November 2018 Auction

Johnnie Walker The Directors Blend 2011

Never available at retail, the Johnnie Walker Directors Blends were only given to very important Diageo types. Very few bottles made it to the secondary market and collectors have fought to get hold of these essential parts of Johnnie Walker history.

The 2011 release celebrates the flavour profiles of the cask. Each year Diagio offer one of their design partners the opportunity to push the envelope and offer their vision for the Directors blend. In 2011, Raison Pure design agency chose to highlight the exceptional colour of the liquid.

The bottle an labeling was designed to maximise the light entering the bottle.

Bottle number 37 of 504. 

Jura 1966 Duthie for Corti 20 Year Old 75cl / US Import

A 1966 vintage Jura, bottled by R.W. Duthie for the Corti Brothers of Sacramento, CA, which has become one of the rarest independent Jura around.

A real gem for any Jura enthusiast.

Bottled in 1986.

Jura 36 Year Old Single Cask #590 / One of 30 signed by Richard Paterson

A highly sought-after Isle of Jura, distilled in 1965.

Bottled on 19th July 2001 from cask #590, we believe this to have been bottled as part of an 'private bottling' of 30 bottles, in addition to the 449 originally released. 

Signed by distillery manager Michael Heads (now at Ardbeg), this bottle is also signed by The Nose himself, Richard Patterson. 

Johnnie Walker The Directors Blend 2012

Never available at retail, the Johnnie Walker Directors Blends were only given to very important Diageo types. Very few bottles made it to the secondary market and collectors have fought to get hold of these essential parts of Johnnie Walker history.

The 2012 release celebrates 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.

Bottle number 110 of 504. 

Essence of Suntory Selection 3 x 50cl / Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita

• Yamazaki 2005 Peated Malt 50cl / The Essence of Suntory, this is a peated malt produced at their flagship Yamazaki distillery. Distilled in 2005 and bottled at a higher strength of 49%.

• Hakushu 2012 Rye Type 50cl / The Essence of Suntory, a rye based whisky from Hakushu. Distilled in 2012 and bottled at a higher strength of 57%.

• Chita 2001 Wine Cask 50cl / The Essence of Suntory, a single grain whisky, distilled in 2001 and matured in a Wine Cask for 4 years before being bottled in 2018. Bottled at 49%.

Please note there will be a shipping charge for 2 bottles.

Johnnie Walker The Directors Blend 2013

Only ever given to very important Diageo types, meaning this was never available at retail. This means that very few bottles made it to the secondary market and collectors have fought to get hold of this essential part of Walker history.

There were six bottles in the Director's blend range, this is the final bottle and was designed by Claessens, a simple yet elegant and effective design.

In the flavour department the blend is focused on age and succeeds in creating deep rich character, causing whisky expert Dave Broom to claim that it was one of the best whiskies of 2013.

Bottle number 581 of 588.

Jura Elements Suitcase / Earth, Fire, Air & Water 4 x 70cl

One of only 200 stylish weather-beaten cases containing four expressions of Jura, each chosen to represent one of the four elements. 

• Jura 1999 / Earth
  Distilled on 20th January 1999 and bottled in 2008. This heavily peated expression was bottled as an earthy tribute to the role of peat in the history of the Scottish Islands, where it was relied upon to provide warmth. 
  This is one of 840 bottles, bottled at 46%. 
   
• Jura 1998 / Fire
  Distilled on 10th February 1998 and bottled in 2008. This expression was matured in fired (often referred to as 'charred') bourbon casks. 
  This is one of 684 bottles, bottled at 46%. 
   
• Jura 1993 / Air
  Distilled on 12th May 1993 and bottled in 2008. This expression was matured in air-seasoned Manzanilla casks. 
  This is bottle number 121 of 768, bottled at 46%. 
   
• Jura 1989 / Water
  Distilled on 12th October 1989 and bottled in 2008.  The water used in this bottle came from A'Bhaile Mhargaidh, a loch sought to have life-prolonging properties.
  This is bottle number 287 of 624, bottled at 49.6%. 

This lot has a shipping charge for 6 bottles. 

James E Pepper 1912 Bottled in Bond Sour Mash Whiskey / Pre-Prohibition

A wonderful example of pre-Prohibition American whisky, distilled in 1912 and bottled in 1917, just three years before the production, sale and consumption of alcohol in the US was to be banned for the next 13 years.

This was distilled at the historic Henry Clay distillery in Lexington, KY. The first distillery on the site was built by JOhn A. Headley and James A Farra, lasting only 2 years before being destroyed by a fire. The land was then purchased in 1880 by George C. Buchanan who built the Henry Clay distillery in partnership with James E. Pepper. The latter became its sole owner by 1891, operating it until his death in 1906. The company continued after this, introducing the Jas. E. Pepper & Co. brand in 1910, along with the \"Born in the Republic\" slogan, both of which can be seen on this bottle.

The Henry Clay plant distilled for the last time in 1918 due to wartime grain rations, and was mothballed two years later at the advent of Prohibition. The distillery was purchased by the Schenley company shortly before the repeal of the Act, who demolished it and built a new distillery under the James E. Pepper name. It operated until 1958 when it again fell silent before being rebuilt in 2017, filling its first barrel just before Christmas that year.

James E. Pepper is an important figure in the history of US distilling, campaigning in 1890 to get the state of Kentucky to allow him to bottle his own whiskey at the distillery rather than to sell it by the barrel to distributors. He was also chief proponent of the Bottled in Bond Act in 1897, along with Colonel E.H Taylor Jr, and was the first to introduce the strip stamp that became a legal requirement on such products.

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.

Johnnie Walker The Directors Blend 2013

Only ever given to very important Diageo types, meaning this was never available at retail. This means that very few bottles made it to the secondary market and collectors have fought to get hold of this essential part of Walker history.

There were six bottles in the Director's blend range, this is the final bottle and was designed by Claessens, a simple yet elegant and effective design.

In the flavour department the blend is focused on age and succeeds in creating deep rich character, causing whisky expert Dave Broom to claim that it was one of the best whiskies of 2013.

Bottle number 583 of 588.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Korea Sa Shin Do 75cl / The Casks Edition

A special edition bottle of Johnnie Blue label... the icon of whisky worldwide. 

This Blue Label is bottled in a porcelain decanter that was bottled for the South Korean market. On each of the four sides of the decanter is a depiction of a guardian god from Korean mythology. 

Hyunmu guards the north, The Blue Dragon guards the east, Jujak (a phoenix) guards the south and The White Tiger guards the East.  

Very unusually for Johnnie Walker, this has been bottled at cask strength. 

Eagle Rare 17 Year Old / Summer 2017

Eagle Rare is a historic bourbon brand and is one of the five bourbons included in the award-winning Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.

Buffalo Trace's parent company, Sazerac, purchased the Eagle Rare brand from Seagram in 1989, who had developed it in the 1970s to replicate what it felt where the successful motifs used by the Wild Turkey brand.

Production of the label was moved to Buffalo Trace when Sazerac acquired the facility in 1992 (then known as Ancient Age).

Eagle Rare 17 Year Old / Summer 2017

Eagle Rare is a historic bourbon brand and is one of the five bourbons included in the award-winning Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.

Buffalo Trace's parent company, Sazerac, purchased the Eagle Rare brand from Seagram in 1989, who had developed it in the 1970s to replicate what it felt where the successful motifs used by the Wild Turkey brand.

Production of the label was moved to Buffalo Trace when Sazerac acquired the facility in 1992 (then known as Ancient Age).

John Jameson & Son's Redbreast 10 Year Old circa 1971 / Gilbey's

An old bottle of Redbreast 10 year old Irish whiskey bottled by Gilbey's of Ireland Ltd. 

The practice of merchant bottlings was common throughout Ireland and indeed, many of the most recognisable Irish whiskies today started out as such. Jameson in particular did not officially bottle their own whiskey until 1968, after the Irish Distillers merger with Powers and Cork Distillers. The then Dublin-based distillers offered their products only by the barrel, which is how this Gilbey's bottling came about.

Distilled at the closed Bow Street distillery which ceased production 1971 and now houses the Jameson visitor's centre. 

We estimate this bottle to be from or slightly after 1971 based on the bottle press date.

No strength or capacity stated. 

Eagle Rare 17 Year Old / Spring 2015

Eagle Rare is a historic bourbon brand and is one of the five bourbons included in the award-winning Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.

Buffalo Trace's parent company, Sazerac, purchased the Eagle Rare brand from Seagram in 1989, who had developed it in the 1970s to replicate what it felt where the successful motifs used by the Wild Turkey brand.

Production of the label was moved to Buffalo Trace when Sazerac acquired the facility in 1992 (then known as Ancient Age).

Jura 1976 Douglas Laing 40 Year Old / XOP

This is a Douglas Laing bottling of Jura, part of their Xtra Old Particular series. XOP is their ultra-premium range, launched in 2013 and reserved for casks considered the Laing \"family jewels.\"

Distilled in December 1976 and matured in refill barrel #11795.

Bottled in June 2017, this is bottle number 50 of 140. 

Jura 1984 30 Year Old

Jura has released two whiskies dedicated to 1984, an iconic vintage from this island distillery - inspired by George Orwell's novel '1984'.

This 1984 30 year old whisky was matured initially in ex-bourbon casks before a slightly complicated finishing process involving Gonzalez Byass Matusalem Sherry casks, Amaroso and Apostoles Oloroso casks.

One of only 1,984 bottles.

Jura 1976 Douglas Laing 40 Year Old / XOP

This is a Douglas Laing bottling of Jura, part of their Xtra Old Particular series. XOP is their ultra-premium range, launched in 2013 and reserved for casks considered the Laing \"family jewels.\"

Distilled in December 1976 and matured in refill barrel #11795.

Bottled in June 2017, this is bottle number 54 of 140. 

Eden Mill Single Malt First Bottling / Bottle #104

Although only new, Eden Mill is a distillery steeped in distilling history. Situated on the banks of the Eden Estuary, just outside the beautiful town of St. Andrews, the distillery occupies a site formerly owned and operated by the Haig family for most of the 19th century. Haig's moved their business to the familiar Markinch address in 1882, converting the buildings into a brewery and paper mill instead. The brewery closed just 20 years later and the paper mill operated until 2008. Then, Eden Mill was born.

In 2012, Eden Mill became St Andrews first brewery since 1902, and Scotland's first ever combined brewing and distillery complex in 2014 when the plan was hatched and set into motion, to produce their first malt whisky. 

The first whisky produced in St. Andrews for over 150 years, this elegantly packaged dram has been matured in a combination of French virgin oak, US virgin oak, and Pedro Ximenez casks.

Eden Mill Single Malt First Bottling / Bottle #119

Although only new, Eden Mill is a distillery steeped in distilling history. Situated on the banks of the Eden Estuary, just outside the beautiful town of St. Andrews, the distillery occupies a site formerly owned and operated by the Haig family for most of the 19th century. Haig's moved their business to the familiar Markinch address in 1882, converting the buildings into a brewery and paper mill instead. The brewery closed just 20 years later and the paper mill operated until 2008. Then, Eden Mill was born.

In 2012, Eden Mill became St Andrews first brewery since 1902, and Scotland's first ever combined brewing and distillery complex in 2014 when the plan was hatched and set into motion, to produce their first malt whisky. 

The first whisky produced in St. Andrews for over 150 years, this elegantly packaged dram has been matured in a combination of French virgin oak, US virgin oak, and Pedro Ximenez casks.

Jack Daniel's '1904' Gold Medal Series 1996

A limited bottle of Jack Daniel's, released in 1996 as part of the Gold Medal Series which celebrated each of those won by the distillery.

This is the 1904 version, the first year that Jack Daniel's was awarded gold at the World's Whisky Fair, that year held in St. Louis, Missouri.

Emerald Isle 1989 Speciality Drinks 26 Year Old Irish Single Malt

An Irish single malt whiskey from an undisclosed distillery 

Distilled in 1989 and matured for 26 years in cask #16244 before being bottled by Speciality Drinks.

Johnnie Walker Liqueur 75cl / US Import

An incredibly rare Johnnie Walker Liqueur produced originally exclusively for the US market.

Jack's Pirate Whisky 20 Year Old Islay Single Malt

From independent bottler, Jack Wieber, this is a sherry cask finished mystery Islay single malt

One of only 180 bottles drawn from single cask #666 (a clue???).

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.

Jack Daniel's Old No.7 Inaugural 1.5 Litre

A limited bottle of Jack Daniel's released to mark the 80th Anniversary of the ultimate badass, Theodore Roosevelt's 80th Anniversary of becoming President of the United States in 1984.

This lot has a 2 bottle shipping fee.

Jameson 15 Year Old Limited Edition

All Triple distilled pot still whiskey with no grain added, this was created as a special edition 15 year old release for the millennium.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Casks Edition 75cl / Johnnie Walker House Taiwan

A nicely illustrated bottling of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, bottled for the Taiwanese market at 55.8%. 

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.

Enmore 1987 Full Proof Demerara Rum / Velier Import

A pot still rum from Enmore, distilled in 1987 and bottled from special casks #193-197.

Bottled by Dutch company Breitenstein Produkten BV for Italian importers, Velier in November 2000.

One of 419 bottles.

Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon / Memorial Bottling

This whisky is named after the legendary Elmer T. Lee (1919-2013), who was hired in 1949 by Col. Albert B. Blanton to work at Buffalo Trace (named George T. Stagg distillery at the time).  

Starting from the bottom he worked his way up to Master Distiller before retiring in 1985. He passed away in 2013 aged 93. This bottle was released in 2014 to memorialise him. At the time of his death, Lee was one of only two living Master Distillers to have a bourbon named after them.

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.

Edradour 1983 Single Cask 26 Year Old / Port Finish

A single cask Edradour, distilled on the 23rd March 1983 and bottled 24th April 2009 after a finishing period in a port cask of over 6 years. 

Cask #08/394. 

This is bottle number 109 of 704.