The Glenlivet 55 Year Old 200th Anniversary Edition 1 of 1 has been sold for £63,000 (including VAT and fees) at Sotheby’s, with the £42,000 hammer price going to The National Trust For Scotland. The lot is the inaugural release in a partnership between Sotheby’s and Glenlivet owners Chivas Brothers that will bring a selection of unique lots to auction.
Two Versions Of The Glenlivet 55 Year Old
The first bottle in the Eternal Collection was released last month as part of Glenlivet’s 200th anniversary celebrations. That bottle was also a 55 Year Old with the presentation designed in partnership with Michael Hansmeyer, but the 1 of 1 whisky sold this week differs in a few ways.
The whisky itself in the 200th anniversary decanter is bottled at the slightly higher strength of 42.8%. The decanter itself is based on the same shape as the original but is adorned with “37 pavé set Peridots on 24 carat gold plated, pure silver cowl with enamel decorations.” The plinth itself is a unique piece of 3D printed artwork by computational artist Michael Hansmeyer. Hansmeyer’s unique design for this 1 of 1 version is gold plated in 24 carat gold and rests on a base of Brazilian Emerald Quartzite. The organic form and color of the quartzite contrasts strikingly against the gold and bronze of the whisky itself, to create an impressive centerpiece.
The Auction
All proceeds from the sale will benefit the National Trust for Scotland. The auction finished on Tuesday, November 5th at 15:00 GMT. With 90 minutes to go the bid sat at £35,000 ($45,500) from 35 different bids; comfortably reaching its bottom estimate (£35,000 – £70,000). A flurry of activity in the last five minutes of the auction saw the hammer price rise to £42,000 with the final price including buyers premium and fees at £63,000 ($81,860).
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The “regular” 55 year old in the Eternal collection is available at retail for around $48,000—although it’s worth noting that there is nothing normal about a 100 bottle limited edition of 55 year old whisky—so it is no surprise that the flurry of last minute bidding saw the final hammer rise. As part of the lot the successful winner of the 200th Anniversary Edition will also be invited to The Glenlivet Distillery for a once in a lifetime whisky experience.
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