The 128th Auction

January is over and 2022 is officially in full swing, and so too is our bountiful 128^th auction. We have some truly exceptional bottles this month hailing from just about every whisky producing region imaginable, from Texas to Tullibardine, India to Islay, and everywhere in between.

The whisky industry in Japan has experienced solid growth over the last decade in terms of both output and popularity, but the foundations of whisky production were laid a century ago. Yoichi, founded by Japanese distilling legend Masataka Taketsuru, has been producing whisky since the 1930’s so this Nikka Yoichi 1987 Non-Chill Filtered release is a relative newcomer. Older even than Yoichi is Yamazaki, Japan’s oldest commercial whisky distillery which opened in 1923. This Yamazaki 25 Year Old Limited Edition, fully matured in sherry oak, represents the culmination of 100 years of distilling expertise.

European distilling has a long and storied history too and nowhere more so than France where they have been producing elegant and refined cognacs for centuries. This Erté L’Esprit du Cognac Collection was commissioned in 1988 by one of the heavyweights of French cognac production, Courvoisier, and features label designs by celebrated Art Deco artist Erté. Another heavyweight, Remy Martin, first produced the Louis XIII Grande Champagne Cognac in 1874 and it is still revered today as one of the finest on the market.

From fortifying soldiers of the revolution to being trafficked by bootleggers throughout the 1920’s, bourbon & whiskey have long been integral features of American culture. Michter’s came to be known as the “whiskey that warmed the revolution” after George Washington bought a consignment for his troops to steel them against the cold Pennsylvania winter, making this 20 Year Old Single Barrel a truly revolutionary spirit. This Old Ramshead 1916 Prohibition Era Bourbon however, was made at a time when American presidents (officially at least) took a far dimmer view of alcohol consumption.

Finally, here in dear auld Scotia we have been known to produce (and partake of) a few alcoholic beverages ourselves from time to time. This dark and mysterious Glenfarclas 1964 Family Cask #4719 is an excellent torchbearer for Scottish distilling, distilled in the swinging sixties this incredible dram then spent more than 45 years resting in oak. A far newer bottling but one which has been making waves at auction of late is the Macallan – The Archival Series – Folio 1. This limited edition has soared in value since it was released, with hammer prices doubling on average in the past year alone.

Whether you like to get your bids in early or wait until the final weekend to swoop, best of luck to everyone in the auction.

Don’t Lose Your Bottle