Sotheby’s achieved $2.9 million at its Whisky & Whiskey auction in New York on September 18, led by a $625,000 bottle of Karuizawa 1960. The auction house said the sale delivered the highest total for a spirits auction held in the city.
The auction formed part of Sotheby’s inaugural Nightcap wine and spirits festival, which generated $14.3 million across five sales, against a combined pre-sale estimate of $8.8 million-$12.6 million.
Karuizawa 1960 Cask #5627, known as “The Prototype,” was the festival’s highest-value lot, selling against an estimate of $400,000-$600,000. Sotheby’s described it as one of the most valuable bottles of Japanese whisky ever sold at auction.
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READ THE STORYKaruizawa’s final master distiller, Osami Uchibori, hand-filled the bottle on December 20, 2012. It is one of only two bottles known to have been drawn and hand-bottled directly from the cask before its commercial release.
The spirits sale, subtitled Featuring The Wax Top Collection, achieved a 100% sell-through rate and offered more than 500 bottles. According to Sotheby’s, it included the largest single collection of Willett Family Estate bottlings ever offered at auction.
Other results included $68,750 for Karuizawa 1970 Cask #6017 “The Last Masterpiece” and $27,500 for The Macallan Select Reserve 52 Year Old 1946, against estimates of $60,000-$90,000 and $8,000-$12,000 respectively.
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A three-bottle Very Olde St. Nick Estate Reserve Vintage Collection fetched $21,250. Proceeds will benefit California nonprofit The Big Wave Project, which supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“From the extraordinary rarity of Karuizawa ‘The Prototype’ to landmark Burgundy, Bordeaux, Napa Valley and American whiskey offerings, the programme showcased the remarkable depth and diversity of today’s collecting landscape,” said Nick Pegna, Sotheby’s global head of wine and spirits.
Across Nightcap’s five auctions, 97% of lots sold and 62% exceeded their high estimates. Collectors participated from 27 countries.
Wine accounted for the festival’s largest individual sale: The Impeccable Burgundy Collection Part VI generated $8.6 million. Six magnums of Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanée, Cros Parantoux 1993 fetched $350,000, making them the top wine lot.
Reported sale prices include buyer’s premium, while pre-sale estimates exclude it. Results are also net of any fees paid to purchasers who provided irrevocable bids.
