Emma Ultra Rare Scotch Whiskies and experiences to be auctioned on 5th October at Hopetoun House
Hopetoun House near Edinburgh is the venue for The Distillers’ Charity and Sotheby’s second Distillers One of One Auction.
The official auction catalogue including a full list of all lots is now live at Sothebys.com and can be viewed on sothebys.com/distillersoneofone.
All proceeds from this auction will be donated to The Distillers’ Charity. This charity works with young people in Scotland aged between 16 and 25, by helping them to develop knowledge, confidence, resilience and skills to set them up for life and work.
The Youth Action Fund has assembled a panel of complementary charity partners, each providing expertise and experience in achieving sustainable employability outcomes for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Celia Tennant, Chief Executive of Inspiring Scotland, who manages the Youth Action Fund on behalf of The Distillers’ Charity, commented “the challenges that young people face are unprecedented. Of all issues revealed by young people, mental health is the most commonly reported with 42% of those who recently engaged with the fund reporting mental health concerns. 1 in 4 young people are living in poverty, with those living in the most disadvantaged communities among the worst affected by the Covid-19 pandemic when vital development was disrupted, and many have disengaged from education. The Youth Action Fund is well placed, and committed, to supporting the needs of this group of young people.”
Member donor lots include;:
The Gordon & MacPhail Recollection Showcase, set to be highly sought-after with an estimated auction value between £80,000 – £160,000. Five bespoke 70cl decanters, housed within a handcrafted elm and oak cabinet, cradling ultra-rare whiskies from lost distilleries, including Islay’s Port Ellen 1979, 55.7%, 43-year-old single malt, the oldest expression of the whisky ever released by Gordon & MacPhail. From Inverness, a 56-Year-Old whisky from the long-lost Glen Mhor distillery in 1966, at 56.4%. From the eastern Highlands, a 56-Year-Old single malt from Banff Distillery from 1966, at 45.1%, and from Speyside, a sublime, ultra-rare 51-Year-Old whisky distilled at Caperdonich in 1972, at 56%. The fifth decanter houses a stunning 48-Year-Old Dallas Dhu from 1974, bottled at 54.5%. The winner of the lot will also be invited to a tasting at Gordon & MacPhail’s home in Elgin, Speyside with Director of Prestige and family member, Stephen Rankin.
Loch Lomond Group’s Littlemill showcases the final drops from Scotland’s oldest licensed and now lost distillery, with a trio of whiskies presented together for the first time, in Littlemill Decennia – a story of the ages, featuring a single one-off bottle from the final casks of Littlemill’s 70s, 80s and 90s reserves. Decennia, estimated at £20,000 – £30,000, includes a 1977 refill American oak hogshead, a 1984 original fill refill bourbon barrel, and a combination of refill American and European oak from 1990, all with a traditional Littlemill Oloroso sherry cask finish. Beautifully presented in a crafted wooden display cabinet, the liquids sit within three bespoke 70cl Glencairn decanters, made of 30% lead crystal.
Another lot is The Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers One of One Collection, a unique collection of three exceptional whiskies from iconic distilleries; Bowmore, Dalmore and Macallan, all distilled in 1990. Each whisky is presented in a Glencairn traditional crystal decanter with bespoke copper engraving. Estimated between £8,000 – £16,000, the decanters are housed within a specially crafted and engraved natural oak display case, featuring a built-in drawer with travel decanter stoppers and a personally signed letter from Director, Brian Morrison
Campbeltown Distillery, Glen Scotia, is offering an extraordinary 49-Year-Old, boasting liquid taken from a 1973 cask, the oldest remaining Glen Scotia reserves, matured exclusively in American oak, for a true representation and window into the distillery’s classic and enduring character. Presented in a 70cl Glencairn decanter made of 30% lead crystal, it will be displayed in a bespoke wooden case, hand painted with original artwork from Glen Scotia’s artist-in-residence, Alice Angus. The artwork depicts a scene from the heart of the distillery. The Glen Scotia 49-Year-Old Alice Angus 1973, estimated at £10,000 – £15,000, also includes a one-of-a-kind framed piece of artwork from Alice and Glen Scotia’s ‘Spirit Safe’ collaboration.
Takara will offer a remarkable 47-Year-Old from the award-winning Highland distillery, Tomatin. Exclusively selected by Master Distiller Graham Eunson, distilled in 1975, aged in a refill oak hogshead and finished for over 10 years in a first fill Oloroso Sherry cask, Tomatin 47-Year Old Single Cask 1975 is brimming with decadent aromas of milk chocolate, honeycomb, peach, and apricot. The whisky will be presented in a hand-blown Glencairn crystal decanter, encased in a striking wooden box with a signed certificate from Graham Eunson. The Lot estimated between £10,000 – £15,000 will also include an exclusive invitation to experience the magic of the Scottish Highlands, including a tour of the distillery, a private tasting with Graham Eunson and a local dining experience using the Tomatin range.
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s lot is called The Only Drop. This one-of-a-kind bottle sees a 1989 spirit from a Speyside Distillery matured for 30 years in an Oloroso Sherry Butt, then divided between a first fill Oloroso hogshead and a first fill Pedro Ximénez hogshead. Ahead of the auction, three years after the liquid was spilt, they will be reunited to create a one of a kind one bottle, estimated to sell for up to £10,000.
Glenmorangie is offering The Glenmorangie Single Cask 1995, comprising a single cask bottling selected and signed by Dr Bill Lumsden, Director of Distilling and Whisky Creation. In addition to this unique 70cl bottling, Glenmorangie is offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Glenmorangie Distillery in Tain, on the shores of the Dornoch Firth, for a full VIP private tour and tasting experience for two guests. They will step into a sensory playground with a two-night stay at Glenmorangie’s luxurious boutique hotel, enjoying the very best of the local produce with carefully crafted menus for a truly memorable dining
experience. Guests will then choose from a variety of experiences, from foraging with Glenmorangie’s chefs to stargazing or cocktail masterclasses. Breakfast and dinner (with wine) is provided for the duration of the stay, as well as return flights from the UK and private transfers whilst in Tain. Estimate:: £7,000 – £12,000.
Islay’s Kilchoman Distillery is presenting the unique opportunity to own a piece of Kilchoman, and perhaps whisky-making history. This auction lot, Kilchoman Cask No.1 2005, was created on the 14th December 2005, from the first cask the distillery ever filled. It has a delicate fresh citrus sweet nose and a balance of maritime, fruit and smoke on the palate. Presented in an etched glass bottle with bespoke layered glass box design, the lot comes with an accompanying letter of authenticity from Kilchoman Founder, Anthony Wills. Estimate: £5,000 – £10,000.
Five of the participating Member donors are donating casks for the auction; a rare chance for any collector to own their very own, unique cask of whisky. Isle of Arran Distillers is offering the Arran Palo Cortado Sherry Cask of SingleMalt 2019. Originally sourced from revered producer Ximénez Spínola and filled on 25th June 2019, the cask was originally used to finish mature Arran Single Malt for two years, prior to being filled with un-peated Arran new spirit in 2019. This type of Arran Single Malt has never been offered for public sale as a cask purchase and represents a unique opportunity for the winning bidder to lay down their very own Arran Single Malt from a rare Palo Cortado cask for future bottling. Estimate: £6,000 – £12,000.
Arbikie one of the world’s most innovative and sustainable Scotch whisky distilleries and creators of the first Rye Scotch whisky in over 100 years, is offering an Arbikie Highland Rye, Single Grain Scotch Whisky Cask. Grown, distilled (2020) and matured in American oak virgin cask, on the privately owned Highland estate, Arbikie Highland Rye 1794 Cask of Single Grain 2020 is estimated between £7,000 – £12,000.
B Corp-certified Bruichladdich Distillery will offer a Cask of Bere Barley 2013. Bere barley is one of the oldest grains still cultivated today, with the cereal dating back to the dawn of Scottish agriculture. Bruichladdich Distillery recognises the part it plays in the wider agricultural system and understands that genetic diversity is crucial to future-proofing land management. By supporting farmers who grow for flavour, the brand has been working with the University of the Highlands and Islands’ Agronomy Institute since 2005 to reintroduce Bere barley into distilling. Bruichladdich is just one of three distilleries in Scotland to distil Bere barley, and the only distillery in Scotland using the varietal year on year. Estimated at £10,000 – £20,000, this 2013 vintage, which is fully traceable from field to cask, imparts light and zesty notes which are
bursting with fruit, giving the spirit an unctuous texture and unparalleled barley-sugar sweetness.
R&B Distillers will be offering an exclusive stay at the state-of-the-art Isle of Raasay Distillery Hotel together with ownership of a private cask. The winning bidder will have the choice to fill peated or unpeated spirit into their selection of one of Raasay’s recipe casks; ex Rye, ex Bordeaux red wine or chinkapin oak. With an estimate between £5,000 – £10,000 the lot includes a two-night stay at the distillery hotel – Borodale House – which boasts 6 state-of-the-art rooms. Seasonal breakfast and dinner will be served throughout the stay at the distillery’s restaurant with breathtaking views of the Cuillin Mountains on the neighbouring island of Skye. The lot winner will also be treated to a behind the scenes private tour of the production areas and warehouses, and to top it all off, will hand-fill their very own cask, which the distillery will then look after for up to 10 years maturation.
The Borders Distillery, the first Scotch Whisky Distillery to operate in the Scottish Borders since 1837, is offering a private cask and distillery experience for the auction. The lot – The Borders Distillery 1837® Private Cask – estimated between £5,000 – £10,000 will allow the winner and three guests to spend a morning with the new generation of Borders distillers before filling their own 1837 private cask, followed by a guided tasting and lunch with one of the founders. In addition, once the cask is filled, the distillery will hold it for the maturation period which is expected to be at least ten years.
Details
The Distillers One of One auction will begin at 14:00 GMT on 5 October 2023. Online bidding is operating now here.
