S otheby’s upcoming Distilled auction is our largest online sale of spirits to date. This auction features several highlights, records and firsts for Sotheby’s Wine. Leading the sale is the Gautier 1762, the oldest bottle of Cognac ever sold at auction. Also included is a wealth of Samaroli bottles from Europe’s most revered independent whisky bottler. As we expand our spirits business we are pleased to announce our first partnership with a rum brand in Dictador who is offering a sherry cask of 1980 Colombian Rum with proceeds donated to charity. From The Dalmore comes two bottles of the inimitable 62 Year old, of which only 12 were ever released.
Alongside these incredible lots there are also a wealth of highlights from The Macallan, Highland Park, Springbank, Remy Martin, Gordon & MacPhail, Lagavulin and Ardbeg with spirits from 1762 to 2009.
Beginning a whisky collection can seem somewhat overwhelming. So many bottles, so many choices, but where should one start? We have selected ten whiskies from this sale to guide that aspiring collector in forming their decisions.
Amongst the most notable bottles in this sale are those of Silvano Samaroli. Samaroli bottles are considered amongst the finest whiskies to have been tasted and adorn the shelves of every serious collector. If you glance down the list of the Top 1,000 Whiskies on Whiskybase you will notice that Samaroli takes all of the top 5 spots. A Samaroli collection of this magnitude is rarely seen at auction, particularly with such high volumes of Silvano’s most coveted bottles.
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The Macallan Distillery is almost synonymous with whisky collecting. Both the most valuable bottle and the most valuable miniature bottle of whisky ever sold at auction are from the Macallan Fine & Rare series. In this sale we offer a range of Macallan from independent bottles to lavish Decanters with 60 year old spirit.
Springbank is a fan favourite with whisky collectors and almost entirely responsible for keeping alight the flame of Campbeltown. As a distillery that malts its own barley, Springbank has maintained a consistent quality throughout the generations and its older vintages are very hard to come by. In this sale we offer an incredible range of Springbank from 1960s heavily sherried bottles to an entire cask.
Bruichladdich Samaroli 10 Year Old 45.0 abv
Midleton Very Rare 1993 Release 40.0 abv
Rémy Martin Louis XIII Rare Cask 42.6 Cognac 42.6 abv NV (1 BT70)
Conde de Garvey Reserva Especial Brandy de Jerez 40.0 abv
Havana Club Maximo Ron Extra Anejo 40.0 abv
A sherry cask of Dictador Colombian 40 Year Old Rum 62.7 abv
Diplomatico Ambassador Selection 43.0 abv
While Distillery Bottlings are the go-to for some collectors, most of the world’s greatest whisky collections feature a wealth of independent bottles. Scottish bottling companies such as Gordon & MacPhail and Cadenhead’s have been operating for longer than many distilleries and their expressions have been vital in building the reputation of Scotch Whisky worldwide. Italian bottlers such as Samaroli took their lead from these Scottish bottlers, with Silvano Samaroli making his start by importing Cadenhead bottles and G&M giving Sestante their start in the industry. Nowadays there are plenty of quality bottlers making a name for themselves, from Adelphi to Douglas Laing and Duncan Taylor to Signatory Vintage. This sale contains so many great independent bottles it’s hard to choose between them, but here are some highlights.
