This month, Bonhams is auctioning off the largest single-owner whisky (and whiskey) collection in its history.
The aptly named Encyclopedic Whisky Collection comprises more than 300 lots of incredibly rare bottles that will likely fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars on the auction block. The diverse array runs the gamut from bourbon and scotch to Japanese whisky, with some of the most coveted Yamazaki, Macallan, and Pappy Van Winkle expressions you can find included in the epic haul.
The owner has not been named, but Bonhams says the “passionate collector” has spent the past 25 years amassing rare and expensive bottles. Many expressions were purchased directly from distilleries during trips abroad, according to the auction house. Bonhams will auction the collection online and in person, with 250 lots offered online (no reserve) from now until June 30 and 52 lots up for grabs during a live sale that will take place on June 26 at the new Bonhams Skinner sale room in Boston.
“An undeniable common thread linking the offerings in this sale is that these distilleries, and this consignor, have all resisted, and continue to resist, the temptation to compromise,” Sean Purce, senior specialist of fine wines and rare spirits at Bonhams, said in a statement. “Instead, they’ve doubled down on craftsmanship, and eye for the future, and staying true to their beliefs, knowing true excellence in whisky is measured by the depth of its flavor and the integrity of its liquid. For one collector to possess the most prized whiskies of the world is, to say the least, encyclopedic.”
These are indeed some truly prized whiskies. One standout of the live auction is the Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars, a collection of ultra-aged single malts from the popular Speyside distillery that are housed in beautiful crystal decanters. The bottles, which range in age from 50 to 65 years old, are expected to sell for between $46,000 and $75,000 apiece. Another highlight from the scotch whisky world is the DCS Compendium Chapters 1-5, an extremely rare set of single malts produced at the Balvenie that was released in 2015 to commemorate the legacy of malt master David Stewart. Each chapter in this set of decades-old whiskies is expected to fetch between $34,000 and $50,000. Other notable lots include a Bowmore Black Final Edition from 1964 and aged bottles of Glenfiddich and Glenmorangie.
Bourbon is well represented as well. The auction includes a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 25 Years Old, a true unicorn whiskey that came from just 11 barrels that were distilled in 1989 at the historic Stitzel-Weller distillery (this predates the partnership with Buffalo Trace), along with some other stellar Pappy expressions. From the world of Japanese whisky, there is a bottle of Karuizawa 29 Years Old Aika Geisha Bourbon Cask, a stunning expression from this ghost distillery that was recently resurrected, as well as bottles of Yamazaki aged for 18 years in a mizunara cask and the 1984 25th Anniversary edition.
You can participate in the online auction here, and you can register to bid at the live sale here.
