The 42nd Auction

Hi folks and welcome to the 42nd auction - the first of the autumn, and a great time to be drinking whisky! We have stars beyond measure this month - as well as our easy-buy, easy drink drams. As usual, something for everyone.

Eye catchers include the SMWS 26 Malts, a quite remarkable lot. One of only 20 collections in the world. In 2005, 26 writers were randomly paired up with 26 designers from the UK's leading agencies. Each creative pair receiving their own SMWS single cask bottling. Their blind tasting of the 26 Malts evoked some amusing and powerful responses, resulting in 26 unique labels and tasting notes. We have the bottles, the book, and the labels beautifully framed.

We have age and beauty in Speyside 50 and 60 year olds, two bottles of Glen Grant from 1958, a Glen Moray from 1959 and a beautiful Balvenie 40. In a very colourful auction, three of the stars are in Black and White - from 1949, 1936 and 1932. Rare Glenburgie features as a 1963 vintage, there's a Glenlivet aged 40 and a Bunnahabhain of the same age. Not forgetting a Highland Queen from the 1920s/30s.

We have Dalmore in the shape of a 45 year old Aurora and a 1945 Macallan also vies for attention. Flora & Fauna? We have a few, including eight white cap first editions. Karuizawas? A couple, (29 actually) including Cask #4556 1980 33 Year Old, Cask #6431 1980 33 Year Old, Cask #8461 1981 32 Year Old and Cask #8606 30 Year Old.

Numbers? We'll give you numbers. Three Private Eyes, three Oscuros, a Charles and Di Royal Marriage and a Sir Peter Blake suggest Macallan is, again, featuring strongly in this auction. Oh, and for the first time at auction in the UK, from the USA comes a Macallan Rare Cask. Also, Bunnahabhain 20 year old, one of 60, makes an appearance, along with a Rare Malts Glenury Royal, bottle number 1.

To toast any successes you may have in this auction, why not also bid on a couple of bottles of Krug from the 1960s, and 007's personal favourite, Bollinger. They're lurking around here, too.

As always, we recommend you gird your loins, take a deep breath (and maybe a dram) and dive in. Oh, and don't lose your bottle!

Kind regards from Glasgow

The SWA Team