The price at auction of the best whiskies is considerably rising. Their bottling in limited edition follows a maturation of several decades during which the evolution is monitored by highly skilled tasters.
Two 75 cl bottles of a 60 year old Macallan grading 42.8% from an edition of 40 were sold by Bonhams on May 18, 2018 for respectively HK $ 8.6M and 8M including premium over a lower estimate of HK $ 3.6M each.
Japanese whisky follows a similar evolution.
The Meiji era had opened Japan to the world. Shinjiro Torii began his career as an apprentice at a pharmacist in Osaka who was importing Western liquor. He decides to adapt the whisky to the Japanese taste. Water quality is the key to perfection. In 1923 he set up his production line at Yamazaki, a confluence of three rivers between Osaka and Kyoto where source water has a reputation for exceptional purity.
Torii's choice was excellent. The single malt whisky produced by this factory belonging to the Suntory group has become one of the best in the world, mixing a subtle taste with a high alcohol content.
Suntory-Yamazaki released three editions of whiskies in 70 cl bottles after 50 years of maturation in mizunara oak casks : 50 bottles in 2005, 50 in 2007 and 150 in 2011.
A copy of the first edition became on October 2, 2016 at Poly Auctions the very first bottle of whisky, all origins considered, to cross at auction the threshold of one million HK $. On January 27, 2018 a bottle from the third edition grading 57 % was sold for HK $ 2.34M including premium by Sotheby's over a lower estimate of HK $ 700K.
On August 17 in Hong Kong, Bonhams sells a 50 year old Suntory-Yamazaki whisky from the 2005 edition, grading 54%. It is estimated HK $ 1.8M, lot 203.
SOLD for HK$ 2.7M including premium
Two 75 cl bottles of a 60 year old Macallan grading 42.8% from an edition of 40 were sold by Bonhams on May 18, 2018 for respectively HK $ 8.6M and 8M including premium over a lower estimate of HK $ 3.6M each.
Japanese whisky follows a similar evolution.
The Meiji era had opened Japan to the world. Shinjiro Torii began his career as an apprentice at a pharmacist in Osaka who was importing Western liquor. He decides to adapt the whisky to the Japanese taste. Water quality is the key to perfection. In 1923 he set up his production line at Yamazaki, a confluence of three rivers between Osaka and Kyoto where source water has a reputation for exceptional purity.
Torii's choice was excellent. The single malt whisky produced by this factory belonging to the Suntory group has become one of the best in the world, mixing a subtle taste with a high alcohol content.
Suntory-Yamazaki released three editions of whiskies in 70 cl bottles after 50 years of maturation in mizunara oak casks : 50 bottles in 2005, 50 in 2007 and 150 in 2011.
A copy of the first edition became on October 2, 2016 at Poly Auctions the very first bottle of whisky, all origins considered, to cross at auction the threshold of one million HK $. On January 27, 2018 a bottle from the third edition grading 57 % was sold for HK $ 2.34M including premium by Sotheby's over a lower estimate of HK $ 700K.
On August 17 in Hong Kong, Bonhams sells a 50 year old Suntory-Yamazaki whisky from the 2005 edition, grading 54%. It is estimated HK $ 1.8M, lot 203.
SOLD for HK$ 2.7M including premium
A rare first edition of #Yamazaki-50 year old will lead our #Whisky Sale in Hong Kong on Friday 17 August with a pre-sale estimate of HK$1,8M-2,4N (£175k-235k) https://t.co/6HEW3QIXjA pic.twitter.com/gKPRLqavNC
— Bonhams (@bonhams1793) July 19, 2018
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