Literal treasure from a 130-year-old shipwreck is set to headline an auction of rare and collectable spirits in Glasgow this month. It’s a decanter of whisky rescued from the sunken depths.
A statement from McTears Auction explained that when the SS Wallachia went down in the Firth of Clyde in 1895, it was believed the ship’s cargo of whisky and beer was lost. But amazingly, a hundred years later, a group of divers took on the challenge of visiting the wreck, and brought a haul of bottles to the surface.
And now, one of the divers decided to consign his find, including what is believed to be one of only two decanters of Wilkinson’s Famous Liqueur Whisky recovered from the wreck, to McTear’s Auction.
Experts predict the auction could sell for between £3,000 and £5,000 when the hammer drops in the “Whisky: Timeless Treasures” auction slated for April 14th.
McTear’s whisky specialist, Ewan Thomson, said this amazing collection has a truly historic story to tell.
“Although individual bottles of ‘Wallachia whisky’ have been sold in the past, this is the largest and best preserved selection to go under the hammer,” he added. “The decanter is a particularly notable find, being one of only two recovered from the ship; and, as far as we know, it is the only one to ever come to auction.”
The auction lot includes seven bottles and half bottles of whisky from historic brands Robert Brown’s Four Crowns blend (a popular brand that received a Royal Warrant from Edward VII) and Charles Wilkinson, along with two bottles of McEwan’s Export beer.
“There has been a lot of interest in the collection although I suspect most are interested in the bottles as collectors’ items rather than for drinking,” Thomson said. “Reports from those who have been brave enough to sample these whiskies in the past range from ‘elegant and moving’ to an ‘utter abomination,’ suggesting that anyone looking to sample this particular 125 year old amber nectar should tread carefully.”
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McTear’s is one of the longest-established auctioneers of whisky in the world. In addition to the Wallachia whiskies, McTear’s Whisky: Timeless Treasures auction includes more than 300 lots of premium spirits including two dozen bottles of rare Macallan and fine examples from Springbank, Lagavulin, Glendronach, Talisker and Glenfarclas.
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