In such difficult times, the allure of whisky tempted bidders from around the world to join us remotely for The Whisky Sale: A Private Collection on 20th March.
Whilst the sold rate was somewhat less than normal at 61%, there were rare bottles of desirable Macallan sold as expected, and many bottles exceeded expectations.
The two top lots of the sale were The Macallan Red Ribbon Single Highland Malt Whisky 1938 and 1950, which sold for £9,500 and £5,000 (plus buyer’s premium) respectively. Macallan produced their Red Ribbon, with distinctive manuscript-style labels wrapped with a thin red ribbon and presented in a wooden casket, for their distributers around the world.
Almost doubling the top estimate to sell for £1,900 (plus buyer’s premium), was a bottle of Springbank 1965 Cask Strength Single Malt Campbeltown Scotch Whisky. Springbank is situated on the Kintyre Peninsula, and was founded on the site on an illicit still. One of the last surviving distillers of single malt whisky in Campbeltown, which once had over 30 distilleries, it is the longest family owned distillery having been bought by the Mitchell family in 1837.
An interesting pair of lots came in the form of two bottles of Highland Park 1973 Vintage Scotch, which were bottled in 2001. In 1973 two sherry casks were filled with new-made spirit, and left for 28 years, side by side in the Highland Park warehouse. The single malts were dramatically different, but why? This is the intriguing question posed on the label by the distillery for drinkers to mull over whilst drinking. The two bottles, one from cask 11167 and one from cast 11151, both sold for £650 (plus buyer’s premium), beating their top estimates.
The sale resulted in a total hammer price of £77,170 for the 177-lot sale, with an 61% sold rate.
