The third biennial Distillers One of One charity auction, held in partnership with Sotheby’s at Hopetoun House near Edinburgh on 10 October 2025, raised a total of £2.9 million ($3.9 million) from the sale of 39 lots of rare Scotch whisky.
The auction’s hammer total was £2.3 million ($3.1 million), substantially exceeding the pre-sale estimate of between £793,400 and £1.4 million.
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The sale featured a collection of one-off whiskies and experiences donated by 35 different companies and distilleries from across Scotland.
One hundred per cent of the hammer price will be given to The Distillers’ Charity to support its Youth Action Fund, which was established in 2022.
The fund supports disadvantaged young people in Scotland to enter employment, training, or further education.
Since its inaugural event in 2021, the Distillers One of One auctions have now raised a cumulative total of £6.6 million ($8.4 million) for charitable causes.
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Grant Gordon OBE, chairman of the Distillers’ Charity, said: “The Scotch Whisky industry continues to come together to raise incredible amounts in support of young people, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds, helping them achieve their ambitions and strengthen our communities.”
The auction saw 30 new brand auction records set, bringing the total number of records achieved by the event series to 66.
Jonny Fowle, global head of spirits at Sotheby’s, said: “The quality and creativity on offer were simply outstanding, showcasing the very best of the whisky world, in every sense. What makes this year’s edition particularly memorable is the extraordinary number of brand records achieved.”
The highest-selling lot was The Glenlivet Spira 60-year-old 1965, which sold for $871,358 (£650,000) and set a new auction record for the distillery.
The expression, the oldest released by The Glenlivet to date, was presented in a 1.5-litre hand-blown spiral decanter.
The second-highest price was achieved by The Glen Grant Eternal 77-year-old 1948, which sold for $536,220 (£400,000).
Port Ellen Prism 46-year-old 1978, the oldest whisky ever released by the distillery, sold for $502,706 (£375,000), also setting a brand record.
The Port Ellen was housed in a 1.5-litre magnum decanter encased in a 100-kilogram glass sculpture by artist Wilfried Grootens.
A record was also set for the closed Ladyburn distillery, with a 58-year-old 1966 expression selling for $301,624 (£225,000).
Other record-breaking sales included a Laphroaig Capsule 40-year-old, which sold for $167,569 (£125,000), and a 4.5-litre gallon bottle of 58-year-old Glenfarclas, which achieved $108,920 (£81,250).
The leading cask lot was a 2013 cask of biodynamic single malt from Bruichladdich, which sold for $67,028 (£50,000).
The next Distillers One of One auction is scheduled to be held in 2027.
More information on the auction and its charitable work can be found at the official Distillers One of One website.
