Springbank, distilled on 7th December 1950 and bottled on 19th December 1990. 

This is bottle number 50 of only 120. 

Ardbeg 1976 Single Cask #2390 / Feis Ile 2002

This single sherry butt #2390 was filled on 24th November 1976 and matured for 25 years prior to bottling on 27th April 2002 for the Feis Ile festival on Islay. 

Only available at Ardbeg distillery, 494 bottles of this were filled. This is bottle 413.

Hand bottled at cask strength.

This bottling is one of the highest-scoring Ardbeg on WhiskyFun, scoring 96 points. 

Ardbeg 1974 Samaroli Sherry Wood

One of two 1974 vintage Ardbeg produced for 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 in pantheon of whisky greats.

Bottled in 1983 at cask strength after maturing in sherry wood, by long-time business partners R.W. Duthie of Aberdeen.

Almost unbelievably, Samaroli reportedly had great difficulty selling this first release in his Ardbeg series. It was not until a few years later that demand for the peaty flavours began to increase in Italy.

Limited to 2400 bottles. This is number 1938.

Ardbeg 1974 Single Cask #2743

A single cask Ardbeg, distilled on 14th June 1974 and bottled at over 31 years of age on 20th September 2005.

Taken from bourbon hogshead #2743, this is bottle number 78 of 106.

Springbank 1965

A rare 1965 vintage bottling of Springbank.

Bottled at some point in the 1980s by the famous Campbeltown distillery.

Ardbeg 1967 Signatory Vintage 30 Year Old / Dark Oloroso Butt #578

A legendary Ardbeg and part of the same batch of single casks as one awarded an impressive 93 points by Serge Valentin at WhiskyFun.

Distilled on the 1th February 1967 and matured in a single dark Oloroso sherry butt #578 for 30 years before bottling on 17th February 1997 by Signatory Vintage.

Signatory Vintage were established in 1988 by Andrew Symington and are one of Scotland's most prolific independent bottlers. Their offices and bottling facility are located next to Edradour distillery, which they have also owned since 2002.

Bottle number 300 of 540.

Springbank 1967 Local Barley

Springbank produced several 'Local Barley' bottlings from the mid 1960's, all of which have reached legendary status.

This 'non-dumpy' version was distilled in October 1967 and bottled in August 1988.

One of 648 bottles. 

Ardbeg 1974 Provenance 1st 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.

Bottle number 3266, with certificate. 

Ardbeg 1974 Provenance 1st 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.

Bottle number 132, with certificate. 

Ardbeg 1974 Single Cask #3475

A single cask Ardbeg filled on 9th August 1974 and bottled over 28 years later at cask strength.

Bottle number 116 of 126 yielded from single cask #3475.

Ardbeg 1976 Single Cask #2394

A very highly sought after Ardbeg, distilled on 24th November 1976 and bottled on 18th July 2000.

Exclusively bottled by hand for the Ardbeg Committee this single cask sherry butt yielded only 466 bottles, this is bottle number 215.

Signed by Stuart Thomson.

Springbank 1966 Private Bottling 34 Year Old / Juul's

An older single Sherry cask expression from this Campbeltown classic. This was distilled in 1966 prior to being bottled at the start of the Millennium.

Private bottling for Juul's

Ardbeg 1975 Single Cask #1378

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

Distilled on the 28th March 1975 and bottled on the 8th November 2006 from a single sherry butt #1378.

Bottle number 4 of 453.

Auchentoshan 1966 44 Year Old

A fantastic vintage bottling of Auchentoshan, distilled on 25th April 1966 and matured in North American oak barrels. 

Bottled on 20th January 2011, this is one of 263 bottles. 

Ardbeg 1976 Samaroli

A very highly sought after Ardbeg, distilled 1976.

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 in pantheon of whisky greats.

This bottling was bottled for Samaroli in Scotland by R.W. Duthie & Co. in 1993, and is the final addition to his Ardbge series. Almost unbelievably, Samaroli reportedly had great difficulty selling the first release in this series, the 1974 vintage from 1983. It was not until a few years later that demand for the peaty flavours began to increase in Italy.

This is one of the final bottlings from Samaroli's partnership with R.W. Duthie, who had to stop working with him in the early 1990s due to increasing demand from their other client, Cadenhead's.

Bottle 567 of 1020.

A.H. Hirsch Reserve 1974 16 Year Old Bourbon / 2003 Release

A legendary bottle of bourbon that has had a whole book written about itself: The Best Bourbon You'll Never Taste by Charles K Cowdery.

Distilled in Spring 1974, this bourbon is bottled from a single 400 barrel batch commissioned by Adolph Hirsch and distilled under contract at Michter's distillery (then known as Pennco), just outside Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania. Hirsch was a former Schenley executive who had briefly worked at Michter's during his time there, and it is believed he commissioned the whisky as financial favour to the distillery, and actually had little plans for its use. So, it lay ageing in the warehouses for much longer than generally expected for a bourbon at the time. 

With the closure of Michter's distillery, the bourbon was sold by Hirsch to Gordon Hue in 1989, who set about bottling it immediately.

Responsibility for the early bottling was entrusted to Julian Van Winkle III at his Old Commonwealth site in Lawrenceburg. However, his partnership with the Sazerac Company and creation of the Pappy Van Winkle brand in 2002, also saw bottling of the Hirsch Reserve moved briefly to Buffalo Trace. This is one of the Buffalo Trace bottles, filled in 2003 for the new owners of the Hirsch Reserve, Preiss Imports, who purchased it from Gordon Hue that year.

Preiss Imports moved the subsequent and final bottling (technically re-bottling) to Kentucky Bourbon Distillers' Willett facility.

In his book Cowdery refers to the bourbon as one of the \"best whiskeys I've ever tasted.\"

Mash bill contains 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley.

Springbank 1978 Cadenhead's Single Cask #196

An independent bottling of Springbank from Cadenhead's, the company who nowadays own the distillery.

Distilled in 1978 and matured in cask #196 before bottling at cask strength.

Bottle number 185.

Springbank 12 Year Old 1980s / 57%

A fantastic 12 year old Springbank bottling from the 1980s, bottled at 57%. 

Springbank 1967 28 Year Old 75cl

A rare official bottling of 28 year old single malt from Springbank distillery. 

Distilled in March 1967 and bottled in January 1996.

This is a fantastic example of 1960s vintage Springbank.

Strathisla 1957 Gordon and MacPhail 

Distilled over 60 years ago in 1957, this very well aged Strathisla was bottled by Gordon and MacPhail as part of their Distillery Labels series.

It is becoming increasingly difficult, almost impossible to find vintage whiskies these days.  Thankfully over the years Gordon and MacPhail have released bottles like this, a great old Speysider distilled over half a century ago.

Bottled in 2007.

Springbank 1969 Signatory Vintage 30 Year Old

A Signatory Vintage bottling from Springbank distillery in Campbeltown.

Distilled in September 1969 and bottled in 2000 at 30 years old.

Signatory Vintage were established in 1988 by Andrew Symington and are one of Scotland's most prolific independent bottlers. Their offices and bottling facility are located next to Edradour distillery, which they have also owned since 2002.

Bottle number 122 of 235 drawn from cask #1689.

Springbank 30 Year Old 75cl / US Import

A superb older expression from this Campbeltown classic

Released in the mid 1990s, there has been little of comparative age to be released by the distillery since. 

Ardbeg 1975 Douglas Laing 25 Year Old

A very rare independent bottling from Islay's famous Ardbeg distillery.

This was distilled in 1975 and bottled in October 2000 by Douglas Laing, part of their Old Malt Cask series.

The Old Malt Cask series is one of the most established independent labels on the market. It was launched by Douglas Laing in 1998 and bottled by them until 2013 when the brand became part of the Hunter Laing portfolio instead.

This is one of 702 bottles.

Springbank 1967 Duncan Taylor 40 Year Old / with Miniature 5cl

A rare bottling of Springbank from Duncan Taylor, distilled in May 1967 and bottled in July 2007. 

Bottle number 99 of 134 from cask #1945.

In impressive wooden case with matching miniature and Duncan Taylor branded shot glass. 

Strathisla 1961 Gordon and MacPhail Private Collection

A magnificently sherried Strathisla from Gordon & MacPhail, part of their Private Collection releases.

This was distilled on 14th November 1961 and matured in 1st fill sherry hogshead #2236. This cask was selected directly from Gordon & MacPhail's directors private store.

Bottle number 87 of 106 bottled in October 2013.

Shinshu Mars Komagatake 1986 American White Oak Cask 30 Year Old

A very rare single cask release from The Shinshu Mars distillery, which stopped production in 1992. 

This is a single malt whisky and has been aged for 30 years in an American White Oak barrel.

Shinshu Mars restarted production recently in 2011.

One of only 1137 bottles. 

Springbank 1980 Samaroli Sherry Wood / 20th Anniversary

A rather unique and particular rare bottling of Springbank. 

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.

Distilled in 1980 and bottled in 1988 to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Samaroli. The labels used for this series are re-appropriated from Silvano's first, the 1979 collaboration with Cadenhead's. This image was first used on the 22 year old Highland Park from that range.

Number 246 of only 540 bottles.

Ardbeg 1965 Cadenhead's 13 Year Old / Mario Rossi 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.

A spectacular vintage of Ardbeg, this was distilled in April 1965, matured for 13 years and bottled in July 1978.

Imported to Italy by Mario Rossi Jr, whose son would go on to found the Wilson & Morgan bottling company.

Ardbeg Guaranteed 30 Year Old 

This 'Guaranteed' 30 year old Ardbeg was one of the last releases by Allied Distillers before the Glenmorangie takeover in 1997.

This release was limited to only 29 casks.

Eigashima 2015 Akashi Ex-Sake Cask 6 x 50cl / Ghost Series #9 - Case

Akashi is the name given to the the single malt produced at the Eigashima distillery. The site is often also referred to as the White Oak distillery, after the blend it produces. Because demand for White Oak is so high, most Eigashima single malt is reserved for this, so Akashi is quite rare.

This is a 2015 vintage single cask, matured in ex-Sake barrel #101520.

Only 500 bottles were produced, this is a case of 6 of them.

This lot has a 5 bottle shipping fee.