October 2018 Auction

Littlemill 1988 Pearls of Scotland

A Pearls of Scotland bottling from Gordon & Company.

Distilled in October 1988 at closed Lowland distillery, Littlemill, and bottled in June 2016 from cask #133. 

Bottle number 24 of 102.  

Rosebank 12 Year Old Flora and Fauna / Wooden Box

This Flora and Fauna bottling of Rosebank has been discontinued for a number of years and was the last standard official release from Rosebank.

There have been super premium releases from Diageo since this bottle was discontinued.

Rosebank 12 Year Old Flora and Fauna

This Flora and Fauna bottling of Rosebank has been discontinued for a number of years and was the last standard official release from Rosebank.

There have been super premium releases from Diageo since this bottle was discontinued.

Laphroaig 1989 Vintage 17 Year Old / Feis Ile 2007

Released at Laphroaig distillery during the Feis Ile in 2007.

Distilled in December 1989 and bottled at 17 year old exclusively for the Friends of Laphroaig.

Only 4,000 bottles produced.

Rare Perfection 12 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon​

Rare Perfection is a boutique bourbon brand owned by Palatella family in California, who's other products include Very Olde St. Nick, Wattie Boone and the Old Man Winter Rye bottles. They have been sourcing bourbon and bottling it for several decades, and they are all easily identified by their uniform use of the same cursive script-style typeface. Marci Palatella was Julian Van Winkle III's agent in the Japanese market for many years, and their early bottlings were contracted to him in his Old Commonwealth distillery.

The Van Winkle partnership with Sazerac in the early 2000's ended this agreement however, with the production of bottles such as this moved to Willett distillery, where they were bottled by its owners, Evan Kulsveen's  Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. The stills at Willett were silent at this point and KBD were sourcing most of their bourbon from Heaven Hill. It is likely that this is where this bourbon came from.

The Palatella's company has recently been rebranded as Preservation Distillers, and they opened their very own distillery in Bardstown Kentucky in 2018.

The Rare Perfection range was exclusive to the Japanese market and imported by Sake-Net.

Ayrshire 1970 Gordon and MacPhail Rare Old​ 

A rare bottling from the elusive Ayrshire distillery, distilled in 1970 and bottled 30 years later in 2000 by Gordon and MacPhail.

Released within their Rare Old series of whiskies, carrying the brown and yellow label.

Laphroaig 1987 Silver Seal 22 Year Old / Sestante

A 1987 vintage Laphroaig, bottled by Silver Seal as part of their Sestante collection. The Sestante and Silver Seal companies were both founded by Ernesto Mainardi, before being purchased and merged by Massimo Righi in 2010.

This 22 year old was bottled from a single cask in 2009.

Bottle 16 of 190.

Lochside 1979 Silver Seal 21 Year Old

A Silver Seal bottling of Lochside distilled in 1979 and bottled in November 2001.

This is the 'First Bottling' of Lochside from Silver Seal.

The Silver Seal company was established in 2000 by Sestante founder, Ernesto Mainardi. Both companies were purchased and merged by Massimo Righi in 2010.

Bottle number 13, of only 236.

Ron Zacapa Reserva Limitada 2013

Released annually, Ron Zacapa Reserva Limitada is matured for between 6 and 24 years.

Matured in an aged aromatic herb garden - rather than a warehouse, naturally.

Redbreast 1999 All Sherry Single Cask #30087 / TWE 

Redbreast is a single pot sill whiskey from New Midleton distillery in Ireland. A combination of malted and un-malted barley are triple distilled in copper pot stills. 

This is an unusual single sherry cask, specially bottled for the The Whisky Exchange

Cask Number #30087.

Bottle 409 of 576.

Laphroaig 1989 Vintage 23 Year Old

A vatting of 1989 vintage casks from the famous Laphroaig distillery on Islay.

Aged for 23 years and bottled at 48.9%.

Laphroaig 1991 Liquid Sun 20 Year Old

A single cask Laphroaig bottled by Liquid Suyn.

Distilled 1991, matured in a sherry hogshead and bottled in 2011

One of 279 bottles.

Littlemill 1988 Liquid Sun 24 Year Old

This Littlemill was distilled in 1988 and matured in ex-bourbon wood before being bottled by Liquid Sun in 2012.

One of 326 bottles

Laphroaig 1991 23 Year Old

This recent release from Laphroaig was limited to only 5,000 bottles for the German market.

Matured exclusively in sherry and refill hogsheads and bottled at cask strength.

Bottle number 483.

Ladyburn 8 Year Old

The Ladyburn Distillery was built in 1966 by William Grant & Sons Ltd and only operated for a very short period until November 15th 1975.  

There have been very few bottlings from Ladyburn, this official 8 year old was released during the 1990s. There is some debate as to the origin of this whisky as it is a 'Pure Malt'. However, it seems to be widely accepted as a single malt from this lost distillery rather than a blended malt carrying the distillery's name.

Rosebank 12 Year Old Flora and Fauna

This Flora and Fauna bottling of Rosebank has been discontinued for a number of years and was the last standard official release from Rosebank.

There have been super premium releases from Diageo since this bottle was discontinued.

Redbreast 2001 All Sherry Single Cask #18829 / Master of Malt Exclusive

Redbreast is a single pot sill whiskey from Midleton in Ireland. A combination of malted and unmalted barley are triple distilled in copper pot stills. 

This is an unusual single sherry cask, specially bottled for Master of Malt.

Cask Number #18829 was bonded in 2001.

One of 582 bottles.

Littlemill 1985 Gordon and MacPhail Rare Old

A Gordon and MacPhail bottling of Littlemill, distilled in 1985 and bottled in 2013.

Littlemill is one of the many lost Lowland distilleries, finally demolished in 2006 and quite sought after since.

R0/13/02.

Laphroaig Miniatures Selection 4 x 5cl

• 1967 Signatory Vintage 28 year old 50.3%
• 1966 Signatory Vintage 30 year old 48.7%
• 1981 The Ultimate 14 year old 43%
• 1987 Murray McDavid 9 year old 46%

Laphroaig 10 Year Old Original Cask Strength / 57.3%​

The original bottling of cask strength Laphroaig from the early 1990's.

Now incredibly hard to find.

Littlemill 1989 Whisky Agency 25 Year Old

This Littlemill was matured in a refill hogshead before being bottled by The Whisky Agency in 2014. 

One of 282 bottles. 

Bottled for Three Rivers Tokyo and The Auld Alliance

Laphroaig 1991 Vintage 23 Year Old / German Exclusive

This 2014 release from Laphroaig was limited to only 5,000 bottles to the German market.

Matured exclusively in sherry and refill hogsheads and bottled at cask strength.

Laphroaig 10 Year Old Pre-Royal Warrant / with Miniature 5cl

Laphroaig 10 Year Old... an iconic Islay classic! 

From the window in the early 1990's when the 75cl bottles were replaced but before the Royal Warrant was granted in 1994. 

Includes a 5cl miniature 

Laphroaig 1990 SMWS 23 Year Old 29.152

A Laphroaig bottled by Scotch Malt Whisky Society, 

Distilled in October 1990 and matured in a refill ex-bourbon hogshead.

\"Chapter and verse\"

One of 206 bottles. 

Royal Lochnagar & Strathmill Manager's Drams 2 x 70cl

The Manager’s Dram series of whiskies were bottled exclusively for employees of what is now known as Diageo.  These whiskies were selected by the respective distillery managers within Diageo malt distilling and bottled at natural cask strength.

This lot includes 10 year old Royal Lochnagar, matured in European oak casks and chosen by distillery manager David Hardy, bottled in January 2006 and a 15 year old Strathmill bottled in 2003.

Shipping on this lot will be charged at 2 bottles.

Royal Brackla 1978 Rare Malt 20 Year Old / 59.8%

The Rare Malt Selection is a historic selection of single malt whiskies from operational and lost distilleries that were released by Diageo between 1995 and 2005.

Royal Brackla was only released once within the Rare Malt series, distilled in 1978 and bottled in May 1998 as a 20 year old.

Bottle number 7570. 

Littlemill 21 Year Old First Edition

Released in 2012, this official bottling of Littlemill proved to be very popular, perhaps unsurprising as there are so few official releases from this lost distillery.

Limited release of 3,000 bottles at 21 years old.

Littlemill 21 Year Old Hart Brothers Queen's Diamond Jubilee / with Commemorative Coin

A 21 year old single malt from closed Lowland distillery, Littlemill.

Bottled by Hart Brothers in 2012 to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

This lot also includes a commemorative coin. 

Littlemill 21 Year Old First Edition

Released in 2012, this official bottling of Littlemill proved to be very popular, perhaps unsurprising as there are so few official releases from this lost distillery.

Limited release of 3,000 bottles at 21 years old.

Laphroaig 15 Year Old

A stunning old bottle of Laphroaig, bottled in the mid to late 1990s, after the award of the Royal Warrant in 1994.

This particular bottling was said to be Prince Charles' favourite! 

Ladyburn 8 Year Old

The Ladyburn Distillery was built in 1966 by William Grant & Sons Ltd and only operated for a very short period until November 15th 1975.  

There have been very few bottlings from Ladyburn, this official 8 year old was released during the 1990s, well after the closure - there is some debate as to the origin of this whisky , as it is a 'Pure Malt'.  It seems to be widely accepted as a single malt from this lost distillery rather than a blended malt carrying the distilleries name.

Laphroaig 10 Year Old 1980s

An older bottling of Laphroaig from the 1980s.