Craigellachie DistilleryDistillery News
WHISKY JOURNAL
WHISKY JOURNAL
Latest limited edition releases and auction news
Latest limited edition releases and auction news
- September 21, 2023
Whisky investment is more often than not a long-term venture, especially when it involves buying a cask and exit options are the crucial culmination of that time. However, whether investing in casks or bottles, it’s always good to see the return on investment possibilities in the form of limited edition releases and the auctioning of fine and rare examples.
Macallan ‘Distil Your World New York Single Cask Edition.’
Sold on 10th February this bottle, one of only two produced, fetched an incredible $200,000 following an estimated sale price of $30,000 – $80,000.
Gordon & Macphail’s Glen Grant 1948 72 year old Single Malt Scotch
Ultra-aged premium whiskies are becoming more and more rare, so naturally, the appearance of an incredibly rare spirit such as this at auction, was bound to create a stir.
In 1948 the Speyside spirit was poured into an American Oak ex-sherry cask, where it spent the entire maturation period. One of just 290 bottles, this particular one, bottle no.154 fetched $62,500 at Bonham Skinners auction house in the U.S. in June of this year.
Bowmore & Aston Martin’s Arc-52 The Mokume Edition
This once in a lifetime expression, was housed in a decanter representing the sleek lines of an Aston Martin car.
Released in 2022, just 100 bottles of the overall 220 produced were offered for sale to select clientele at a cost of $75,000 per bottle. At Sotheby’s auction in May, one of those bottles fetched the staggering price of $231,00 – £187,500 – That’s an increase of 300%!
Continuing to reach for the stars – The Macallan ‘The Reach’
The world’s oldest Scotch an ultra-aged, ultra-rare offering. Just 288 decanters of 81 year old The Macallan ‘The Reach’ whisky, which was maturated in a single sherry seasoned oak cask laid down in 1940.
At an auction at the end of last year, a bottle was sold for US$332,266 – three times its estimate. In April this year, a bottle was sold at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong for an astonishing US$605,100 more than four times its estimate!
Some of the latest releases
Moving away from the auction houses now, let’s take a look at some of the latest distillers releases available for purchase.
Gordon & Macphail have unveiled their very rare bottling of the third edition of the ‘Mr George Legacy’ series. Just 368 bottles of the whisky laid down in 1959 have been released.
This bottling is from the last ever cask of 1959 from any of the distilleries– distilled on 15th October and maturated in a first fill sherry butt.
Retail price per bottle – £6,499.
Highland Park
In celebration of Highland Park’s 225th anniversary, they’ve released just 225 bottles of their 54 year old expression ‘Unexpected Contrasts.’
Originally laid down in 1968. Ten of those casks were selected by Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion, decanted into first fill sherry seasoned casks in 2008, then matured for a further 14 years.
Retail price £39,000 ABV: 46.9%
The Glenturret – Eight Decades Whisky
The eight decades honours the 80th birthday of James Turrell, the man who has, in partnership with Lalique, designed the decanter to hold the whisky.
Limited to just 80 bottles worldwide, a bottle of Eight Decades is priced at £80,000.00.
Glen Scotia – 48-year-old
The Glen Scotia 48-year-old single malt is a limited-edition release of 250 bottles worldwide. At 40.8% ABV, it spent 43 years in a mix of refill first fill Bourbon barrels, followed by another five years in a first fill Oloroso Sherry hogshead, with the last six months finishing in a second fill Pedro Ximénez hogshead.
Priced at £11,000 (US$13,960) per bottle.
