Whisky 2nd page
in addition to The Macallan 1926 60
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Whisky
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Whisky
Casks from a Bygone Era
Intro
Under the reference of a Whisky of Distinction event subtitled casks from a bygone era, Sotheby's in partnership with Diageo sells on June 14, 2022 two casks of prestigious Scotch whiskies from stocks left behind when the distilleries closed nearly 40 years ago.
The new owners will be invited to further age their casks for up to five years before they are bottled. Both lots carry also an accompanying artwork to be printed on the labels of the bottles drawn from the casks.
The new owners will be invited to further age their casks for up to five years before they are bottled. Both lots carry also an accompanying artwork to be printed on the labels of the bottles drawn from the casks.
1
1979 Port Ellen Cask
2022 SOLD for £ 875K by Sotheby's
The lot 1, sold for £ 875K, was a cask of Port Ellen whisky.
It was distilled in 1979 for an estimated volume of 102 bottles. Its flavor has been subtly influenced by its long term storage in the cask. It is titling 52.9%.
The distillery of Port Ellen, on the western coast of the Isle of Islay in the Hebrides, closed in 1983 and will be reopened by Diageo in 2023. The artist Ini Archibong will create a Murano glass sculpture finished in the colors of Islay. The experience includes a private tour of the distillery for four people within a two day luxury hospitality.
It was distilled in 1979 for an estimated volume of 102 bottles. Its flavor has been subtly influenced by its long term storage in the cask. It is titling 52.9%.
The distillery of Port Ellen, on the western coast of the Isle of Islay in the Hebrides, closed in 1983 and will be reopened by Diageo in 2023. The artist Ini Archibong will create a Murano glass sculpture finished in the colors of Islay. The experience includes a private tour of the distillery for four people within a two day luxury hospitality.
2
1982 Brora Cask
2022 SOLD for £ 875K by Sotheby's
The lot 2, sold for £ 875K, was a cask of Brora whisky.
It was distilled in 1982 for an estimated volume of 145 bottles. It has rich flavirs of cooked fruits above a lightly peated character. It is titling 52.8%.
The Brora distillery in Northeastern Scotland closed in 1983 and was reopened by Diageo in 2021. The art experience will be a trip in Scotland for four people with the photographer Trey Ratcliff to capture together the most beautiful local landscapes.plus a private tour of the distillery within a two day luxury hospitality.
It was distilled in 1982 for an estimated volume of 145 bottles. It has rich flavirs of cooked fruits above a lightly peated character. It is titling 52.8%.
The Brora distillery in Northeastern Scotland closed in 1983 and was reopened by Diageo in 2021. The art experience will be a trip in Scotland for four people with the photographer Trey Ratcliff to capture together the most beautiful local landscapes.plus a private tour of the distillery within a two day luxury hospitality.
2006-2014 Hanyu
2019 SOLD for HK$ 7.2M by Bonhams
Isouji Akuto created one of the best brands of Japanese whisky in Hanyu in 1941. This small operation was not profitable and the distillery closed in 2000. Ichiro Akuto, the grandson of the founder, is a great whisky lover. He buys the remaining casks and selects the best products which he will trade under the designation of Ichiro's Malt Distilled at Hanyu's Distillery.
Each cask provides another flavor. Ichiro identifies them with a playing card. The bottle labels provide a full traceability : years of distillation and bottling, alcohol volume, cask number, serialization including the total quantity of the card.
Four cards were released in 2005 in about 120 bottles for each one. A very rare ace of spades of this first edition, bottle number 5 of 122, was sold for HK $ 85K by Bonhams on August 15, 2014.
Success exceeds all expectations. Drinkers appreciate the variety of flavors and collectors demand a full pack. The four original cards are reissued in 2006 after one additional year of maturation in the same cask. The 52 cards are available in 2011, followed in 2014 by two jokers including one final blend.
The dates of distillation are ranging from 1985 to 2000, the volume between 46 and 61%, and the production of each card between 200 and 650 bottles except the ultimate blended joker increased to 3,690 bottles.
A full set of 54 bottles with the original four in their second edition of 2006 was sold by Bonhams in Hong Kong for HK $ 3.8M on August 28, 2015. Another set identically constituted was sold for HK $ 7.2M in the same auction venue on August 16, 2019, lot 323.
The Hanyu whisky was designed for drinking, not for collecting, and complete packs become extremely rare and very difficult to assemble from scratch. This comment supports the raising price anticipated by the auction house.
Each cask provides another flavor. Ichiro identifies them with a playing card. The bottle labels provide a full traceability : years of distillation and bottling, alcohol volume, cask number, serialization including the total quantity of the card.
Four cards were released in 2005 in about 120 bottles for each one. A very rare ace of spades of this first edition, bottle number 5 of 122, was sold for HK $ 85K by Bonhams on August 15, 2014.
Success exceeds all expectations. Drinkers appreciate the variety of flavors and collectors demand a full pack. The four original cards are reissued in 2006 after one additional year of maturation in the same cask. The 52 cards are available in 2011, followed in 2014 by two jokers including one final blend.
The dates of distillation are ranging from 1985 to 2000, the volume between 46 and 61%, and the production of each card between 200 and 650 bottles except the ultimate blended joker increased to 3,690 bottles.
A full set of 54 bottles with the original four in their second edition of 2006 was sold by Bonhams in Hong Kong for HK $ 3.8M on August 28, 2015. Another set identically constituted was sold for HK $ 7.2M in the same auction venue on August 16, 2019, lot 323.
The Hanyu whisky was designed for drinking, not for collecting, and complete packs become extremely rare and very difficult to assemble from scratch. This comment supports the raising price anticipated by the auction house.
2013 The Six Pillars of The Macallan
1
2017 SOLD for HK$ 7.7M by Sotheby's
Established in 1824, The Macallan distillery deserves and maintains its reputation for producing single malt whiskies among the best in the world. The company explains through didactic mottoes the six root causes for its pre-eminence constituting the Six Pillars of The Macallan : Exceptional Oak Cask, Natural Colour, Finest Cut, Curiously Small Stills, Spiritual Home, Peerless Spirit.
Around 2013 The Macallan edited its Six Pillars series : six references of whiskies, each one identified by one of the mottoes, in Lalique 70 cl bottles specially designed for each reference. These whiskies are among the oldest ever offered by the brand in terms of the age of maturation : 50 to 65 years.
On April 2, 2017, Sotheby's sold for HK $ 7.7M from a lower estimate of HK $ 2M a complete series of the Six Pillars that had been kept by The Macallan, lot 7370. It is accompanied by 12 Lalique Macallan glasses and by six 5 cl mignonnettes containing even older whiskies : 1937 to 1939. The whole is offered in a bespoke ebony cabinet made by Lalique.
The proceeds from the sale were partially donated to charities. The short video announcing these Six Pillars is integrated in the tweet.
Around 2013 The Macallan edited its Six Pillars series : six references of whiskies, each one identified by one of the mottoes, in Lalique 70 cl bottles specially designed for each reference. These whiskies are among the oldest ever offered by the brand in terms of the age of maturation : 50 to 65 years.
On April 2, 2017, Sotheby's sold for HK $ 7.7M from a lower estimate of HK $ 2M a complete series of the Six Pillars that had been kept by The Macallan, lot 7370. It is accompanied by 12 Lalique Macallan glasses and by six 5 cl mignonnettes containing even older whiskies : 1937 to 1939. The whole is offered in a bespoke ebony cabinet made by Lalique.
The proceeds from the sale were partially donated to charities. The short video announcing these Six Pillars is integrated in the tweet.
2
2019 SOLD for £ 670K by Sotheby's
The Six Pillars of The Macallan, made of six decanters by Lalique in a polished walnut cabinet, was sold for £ 670K from a lower estimate of £ 300K by Sotheby's on October 24, 2019, lot 177.
3
2019 SOLD for £ 630K by Sotheby's
In the same sale by Sotheby's on October 24, 2019, another nearly identical set was sold for £ 630K, lot 178. The cabinet in black lacquer walnut wad made by the same craftsman.
2011-2020 The Dalmore Decades
2021 SOLD for HK$ 8.8M by Sotheby's
The Dalmore is a distillery created in 1839 in the Highlands. The Dalmore Decades is their prestige edition of a collection of whiskies spanning their recent history, specially selected by their master distiller Richard Paterson.
The Decades No. 6 collection is a unique set of six crystal decanters. It includes a 1951 whisky bottled in 2011, possibly the last of its kind. The other five elements of the set were bottled in 2020 from whiskies distilled in 1967, 1979, 1980, 1995 and 2000. 1980 is the year of the hiring of Paterson.
The No. 6 came as a partnership with Sotheby's in a single lot auction on October 8, 2021. It was sold for HK $ 8.8M from a lower estimate of HK $ 4M, lot 1.
Each decanter is decorated with the 12 point royal stag emblem, a reminder that The Dalmore was owned from 1891 by the Mackenzie clan of which a member had saved the king in 1263 from a charging stag. The 1951 in that collection is considered as the last whisky from the Mackenzie era. Its dark mahogany color is unique in that collection.
The Decades No. 6 collection is a unique set of six crystal decanters. It includes a 1951 whisky bottled in 2011, possibly the last of its kind. The other five elements of the set were bottled in 2020 from whiskies distilled in 1967, 1979, 1980, 1995 and 2000. 1980 is the year of the hiring of Paterson.
The No. 6 came as a partnership with Sotheby's in a single lot auction on October 8, 2021. It was sold for HK $ 8.8M from a lower estimate of HK $ 4M, lot 1.
Each decanter is decorated with the 12 point royal stag emblem, a reminder that The Dalmore was owned from 1891 by the Mackenzie clan of which a member had saved the king in 1263 from a charging stag. The 1951 in that collection is considered as the last whisky from the Mackenzie era. Its dark mahogany color is unique in that collection.
2020 The Macallan Red Collection
2020 SOLD for £ 760K by Sotheby's
The Macallan Red Collection is a set of six single malt whiskies, all of them bottled in 2020 at respectively 40, 50, 60, 71, 74 and 78 year old. The 78 is the oldest whisky ever released by the brand. Red is a signature color for The Macallan in relation to a long maturation in their oak casks.
Two sets have been constituted in addition to the standard edition. One of them is kept by The Macallan. The bottles from both sets have exclusive labels signed by Javi Aznarez.
The set with serial numbers 02 of the bottles was sold for £ 760K from a lower estimate of £ 200K by Sotheby's on October 31, 2020, lot 1. Each bottle is housed in an individual oak presentation case. Three bottled are hand signed by Kirsteen Campbell, the first ever woman to be appointed Master Whisky Maker at The Macallan.
That sale was made to benefit a charity which redistributes food surplus to vulnerable people in London.
Two sets have been constituted in addition to the standard edition. One of them is kept by The Macallan. The bottles from both sets have exclusive labels signed by Javi Aznarez.
The set with serial numbers 02 of the bottles was sold for £ 760K from a lower estimate of £ 200K by Sotheby's on October 31, 2020, lot 1. Each bottle is housed in an individual oak presentation case. Three bottled are hand signed by Kirsteen Campbell, the first ever woman to be appointed Master Whisky Maker at The Macallan.
That sale was made to benefit a charity which redistributes food surplus to vulnerable people in London.
2020 Yamazaki 55
2020 SOLD for HK$ 6.2M by Bonhams
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. On January 27, 2018 a bottle from the third edition grading 57 % was sold for HK $ 2.34M by Sotheby's. A 50 year old Suntory-Yamazaki whisky from the 2005 edition, grading 54%, was sold for HK $ 2.7M by Bonhams on August 17, 2018, lot 203.
Still longer : Yamazaki released in 2020 100 bottles of 55 year single malt whisky distilled by them in the 1960s. The alcohol content of 46 % in a deep reddish amber color. This single malt is a combination of three distillations, made in 1960, 1961 and 1964.
A 700 ml bottle housed in a mizunara oak box was sold by Bonhams on August 21, 2020 for HK $ 6.2M from a lower estimate of HK $ 580K, lot 354.
A 750 ml bottle of the Yamazaki 55 year old 0.46 was sold for $ 525K by Sotheby's on December 11, 2021, lot 1.
A 750 ml bottle with its mizunara oak box was sold for $ 600K by Sotheby's on June 17, 2022, lot 1.
History
The Yamazaki 55 Year Old is the oldest single malt whisky in the history of the House of Suntory and Japanese whisky overall. Distilled at the Yamazaki distillery—Japan's first malt whisky distillery, founded in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii in the Vale of Yamazaki near Kyoto—it represents a blend of precious single malts from the 1960s. The distillery was established to blend Scottish whisky traditions with Japanese craftsmanship, using local water sources and innovative cask types like Mizunara oak, which imparts unique sandalwood and incense notes.
The expression features components distilled in 1960 under the supervision of founder Shinjiro Torii, aged in Mizunara oak casks, and in 1964 under second-generation Master Blender Keizo Saji (Torii's son), aged in American white oak casks. This period coincided with Japan's Showa era, a time of rapid economic growth and transformation for Suntory, as Keizo Saji expanded the business and embedded whisky into Japanese culture. In 2020, Suntory's fifth-generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo collaborated with third-generation Master Blender Shingo Torii to blend these vintages, bottling the whisky at 46% ABV. Initially, only 100 bottles were released in Japan via a lottery system, priced at approximately $27,000 (3 million yen) each, with names engraved to discourage resale. A second batch of 100 bottles followed in 2021 for global markets, marking the first international release. Each bottle is presented in a mouth-blown crystal decanter engraved with "Yamazaki 55" in sandblasted calligraphy featuring genuine gold dust and lacquer, housed in a box made from aged Mizunara wood over 70 years old.
Breakthrough
The Yamazaki 55 Year Old shattered records as the oldest Japanese whisky ever bottled, surpassing previous expressions like the Yamazaki 50 Year Old and elevating Japanese whisky to new heights in the global luxury spirits market. Its breakthrough began shortly after the 2020 Japanese release when a bottle sold for HK$6.2 million (approximately $795,000) at Bonhams Hong Kong in August 2020, setting a new world record for the most expensive bottle of Japanese whisky and eclipsing prior benchmarks. This sale highlighted the growing demand for ultra-rare Japanese whiskies, driven by their scarcity and the unique flavors from Mizunara aging, which offers a depth of sandalwood, dark fruit, and subtle smoke not found in traditional Scotch.
In 2021, the global release further amplified its impact, with bottles fetching over $60,000 at retail in the U.S., and Suntory donating $5,000 per bottle sold there to support hospitality workers affected by the pandemic. Auction prices continued to climb; for instance, in 2023, tastings of the whisky were described as evoking dried fruits, oak spice, and a long, incense-like finish, underscoring its sensory innovation. By 2025, a complete packaged bottle appeared at Bonhams' Whisky Immortal auction in the U.S., estimated at over $250,000, marking the first such offering stateside in over two years and reinforcing its status as a collector's pinnacle. The expression's fusion of multi-generational expertise—spanning Shinjiro Torii's foundational vision to modern blending techniques—has positioned it as a benchmark for age-statement whiskies worldwide.
Legacy
The Yamazaki 55 Year Old endures as a testament to the Torii family's multi-generational legacy and the evolution of Japanese whisky from a niche pursuit to a global phenomenon rivaling Scotch in prestige and value. It encapsulates the "passage of time" theme, honoring the Showa era's innovations while inspiring future distillations at Yamazaki, which continues to produce award-winning expressions. Its record-breaking auctions have transformed the perception of Japanese whisky as an investment asset, with bottles now commanding prices in the hundreds of thousands, influencing the broader collectibles market and encouraging other distilleries to release ultra-aged stocks.
Culturally, it symbolizes Japan's meticulous craftsmanship, with its Mizunara influence becoming a hallmark that distinguishes Japanese whisky on the world stage. Proceeds from sales have supported causes like apprenticeship programs in Japan and global charities, extending its impact beyond luxury. With only 200 bottles ever produced and many held in private collections, the Yamazaki 55 remains a "liquid time capsule" that cements Suntory's role in whisky history, ensuring its reverence among connoisseurs for generations.
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. On January 27, 2018 a bottle from the third edition grading 57 % was sold for HK $ 2.34M by Sotheby's. A 50 year old Suntory-Yamazaki whisky from the 2005 edition, grading 54%, was sold for HK $ 2.7M by Bonhams on August 17, 2018, lot 203.
Still longer : Yamazaki released in 2020 100 bottles of 55 year single malt whisky distilled by them in the 1960s. The alcohol content of 46 % in a deep reddish amber color. This single malt is a combination of three distillations, made in 1960, 1961 and 1964.
A 700 ml bottle housed in a mizunara oak box was sold by Bonhams on August 21, 2020 for HK $ 6.2M from a lower estimate of HK $ 580K, lot 354.
A 750 ml bottle of the Yamazaki 55 year old 0.46 was sold for $ 525K by Sotheby's on December 11, 2021, lot 1.
A 750 ml bottle with its mizunara oak box was sold for $ 600K by Sotheby's on June 17, 2022, lot 1.
History
The Yamazaki 55 Year Old is the oldest single malt whisky in the history of the House of Suntory and Japanese whisky overall. Distilled at the Yamazaki distillery—Japan's first malt whisky distillery, founded in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii in the Vale of Yamazaki near Kyoto—it represents a blend of precious single malts from the 1960s. The distillery was established to blend Scottish whisky traditions with Japanese craftsmanship, using local water sources and innovative cask types like Mizunara oak, which imparts unique sandalwood and incense notes.
The expression features components distilled in 1960 under the supervision of founder Shinjiro Torii, aged in Mizunara oak casks, and in 1964 under second-generation Master Blender Keizo Saji (Torii's son), aged in American white oak casks. This period coincided with Japan's Showa era, a time of rapid economic growth and transformation for Suntory, as Keizo Saji expanded the business and embedded whisky into Japanese culture. In 2020, Suntory's fifth-generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo collaborated with third-generation Master Blender Shingo Torii to blend these vintages, bottling the whisky at 46% ABV. Initially, only 100 bottles were released in Japan via a lottery system, priced at approximately $27,000 (3 million yen) each, with names engraved to discourage resale. A second batch of 100 bottles followed in 2021 for global markets, marking the first international release. Each bottle is presented in a mouth-blown crystal decanter engraved with "Yamazaki 55" in sandblasted calligraphy featuring genuine gold dust and lacquer, housed in a box made from aged Mizunara wood over 70 years old.
Breakthrough
The Yamazaki 55 Year Old shattered records as the oldest Japanese whisky ever bottled, surpassing previous expressions like the Yamazaki 50 Year Old and elevating Japanese whisky to new heights in the global luxury spirits market. Its breakthrough began shortly after the 2020 Japanese release when a bottle sold for HK$6.2 million (approximately $795,000) at Bonhams Hong Kong in August 2020, setting a new world record for the most expensive bottle of Japanese whisky and eclipsing prior benchmarks. This sale highlighted the growing demand for ultra-rare Japanese whiskies, driven by their scarcity and the unique flavors from Mizunara aging, which offers a depth of sandalwood, dark fruit, and subtle smoke not found in traditional Scotch.
In 2021, the global release further amplified its impact, with bottles fetching over $60,000 at retail in the U.S., and Suntory donating $5,000 per bottle sold there to support hospitality workers affected by the pandemic. Auction prices continued to climb; for instance, in 2023, tastings of the whisky were described as evoking dried fruits, oak spice, and a long, incense-like finish, underscoring its sensory innovation. By 2025, a complete packaged bottle appeared at Bonhams' Whisky Immortal auction in the U.S., estimated at over $250,000, marking the first such offering stateside in over two years and reinforcing its status as a collector's pinnacle. The expression's fusion of multi-generational expertise—spanning Shinjiro Torii's foundational vision to modern blending techniques—has positioned it as a benchmark for age-statement whiskies worldwide.
Legacy
The Yamazaki 55 Year Old endures as a testament to the Torii family's multi-generational legacy and the evolution of Japanese whisky from a niche pursuit to a global phenomenon rivaling Scotch in prestige and value. It encapsulates the "passage of time" theme, honoring the Showa era's innovations while inspiring future distillations at Yamazaki, which continues to produce award-winning expressions. Its record-breaking auctions have transformed the perception of Japanese whisky as an investment asset, with bottles now commanding prices in the hundreds of thousands, influencing the broader collectibles market and encouraging other distilleries to release ultra-aged stocks.
Culturally, it symbolizes Japan's meticulous craftsmanship, with its Mizunara influence becoming a hallmark that distinguishes Japanese whisky on the world stage. Proceeds from sales have supported causes like apprenticeship programs in Japan and global charities, extending its impact beyond luxury. With only 200 bottles ever produced and many held in private collections, the Yamazaki 55 remains a "liquid time capsule" that cements Suntory's role in whisky history, ensuring its reverence among connoisseurs for generations.
2021 The Intrepid by The Macallan
2022 SOLD for £ 1.1M by Lyon and Turnbull
The Intrepid is the trademark of a 32 year old 43 % single malt whisky by The Macallan, distilled in May 1989 and bottled in September 2021.
Prepared from two American oak casks, the bottle number one of one of 1.80 m high and 311 liters immediately jumped as the Guinness world record holder of the largest bottle of whisky. Iy is the equivalent of 444 standard 700 ml bottles.
It was sold for £ 1.1M by Lyon and Turnbull on May 25, 2022, lot 1. Please watch the announcement video and the expert's view video shared by the auction house.For security and ease of transport the whisky was contained at the auction within 178 x 1.75 Litre sealed glass bottles.
The Intrepid is named after the achievements of eleven pioneering explorers who are featured on the bottle. A limited number of bottle sets were also produced from the remaining of the same two casks.
Such a prestige operation was indeed made by The Macallan from an excellent whisky. The tasting notes record a pale gold liquid with khaki lights, a mild and gentle nose led by baked apple and apple skin while a drop of water reveals vanilla and dry sherry. Undisturbed during the distillation, it escapes the flavor of wood. It is smooth with an aftertaste suggestion of French apple tarte tatin.
Prepared from two American oak casks, the bottle number one of one of 1.80 m high and 311 liters immediately jumped as the Guinness world record holder of the largest bottle of whisky. Iy is the equivalent of 444 standard 700 ml bottles.
It was sold for £ 1.1M by Lyon and Turnbull on May 25, 2022, lot 1. Please watch the announcement video and the expert's view video shared by the auction house.For security and ease of transport the whisky was contained at the auction within 178 x 1.75 Litre sealed glass bottles.
The Intrepid is named after the achievements of eleven pioneering explorers who are featured on the bottle. A limited number of bottle sets were also produced from the remaining of the same two casks.
Such a prestige operation was indeed made by The Macallan from an excellent whisky. The tasting notes record a pale gold liquid with khaki lights, a mild and gentle nose led by baked apple and apple skin while a drop of water reveals vanilla and dry sherry. Undisturbed during the distillation, it escapes the flavor of wood. It is smooth with an aftertaste suggestion of French apple tarte tatin.
