An exceptionally rare 1979 Cask of Distinction from Islay’s Port Ellen Distillery will go under the hammer at Fine Spirits Auction, France’s leading online spirits auctioneer. Bids open at €1 million (£865,000, ₹11,15,03,793) and close on 2 October 2026.
The lot is presented in partnership with Diageo and is expected to generate significant interest among collectors.
Cask number 1145 is a refill American oak hogshead, distilled on 15 February 1979. It is currently aging at Royal Lochnagar Distillery in the Scottish Highlands.
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The buyer will have the option to continue maturation there until 16 February 2029, allowing the whisky to be bottled at 50 years old.
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The cask has an estimated ABV of 51.4% and is expected to yield around 73 bottles, based on June 2026 figures.
The auction lot includes comprehensive logistics support, storage, and bottling as part of the official Port Ellen Cask of Distinction range.
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READ THE STORY“Opportunities to showcase a Port Ellen cask of this provenance and age are extremely rare,” said Etienne de La Morsanglière, director of fine and rare spirits at La Maison du Whisky.
“This Cask of Distinction, distilled in 1979, boasts an impeccably documented history and now has an added distinction: its future owner will be granted a special dispensation permitting it to continue maturing until its fiftieth birthday. We’re especially delighted to present this cask to international collectors via Fine Spirits Auction.”
According to official tasting notes from whisky expert Charles MacLean: “Sensational! As good a Port Ellen as I have ever tasted; unusually dark and rich, hugely complex and rewarding.”
This exact cask was previously sold at auction in 2022, fetching £875,000 (approximately €1.018 million).
Founded in 1825, Port Ellen permanently ceased distilling in May 1983 amid an industry-wide streamlining of production capacity across the Scottish whisky sector. Diageo officially returned the distillery to production in March 2024, after a hiatus of more than 40 years. Whiskies drawn from historic stocks come exclusively from distillations carried out up to and including 1983.
