The 148th Auction

A warm welcome everyone to our now live 148th auction!  Now the nights are fair drawin in this is the ideal time to pick up a few bottles of warming spirit to fortify you against the impending cold of winter.  With literally thousands upon thousands of bottles to choose from we have picked out a few interesting lots to get your started on your monthly whisky journey.

First up is a truly breath-taking expression the Macallan 1950 Tales of Macallan Volume 1 Lalique Decanter.  Before we even get to the tremendous whisky contained within it is worth pointing out the exquisite and bespoke Lalique decanter which is itself housed (Shawshank Redemption style) in a hefty leather-bound almanac, a weighty tome if ever there was one.  The whisky itself is a 1950 vintage Macallan which was finally bottled in 2021 giving it decades upon decades of maturity to call upon.  One of only 350 produced this is a must have for any Macallan collectors.

Next we have a bottle which is available as a 'Buy-it-Now' on the site this month, the Tullibardine 2003 18 Year Old 'Kibblecask 4' Whisky Broker.  A thoroughly interesting dram it is punchy and herbaceous at the front of the palate, mellowing out into a warming sherried sweetness finish.  Priced at only £49 you'd be doing well to find an 18 year old single cask of similar quality in today's market.

If only we'd all had a crystal ball, I don't know what this Springbank 12 Year Old 100° Proof 75cl retailed at when it was available to buy, but rest assured it was a whole lot less than what it achieves now in the secondary market.  An old-style bottling like this is always a favourite here at SWA (what can I say, we are suckers for nostalgia), with its understated and elegant labelling, not to mention the tremendously well-balanced old-style whisky contained within.  If you collect Springbanks then this is a great opportunity to purchase an older style bottling still in excellent condition.

This quirky dram is the Hanyu Ichiro's Malt Card Three of Hearts.  Given there were only 17 years of whisky production at the now defunct Hanyu, their whisky stocks are not only attractively collectible but also limited and scarce.  The marketing masterstroke that is the Malt Card Series features a different playing card on every label, allowing people to easily remember their favourites and encouraging collectors to complete the full deck.  If you are missing the Three of Hearts, now is the time to strike!

And finally, we have the Glasgow Distillery 2016 Single Cask #51 for Scottish Fire and Rescue Family Support Trust Centenary Bottle #1. Distilled by Glasgow Distillery and drawn from an ex-bourbon cask this is bottle number 1 of 223 produced, with all proceeds from this sale being donated to the Scottish Fire & Rescue Family Support Trust.  As the oldest fire service charity in the UK the Family Support Trust has a proud tradition and commitment to providing care and support to serving and retired fire personnel and their families at times of greatest need, be it bereavement, illness or stress.  A noble cause if ever there was one, so we have high hopes the hammer price from this exclusive bottling will provide them with the funds they need to continue their excellent work.

As always, we have some truly excellent drams in the auction this month, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.  We have a wide range of drams with something to suit everyone, so now is the time to wade in and start picking out your own personal favourites for your watchlist.  Best of luck to everyone in the auction, and as always………..don’t lose your bottle.