As the festive season approaches we’re starting to think about gifting at the Whisky.Auction offices. Whether that’s gifting for a loved one, or finding a treat for ourselves is another matter. This month we’ve found bottles at a range of price points to suit every collecting budget.
The November auction is now live at www.whisky.auction, ending from 19:30 GMT Tuesday 18 November.
Glen Mhor 1978 16 Year Old Cask 4047 First Cask
One of the ‘lost distilleries’ hunted by whisky collectors, single malt releases from Glen Mhor are relatively rare. Closed and demolished in 1983, Glen Mhor was the first malt whisky distillery in Scotland to install a Saladin malting box, an early space saving replacement for floor malting. New owners DCL removed the Saladin box in 1980 in favour of bringing in malted barley. While this change shouldn’t have affected the final whisky, finding whisky distilled before the update is certainly an interesting piece of history for whisky collectors.
Quick whisky question
Single malt is everywhere, but what does it mean? We want to know what the word “single” means to you. Three quick questions, under a minute.
The Whisky.Auction valuations team expects this bottle to reach a hammer price of £200-£250. You can place your bids here.
Very Olde St Nick 8 Year Old – Japanese Market
As with many whiskeys that start to reach ‘cult’ status, there’s a lot of differing information to dig through on the history of Very Olde St Nick, despite it being a relatively new product when you consider some of the historic bottles that come through the auction each month. What we do know is that the brand was bottled at a few different distilleries over the years, with this one coming out of Bardstown, Kentucky (Willett?), bottled in the early 2000s for the Japanese market. A fun addition, or a perfect gift, for a Bourbon lover.
The Whisky.Auction valuation team expects this bottle to reach a hammer price of £100-£200. You can place your bids here.
What Will Whisky Look Like in 2027? Voices from Whisky Live Paris
READ THE STORYRosebank 1978 Bottled 1991 – SMWS 25.4
Recipient of an impressive 92 points when tasted by Serge Valentin (WhiskyFun) who described it as ‘quite fabulous’ back in 2014, this is an intense sherry cask whisky from once closed, and now reopened, Lowland distillery Rosebank. It was bottled in 1991, two years before the distillery closed its doors due to soaring refurbishment costs. While Rosebank is now distilling again, it’ll be a long time before we see any whisky to rival these old expressions, making this a highly sought-after relic of the distillery’s past.
The Whisky.Auction valuations team expects this bottle to sell for £1800 £2300. You can place your bids here.
Macallan 1967 25 Year Old Anniversary Malt – Bottled 1992
The Macallan Anniversary series may seem at first glance like they’re celebrating an anniversary for the brand, but that’s not actually the case. The theory is that these were a clever marketing ploy targeting people celebrating their own 25th (or 50th) anniversaries, be that a birthday, a wedding anniversary etc. You can read more in an article from Beth Squires, published here last year, but in short, the marketing worked, and they released 18 expressions (including two NV) of the 25th Anniversary over the course of 17 years. These days, different vintages sell for different prices depending on the demand for the particular vintage.
The Whisky.Auction valuations team expects this bottle to sell for £2500 – £3500. You can place your bids here.
Springbank 12-Year-Old bottled 1980s
I often think there’s nothing more visually pleasing than the classic packaging of the Springbank 12-year-old from the 1980s and early 90s, before it was discontinued to take into account the closure of the distillery between 1979 and 1987. While simple in appearance, this much-loved Campbeltown malt will always have a special place in the hearts of single malt whisky lovers. Looking to treat yourself in the run-up to the festive season? Perhaps this bottle is the one.
The Whisky.Auction valuations team expects this bottle to sell for £700 – £900. You can place your bids here.
There are 1411 lots live in the November auction, ending from 19:30 GMT Tuesday, 18 November. View them all at www.whisky.auction now.
Latest On The Whiskey Wash
