The catalogue for the Distillers’ Charity Auction of Rare Whiskies & Experiences has been released and we’ve never seen anything like it before.
The catalogue contains over 70 rare whiskies and experiences which will go under the hammer on Tuesday 10th April at Mercers’ Hall in London. Estimates for the lots, which have been donated directly by the producers or liverymen of the Distillers, range from £250 to £25,000.
With that sort of price tag you won’t be surprised to hear that the list includes some of the most sought-after whiskies in the world, one-of-a-kind expressions, special bottlings never released commercially and private invitations to tastings with the makers.
You can have a gander at the catalogue at www.distillers.auction where you can also purchase tickets to the black tie event for £100. Don’t panic though, you can also register for absentee and telephone bidding on the same site if you want to keep all your money for your purchases.
We hate copying and pasting press releases at BarLifeUK and usually avoid it like the plague but when it comes to the technical descriptions of a selection (and it really is just a selection) of the whiskies and experiences on offer….. well it’s the exception to our rule. Enjoy geeking out on this lot:
Press Release
Bidding is expected to be strong for the Whyte & Mackay contribution of a one-off, specially produced bottle of The Dalmore 1976 Highland Single Malt Whisky 41 Years Old, matured in a Graham’s Port Colheita 1963 Pipe, with details and tasting notes on a scroll handwritten by master blender and liveryman Richard Paterson.
William Grant & Sons has provided exceptional whiskies with wonderful stories. Glenfiddich 50 Years Old, vintage distillery bottling from 1991, is number 440 of a limited edition of 500 bottles. This whisky was made from a batch of nine casks laid down in the 1930s, one for each of William Grant’s nine children who had helped to build Glenfiddich Distillery in the 1880s. Its bottle of The Balvenie 50 Year Old Cask 191 (bottle number 14 of 83), distilled in 1952 and bottled is 2002, is one of the oldest Balvenies ever released and the label reads: “The last cask of The Balvenie Single Malt Whisky from the nineteen fifties is unique and unrepeatable.”
Gordon & MacPhail has gathered six of its historic bottlings of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies, one distilled in each decade from the 1930s to 1980s, to create The Archive Collection exclusively for The Distillers’ Charity Auction: Strathisla 1937, Linkwood 1946, Talisker 1955, Glen Grant 1965 (never released for sale), Ardbeg 1974 and St. Magdalene 1982. This is accompanied by an invitation to the home of this family-owned company.
Compass Box Whisky has also delved into its archive to compile The Hedonism Collection, from the original in 2000 (the world’s first Blended Grain Scotch Whisky) to the latest expression released this year: Hedonism (First Edition), Hedonism Maximus, Hedonism 10th Anniversary, Hedonism Quindecimus and Hedonism The Muse. Founder John Glaser will host a special dinner in the Compass Box Blending Room for the winning bidder and five guests.
The Kirin Brewery Company Fuji-Gotemba Distillery has brought together a set of three 21 Year Old bottlings, never before sold together (two no longer available commercially and a Single Malt that has never been released for sale), from its historical whisky library stocks: Evermore 2001 Blended Whisky, Evermore 2002 Blended Whisky and Fuji-Gotemba Single Malt Whisky distilled in 1981.
Chivas Bros has created The Royal Salute Highland Fling, a two-day trip to Speyside hosted by Peter Prentice, Keepers of the Quaich chairman and global VIP relations director for Chivas Bros. Staying at Linn House, six guests will visit Aberlour, The Glenlivet and Strathisla Distilleries with tastings in the Royal Salute Vault and Chivas Regal Cellar. The trip culminates in a Royal Salute Scottish Dinner and tasting of extraordinary whiskies.
Other highlights include: a magnum of Glenfarclas Highland Single Malt Whisky Aged 50 Years specially selected for The Worshipful Company of Distillers by John L S Grant and George S Grant and donated by Glenfarclas Distillery; Bowmore Single Malt Scotch Whisky 1964 Fino Cask 46 Years Old (one of 72 bottles) given by Beam Suntory UK; a unique bottle of Littlemill The Worshipful Company of Distillers 2018 Edition 40 Years Old selected by master blender Michael Henry; The Macallan Sherry Oak 40 Years Old rare single malt matured in three handpicked Oloroso sherry seasoned casks from Jerez; and number 232 of 500 crystal decanters of cask strength The North British Single Grain Scotch Whisky 50 Years Old given to employees, former employees and friends of The North British Distillery Company Limited to celebrate its 125th Anniversary in 2010.
Alongside these legendary names are new distilleries already making their mark. Liverymen Daniel Szor, founder and CEO of The Cotswolds Distillery, is offering a day of whisky making and a hand-drawn cask strength bottle of Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky, and Stephen A Gould, proprietor and distiller at the Golden Moon Distillery, has donated a bottle from the first cask of its initial release of Colorado Single Malt Whiskey.
Bryan Burrough, Master of the Worshipful Company of Distillers, said: “As a Livery Company, charity is at the heart of what we do, and as Distillers we are proud to be leading our fundraising with the Distillers’ Charity Auction. An incredible collection of whiskies has been donated, which we are sure will generate a great deal of interest and excitement from collectors around the world.”
In the spirit of the event, the first two Worshipful Company of Distillers single cask bottlings of The Master’s Cask, signed by the Master of their year of bottling (an unpeated Caol Ila 18 Years Old for Douglas Morton in 2016 and Knockando 18 Years Old for Richard Watling in 2017), are presented for auction in a specially commissioned cabinet.
All proceeds will be donated to the Distillers’ Charity, which supports industry training and education, the Alcohol Education Trust dedicated to improving alcohol education for young people in Scotland, and the Lord Mayor’s Appeal towards the OnSide Youth Zones initiative creating opportunities for young people in London to thrive. More information on these charities can be found at www.distilers.auction
Follow The Distillers’ Charity Auction on Instagram and Facebook @distillersauction and on Twitter @dstlrauction.