The 142nd Auction

Welcome one and all to our now live 142^nd auction! We have some stupendous drams in this month representing every style and region of whisky imaginable, from top shelf offerings from silent distilleries in far flung places to the best of the best of everyday drinkers from closer to home. We have over seven thousand tremendous lots in this month’s auction, so without further ado let us highlight a few special expressions to get you on your way.

First up is this beauty, bottled for The Whisky Exchange's 2014 Whisky Show this is the Karuizawa 29 Year Old Single Cask #8897. One of a pair released with the now iconic Geisha design work, this a fantastic bottling from the celebrated silent distillery, Karuizawa. Aged in a single bourbon cask for the better part of three decades this exceedingly rare expression is an excellent example of Japanese distilling at its finest.

Up next is an incredibly rare and exclusive Springbank 30 Year Old Staff Only bottling, released in anticipation of Springbank's forthcoming Countdown Collection. Limited to one per staff member this bottle was never released for general sale, and as such is sure to be much sought-after in years to come. The Countdown Collection itself will constitute 5 special annual releases leading up to the 200th anniversary of Springbank Distillery in 2028.

Part of the legendary Malt Card series, we have the Hanyu Ichiro's Malt Eight of Diamonds. Closed in 2000 and dismantled in 2004, Hanyu's legacy lives on thanks to Ichiro Akuto who purchased the remaining 400 casks and began releasing it in the Ichiro's Malt card series. This marketing masterstroke featured a different playing card on the label, allowing people to easily remember their favourites and encouraging collectors to complete the full deck. There were only 17 years of production at Hanyu, so stocks are limited and scarce.

Finally we have The Macallan 1989 33 Year Old 'The World Is On Fire' bottling, released by the newly inaugurated Burnobennie Distillery in collaboration with famed Scottish artist, Peter Howson. As if the well-aged Macallan juice inside wasn't enough this bottle features spectacular label art by one of Scotland's most celebrated artists, and comes with a limited edition framed print. If this release is anything to judge them by, we can expect big things from Burnobennie when they finally start releasing their own malts.

As always there are some special drams available this month, but with well over 7000 lots available there is something to suit everyone. So, the time has come to delve into this month's offerings, start building your watchlist, best of luck to everyone in the auction, and don’t lose your bottle.