November 2018 Auction

Karuizawa 1965 Single Sherry Cask 50 Year Old #2372​ 

Karuizawa produced outstanding whiskies, many of which have received international acclaim. They have released almost 300 single casks which are becoming increasingly rarer and rarer as demand soars.

A special release from La Maison Du Whisky, this vintage Karuizawa was distilled in 1965 and matured in a sherry cask. 

This is bottle number 26 of 300 bottles.

Glenfiddich 50 Year Old

This famous bottling of Glenfiddich was bottled in 1991 and limited to an incredible 500 bottles. In the early 1990's one of these bottles officially became the most expensive bottle of whisky ever sold at auction selling for 99,999,999 Lira in an Italian charity auction.

The release was restricted to only nine casks laid down originally in the 1930s, one cask for each of William Grant's nine children who helped build Glenfiddich distillery in the 1880s.  After laying undisturbed, these nine casks were bottled on the 26th July 1991 and presented in a handmade oak box with a brass plaque.

Each bottle was signed by former Chairman Alexander Grant Gordon, who is also the great-grandson of the company's founder.

Bottle number 228 includes a certificate, stating that the owner of the bottle is to be appointed as a Freeman of Glenfiddich distillery.

Karuizawa 29 Year Old Sherry Cask / Murasaki Geisha

Karuizawa produced outstanding whiskies, many of which have received international acclaim. They have released almost 300 single casks which are becoming increasingly rarer and rarer as demand soars.

One of two highly sought after 'Purple Geisha' released in 2018 by Elixir distillers. This particular single cask has been matured for over 29 years in a single sherry cask.

Bottle number 14 of only 60.

Glen Cawdor 1964 Samaroli / Springbank

A legendary bottling from the great Silvano Samaroli.

The Glen Cawdor name was in part borrowed by Silvano Samaroli from Shakespeare; Castle Cawdor of course being the setting for MacBeth. Samaroli used the Glen Cawdor name to disguise the the real name of certain distilleries, most commonly Springbank. When researching this bottle you will notice that some retailers and auctioneers refer to this as a Springbank, while if you look elsewhere you would read it is actually from Glen Ord. Emmanuel Dron, Samaroli's great friend has speculated that Silvano mis-remembered this bottles as the 1962 Glen Ord he bottled for the LELE restaurant. Either way, we don't think it matters. All that matters is that it is an exceptional bottling from an exceptional bottler.

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 1964 and bottled in 1983 from a single sherry cask by R.W. Duthie.

Bottle number 353 of 360.

Glen Garioch 1971 Samaroli Sherry Wood Full Proof

This is one of Silvano Samaroli's earliest forays into the realm of independent bottling, following his successful collaboration with Cadenhead's in 1979. This was bottled in the same year. As an official Italian distributor for Glen Garioch, Samaroli had great access to top quality casks and it shows here.

Glen Garioch was a peaty single malt in the 1970s, and this is considered one of the finest examples of balancing the strong characters produced by peat and sherry casks, along with another Samaroli classic, the Laphroaig 1967.

This is the first of two 1971 vintage Glen Garioch released by Silvano, bottled at full proof. The second was single cask homage to this, bottled much later in 1997 at a lighter 43%.

Bottle number 1851 of 2280 produced.

Karuizawa 1978 Single Cask 35 Year Old #8383 / Wealth Solutions

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

This is a single cask release from a single ex-bourbon cask #8383, distilled in December 1978 and bottled in July 2014.

Titled Koishikawa-Kōrakuen, this was named after am 17th century garden in the Tokyo. Work on the garden was begun by Mito Yorifusa in 1629 and was completed by his son Mito Mitsukuni. The garden was cretaed on the advice of Chinese scholar Zhu Shun Shui, and incorporates elements of Japanese and Chinese culture.

The bottle, produced by Wealth Solutions features a depiction of the garden gilded on it.

This is one of just 24 bottles.

Karuizawa 1980 Single Cask 35 Year Old #8283 / Moon Above the Sea at Daimotsu Bay

Karuizawa produced outstanding whiskies, many of which have received international acclaim. They have released almost 300 single casks which are becoming increasingly rarer and rarer as demand soars.

This limited bottling was distilled in 1980 and bottled in 2015 at an impressive 35 years old..

Produced from single bourbon cask #8283, which yielded only 401 bottles.

Bottled at cask strength, this is stunning bottling presents  Moon above the Sea at Daimotsu Bay, part of theTsukioka Honen's \" One Hundered Aspects of the Moon series on the box and label art

Presented in a stunning lock and key presentation box.

Karuizawa 35 Year Old Bourbon Cask #8518 / Emerald Geisha​

Karuizawa produced outstanding whiskies, many of which have received international acclaim. They have released almost 300 single casks which are becoming increasingly rarer and rarer as demand soars.

This is another sought after single cask release from Elixir Distillers, the bottling arm of London's The Whisky Exchange. Here's what they had to say:

\"The distinctive emerald labels combine beautiful Japanese art forms with complex hot foil and intricate embossing embellishments, giving the bottles a sculptured finish. They were designed by The Whisky Exchange’s creative director Raj Chavda, who is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Art.\"

Number 3 of only 265 bottles drawn from single Bourbon cask #8518. Released in February 2018.​

Karuizawa 1981 Single Cask 35 Year Old #171 / Eight Headed Dragon

Karuizawa produced outstanding whiskies, many of which have received international acclaim. They have released almost 300 single casks which are becoming increasingly rarer and rarer as demand soars.

This limited bottling was distilled in 1981 and bottled in 2016 at an impressive 35 years old..

Produced from single sherry cask #171, which yielded only 530 bottles.

Bottled at cask strength, this is one of several 35 year old releases depicting Japanese mythology on their labels. The Eight Headed Dragon on this label is borrowed form the cover of a popular series of stories published by Hasegawa Takejiro in the 18th century. The dragon is named Yamata no Orochi.

Presented in a stunning lock and key presentation box.

Karuizawa 31 Year Old Sherry Cask #3667 / Golden Geisha

Karuizawa produced outstanding whiskies, many of which have received international acclaim. They have released almost 300 single casks which are becoming increasingly rarer and rarer as demand soars.

This is one of two highly sought after 'Golden Geisha' releases, which were available to purchase by winners of a ballot hosted by The Whisky Exchange.

Aged for 31 years in sherry cask #3667 this bottle is number 209 of 225. 

Bottled at cask strength.

Karuizawa 1981Single Cask 35 Year Old #7427 / Snow Scene

Karuizawa produced outstanding whiskies, many of which have received international acclaim. They have released almost 300 single casks which are becoming increasingly rarer and rarer as demand soars.

This limited bottling was distilled in 1981 and bottled after 35 years in the cask.

Cask number #7427 yielded only 208 bottles.

Presented in a striking blue box which depicts The Tale of Genji in Snow Scenes by Edo era Ukiyo-e artist, Utagawa Hiroshige.

Karuizawa 1981 Single Cask 35 Year Old #164 / The Great Battle of Yashima

Karuizawa produced outstanding whiskies, many of which have received international acclaim. They have released almost 300 single casks which are becoming increasingly rarer and rarer as demand soars.

A new impressive bottling, bottled last year 2016.  Distilled in 1981 and matured exclusively in sherry butt #164.

The box represents half of a scene from The Great Battle of Yashima.

Glen Grant 27 Year Old Samaroli Sherry Wood / Silver Cap

The Silver Cap series from Samaroli are some of the most highly prized bottles in history. They were all bottled in 1982, and alongside this 27 year old Glen Grant is a Legendary 1966 vintage Tormore, and the 1967 Laphroaig, considered by many to be the finest whisky ever bottled.

It is not stated on the label, but this is a 1955 vintage, and was bottled by R.W. Duthie on behalf of Samaroli. They were long time partners until the early 1990s.

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.

This is bottle 99 of 120.

Glenfiddich 1964 Hart Brothers 48 Year Old / Dynasty Decanter

A very rare, independently bottled Glenfiddich. 

Distilled on 15th September 1964 and matured in a first fill Sherry Hogshead for over 48 years before being bottled in Glasgow on the 10th October 2012.

Cask #10796. 

Bottle number 234 of only 300. 

Presented in an attractive glossy black presentation box and silver plated decanter. 

\"The Dynasty Decanter was created to commemorate the last seven independent monarchs of the ancient kingdom of Scotland.\"

Interestingly, the booklet accompanying the bottle suggests that 500 decanters were produced. We presume this is incorrect.

Glenfarclas 1952 Family Cask #1712 / Release I

The Family Cask range was launched early in 2007 with a cask for each year from 1952 until 1994.

This is the first release of the 1952 vintage, bottled on 30th November 2006 after maturation in plain hogshead #1712.

One of 110 bottles. 

Glenfarclas 1963 Family Cask #179 / William & Son Cabinet

A very exclusive item containing Glenfarclas 1963 Family Cask presented in a rifle and shotgun cleaning kit created by William & Son, London.

William & Son are crafters of shotguns and rifles and this kit has been created to their exceptional standards. 

The Glenfarclas Family Cask was distillled in 1963 and bottled in October 2011, matured in in Sherry Hogshead number 179. 

Only 20 of these stunning cabinets were produced.

Please note this item will have the postage charge of 4 bottles, due to the weight.

Karuizawa 1972 Single Cask #7038

Karuizawa produced outstanding whiskies, many of which have received international acclaim. They have released almost 300 single casks which are becoming increasingly rarer and rarer as demand soars.

This limited bottling was distilled in 1972 and bottled on 4th October 2011.

Produced from single cask #7038 and bottled at cask strength.

Glenfarclas 1955 50 Year Old / Bicentenary

A incredibly special bottle of Glenfarclas, selected by George Grant to celebrate the bi-centenary of the distillery's founder, and his great, great, great Grandfather, John Grant.

Only 110 were produced of this 50 Year Old, which comes in an attractive presentation box with certificate / scroll. Distilled on 30th September 1955 and bottled on the same day in 2005.

Bottle Number 105 of 110.

Karuizawa 1984 30 Year Old Single Cask #6432 / Samurai

Karuizawa distillery was the smallest distillery in Japan. The distillery was established in 1955  on the slopes of Mount Asama, an active volcano. Karuizawa was mothballed in 2000 and the remaining stocks were thankfully ‘saved’ by Ichiro Akuto.   

Karuizwa’s style was that of a certain Speyside whisky, they almost exclusively used Golden Promise barley imported from Scotland and primarily matured whisky in sherry casks imported from Spain. The key to Karuizawa’s success was the hidden earthiness and peatiness that gave many of their legendary single cask bottlings it’s unique character.

The water source used in production has flowed through the volcanic lava rock and soil that surround the distillery, giving it a unique mineral quality. This high quality led Karuizawa to be the first whisky exported out of Japan but ultimately led to their downfall, as both Japan and the world were not ready to accept such a high quality spirit which was not produced in Scotland. As a result, the distillery was not financially viable, which resulted in a great loss for whisky drinkers but produced an interesting rarity for whisky collectors.

Karuizawa is unique, there are so few releases in the last couple of years of this legendary malt.

Distilled 1984 and matured for 30 years until bottling in 2015, limited to only 404 bottles at 63.2%.

Ardbeg 1975 Samaroli

A 1975 vintage Ardbeg from 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.

This bottling was bottled for Samaroli in Scotland by R.W. Duthie & Co. in 1987, and is bottle number 594 of 648. 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.

Ardbeg 1967 Signatory Vintage 30 Year Old / Dark Oloroso Butt #1138

A legendary Ardbeg, awarded an impressive 93 points by Serge Valentin at Whisky Fun.

Distilled on the 22nd March 1967 and matured in a single dark Oloroso sherry butt #1138 for 30 years before bottling on 24th March 1997 by Signatory Vintage.

Bottle number 441 of 580.

Ardbeg 1967 Signatory Vintage 30 Year Old / Dark Oloroso Butt #1140

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

Distilled on the 22nd March 1967 and matured in a single dark Oloroso sherry butt #1140 for 30 years before bottling on 15th December 1997 by Signatory Vintage.

Bottle number 495 of 536.

Glenfarclas 1953 Single Cask 58 Year Old Wealth Solutions / Bottle #400 of 400

So few whiskies of this age are available these days, even Glenfarclas has no whisky remaining older than 1953. The whisky was distilled on 20th November 1953 and bottled on 13th February 2012, matured exclusively in a first fill sherry butt #1674.

A panel comprising of whisky connoisseur and a key member of the internationally renowned Malt Maniacs, Serge Valentin, along with Ben Ellefsen, Sales Director for Master of Malt, Michał Kowalski of Wealth Solutions and George Grant himself unanimously made the selection from the remaining 4 casks distilled in 1953 and cask #1674 was selected to be bottled.

This single cask bottling was released at 58 years old and sold exclusively through the Wealth Solutions, Poland.

5* rated by Whiskyfun.com (no numerical score as Serge Valentin assisted with selection).

Bottle number 400 of 400. 

Glendronach Finest Highland Malt 1930s

An incredible example of pre-world war two Glendronach from the highland distillery in Forgue by Huntly. Glendronach was built in 1826 by James Allardice, and rebuilt following a fire in 1852 by an individual named Walter Scott (although not the one you might be thinking of). It eventually passed into the hands of perhaps Scotland's greatest distilling dynasty, the Grant's of Glenfiddich. Silent at the time, the distillery was sold by government (who had owned it since 1916) to Charles, the youngest son of William Grant in 1920, and his signature is present on this stunning bottle, which we believe dates to around the 1930s.

As such, this bottle will have been one of the first released from the newly revived distillery, and is likely aged around 12 years. It is one of the earliest example of an officially bottled single malt, or \" perfect self whisky\" as the label reads.

Interestingly, the bottle describes itself as \"most suitable for medicinal purposes.\" This is more likely archaic phrasing, suggesting that the whisky is also of excellent value as a medicinal product, rather than a suggestion of its best application, which we're sure nobody was under any allusions was for drinking!

Serge Valentin agrees, awarding a similar 75 proof bottle a solid 86 points on WhiskyFun.com

Glen Grant 1948 Gordon and MacPhail 66 Year Old / Wealth Solutions

The first release of the Glen Grant Trilogy project by Polish based Wealth Solutions.

Distilled at the Speyside distillery in 1948, before being matured in a sherry cask #1369 for 66 Years.

Bottled by Gordon and MacPhail and presented in a mahogany box.

This is decanter number 160 of 160. 

Ardbeg 1967 Signatory Vintage 30 Year Old / Dark Oloroso Butt #1140

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

Distilled on the 22nd March 1967 and matured in a single dark Oloroso sherry butt #1140 for 30 years before bottling on 15th December 1997 by Signatory Vintage.

Bottle number 165 of 536.

Glenfarclas 1953 Single Cask 58 Year Old / Wealth Solutions

So few whiskies of this age are available these days, even Glenfarclas has no whisky remaining older than 1953. The whisky was distilled on 20th November 1953 and bottled on 13th February 2012, matured exclusively in a first fill sherry butt #1674.

A panel comprising of whisky connoisseur and a key member of the internationally renowned Malt Maniacs, Serge Valentin, along with Ben Ellefsen, Sales Director for Master of Malt, Michał Kowalski of Wealth Solutions and George Grant himself unanimously made the selection from the remaining 4 casks distilled in 1953 and cask #1674 was selected to be bottled.

This single cask bottling was released at 58 years old and sold exclusively through Wealth Solutions, Poland.

5* rated by Whiskyfun.com (no numerical score as Serge Valentin assisted with selection).

Bottle number 261 of 400.

Ardbeg 1975 Samaroli

A 1975 vintage Ardbeg from 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.

This bottling was bottled for Samaroli in Scotland by R.W. Duthie & Co. in 1987, and is bottle number 451 of 648. 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.

Glendronach 26 Year Old Trump International Scotland / Signed by President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump

Political views aside, these bottlings have become incredibly sought after.  

This bottle is signed by the current President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump. These bottles were randomly selected and signed over the last few year by Trump, explaining the slightly different variations.

This very rare single cask Glendronach was bottled to commemorate the launch of Trump International Golf Links, Scotland. 

Bottled on the 25th of June 2012 from single cask #1036.

Only 504 bottles were released, each bottle is numbered within the certificate/card inside the box, this is bottle number 391.

Karuizawa 1982 Single Cask #8497 / TWE Exclusive

Karuizawa produced outstanding whiskies, many of which have received international acclaim. They have released almost 300 single casks which are becoming increasingly rarer and rarer as demand soars.

This limited release was distilled in 1982 and bottled in 2012 exclusively for The Whisky Exchange.

Produced from single first fill bourbon cask #8497.

Karuizawa 1984 Noh Single Cask 30 Year Old #2030 / Isetan Exclusive​

Karuizawa produced outstanding whiskies, many of which have received international acclaim. They have released almost 300 single casks which are becoming increasingly rarer and rarer as demand soars.

This series features different masks used in Noh, one of Japan's traditional performing arts. This image features the mask of the Noh character, Ishio-jō, a reserved and introspective old man of quiet dignity.

This limited bottling was distilled in 1984 and bottled in 2015 after 30 years of maturation.

Produced from single sherry cask #2030, which yielded only 522 bottles.

This release was an exclusive for the Japanese department store chain, Isetan.

Bottled at cask strength.

Glendronach 1968 Single Cask 25 Year Old #27 / All Nippon Airways

There are a number of famous Glendronach from 1968 and this is no different. This was a single cask bottled for Nippon Airways. 

The original Glendronach 25 year old from 1968 was described by Serge Valentin from Whisky Fun as a 'A tremendous sherry monster''. He scored it 90 points.

Cask #27, bottle number 436 of only 479.