September Whisky Auction Trends | Macallan Remains as Stylish as Ever, Japanese Whisky Shines!

Whenever whisky auctions are mentioned, Macallan whisky is a must-mention. In September, a significant number of Macallan bottles were sold at Whisky.Auction.

       Among them, the Macallan 1946 52 Year Old Select Reserve sold for £11,600, becoming the month's highest-priced bottle. Distilled in 1946 and matured for 52 years in sherry casks, the bottle, 40% ABV, is bottled 1615 and presented in a handcrafted wooden box with a certificate dated May 1, 1998, signed by the then-distillery manager. Notably, the key to the box had been lost, which may have influenced the price.

       Close behind was the Macallan 2008 Distil Your World London Edition, which sold for £11,000. This single cask, sold exclusively in select hotels, bars, and restaurants and not directly to the public, was distilled on November 27, 2008, and bottled on February 20, 2020, at 62.9% ABV cask strength. Matured in a single European oak sherry cask, it was matured in a single cask.

       The third highest price for the Macallan at the auction was achieved by Gordon & MacPhail’s Macallan 1937 (40% ABV, 750ml), selling for £7,800. This price is well-deserved for a bottle distilled in 1937 and bottled in the 1970s.

       Next up was a less common Macallan 30 Year Old Sherry Oak (43% ABV, 700ml). This sherry cask whisky was the last 30-year-old version released before the launch of the Fine Oak series and sold for £7,200.

       Other items sold included the Macallan Royal Marriage Kate & William (46.8% ABV, 700ml), bottled to celebrate the royal wedding, which also sold for £5,400. The Macallan 30 Year Old (2021 Edition) sold for £4,300, The Macallan Archive 4 for £3,900, and The Macallan 1976 18 Year Old for £3,000.

This month saw a number of vintage bottles come up for auction, with the most notable being Gordon & MacPhail’s Mortlach 1951 Private Collection (42.5% ABV, 700ml). Distilled in 1951 and bottled in 2014, the Mortlach was aged a staggering 63 years. Bottle number 20 of the 61 bottles sold for £6,400.

       The renowned Black Bowmore was also present, with the Black Bowmore 1964 2nd Edition (50% ABV, 700ml) selling for £8,000. This whisky was distilled between late 1963 and 1964, when the distillery first switched to steam distillation. It was then placed in Oloroso sherry casks and matured for 30 years in the Bowmore No. 1 cellar, with a total of 4,000 bottles produced in 1994.

       Two bottles of Bowmore Timeless Series 1988 31 Year Old, released at the beginning of last year, were sold for £2,300 and £2,000 respectively.

       Springbank also had a standout performer, the Springbank 1969 27 Year Old Cask 2383 (54% ABV, 700ml) bottled by St. Friel, which was eventually sold for £2,100. This 27-year-old IB Springbank was distilled on December 19, 1969, matured in Sherry cask No. 2383, and bottled at cask strength on September 17, 1997, with a total of 580 bottles.

       Two other IBs also performed well, namely Secret Stills Talisker 1955 50 Year Old 1.1 (Gordon & MacPhail) which sold for £3,400 and Highland Park 1967 42 Years Old Cask 6282 (John Scott's) which sold for £1,950.

       Japanese whisky blossomed in September, with brands such as Yamazaki, Karuizawa, Hibiki and Chichibu all achieving good results.

       First up, the top-tier Yamazaki 25 Year Old (43% ABV, 700ml) sold for a whopping £8,600. The highly coveted Yamazaki 2022 Cask Series Tsukuriwake Selection also reached £4,900. Prices for Yamazaki Sherry Casks varied significantly, with the 2013 release fetching £4,500 and the 2012 release just £2,900. The 2012 Yamazaki Mizunara Cask release fetched £3,100.

       If you don’t want to buy the entire 2022 vintage, here are some references: Mizunara casks are £2,600 and Spanish oak is £1,250. There are also price references for other vintages and the 2018 vintage.

       Chichibu, which has always been hard to come by, attracted much attention as soon as it appeared. The Chichibu 2011 Red Wine Cask 5253 (60.2% ABV, 700ml), bottled by Specialty Drinks for Sexy Fish restaurant in 2018, was finally sold for £3,500.

       Karuizawa’s main products are the “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” and “Final Sound” series, with transaction prices for these wines ranging from £3,400 to £4,100.

       There were some other noteworthy transactions: Macallan 25 Year Old Sherry Cask (2018 Edition) for £2,100, Laphroaig 30 Year Old for £1,650, Macallan Book 5 for £1,650, Macallan Book 6 for £1,500, etc.

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(Pictures and text from the Internet)