A 1962 Bowmore whisky headlines latest auction of rare scotch
SOME of the rarest whisky on Earth will go up for sale in Scotland on Thursday (Oct 5). The Distillers’ One of One is a charitable event organised by Sotheby’s at Hopetoun House just outside Edinburgh. Diageo, BeamSuntory, Campari and most of the world’s major liquor conglomerates are participating. Only some 170 people can attend, but those who aren’t among the fortunate few to have scored an invitation to the gala can place bids online.
Each of the 39 lots represents a one-off: a singular bottling of ultra-rare scotch, from a distinguished distillery, that’s never to be re-released exactly as it is. Notable offerings include a 68-year-old Glen Grant Visionary, a 45-year-old Old Pulteney Bow Wave, and a 52-year-old Macduff. A Christmas At Hazelwood 51 Year Old available for auction is an advent calendar that contains samples of each of the 24 releases the brand has ever put out, packaged to resemble the family’s private estate.
A 1.5-litre bottle of Bowmore STAC 55 Year Old-the oldest expression ever from the storied Islay producer-is expected to draw the highest bid and is currently estimated to sell for as much as £500,000 (S$831,957). The 82-proof single malt was distilled in 1962 and then bottled at 2017 after being laid down in a refill (previously used) American oak hogshead.
The bottle itself is a feat of engineering. The high-grade glass was fabricated in such a way that it tapers down from rectangular translucence into an opaque amorphous, rock-like texture.
“The Bowmore STAC is, simply, one of my favourite things-not just whiskies, but things,” says Jonny Fowle, global head of spirits for Sotheby’s. “As a Bowmore lover, the fact that this is from the legendary ‘60s era is enough to excite me. Add to that the fact that it’s a magnum-and the most high-concept presentation I have ever seen-elevates this to being more than a bottle of whisky.”
The market for precious whiskies at auction has been setting records for the past four years, kickstarted in 2019 when Sotheby’s offered up a massive trove of treasured scotch and touted it as “The Ultimate Whisky Collection.” By the time the hammer dropped, it became clear that the rare bottles lived up to the billing-at least for the lucky seller that took home £7.6 million in exchange for 391 lots of liquid.
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This set a new benchmark as the highest value ever achieved for spirits sold at auction. It also grabbed international headlines, underscoring how lucrative the sector had become over a relatively short period of time.
In 2019, a bottle of Macallan 1926 60 Year Old Fine & Rare sold for £1.5 million. It bested the record set by the same vintage just a year earlier.
Since launching in 2021, the One of One auction has become the premiere auction event on the spirits calendar. Originally conceived to benefit children’s charities, the industry’s biggest players look at the event as an occasion for one-upmanship.
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For this year’s Iris release, artisans at Brora suspended a 50-year-old Highland malt, estimated to sell for as much as £400,000, inside a 200-pound limestone sculpture so it looks like the eye of a Scottish wildcat.
Contrasted against the negative space surrounding it, the mahogany-hued whisky also looks very much like the iris of a dragon. With a smouldering cedar note in the nose and a waxy layer of spicy ginger and cardamom coating the tongue, it breathes a respectable degree of fire.
Not all of the lots run to six figures. Initially offered for a modest sum of £6,500 is the Only Drop, a 33-year-old unapologetic sherry bomb, courtesy of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, one of the industry’s premiere independent bottlers. Its chorus of plum fruit, tobacco leaf and leather will sing loudly from the top shelf of any home bar. It even comes equipped with a 10cl miniature, so you can sample the goods without cracking open the grand prize.
Such packaging emphasises an inevitability that’s bound to irk many a whisky drinker: There’s a good chance that many of the bottles sold at One of One won’t be consumed anytime soon-if ever. In addition to the showpiece nature of these lots, they all possess the ingredients that appeal squarely to whisky investors: extreme rarity, age and provenance from a distinguished producer.
In this instance at least, the practice benefits a great cause. According to the Sotheby’s website, “proceeds from the Distillers’ One of One auction will be disbursed from the fund to a number of charities that focus on empowering Scotland’s young adults to create positive change in their lives and communities.” If that’s something you feel like raising a glass to, check out the complete lot listing. BLOOMBERG
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