One of the auction phenomena of recent years has been the market for whisky. Really, there are two markets: one focuses on rare survivors of long dried up distilleries and bottled single malts that have so far escaped the corkscrew; the other is the rather more manufactured line in limited edition releases created specifically to entice collectors.
So popular has whisky become as a collectable that it even has its own stock exchange. Understandably, what started in Scotland circa 1495 (with a bit of push from an earlier Irish concoction) later gave the island of Islay the enviable status of the highest value of exports per head of population of anywhere in the world. In recent years the worshipful dram has attracted the attention of other nations. You can now buy whisky made in England, Wales, Australia and even Japan – arguably the most esteemed producer east of Speyside.
Just like the sale of diamonds, whisky auctions are ‘occasions’. One of the more memorable has just taken place, attracting more than 1500 bidders and amassing a hammer total of £6.7 million for a single collection of 3,900 bottles.
Dallas Dhu 1921 Private Cask 64-year-old, an historic malt from one of the ‘lost distilleries’, was a much sought after highlight, but stealing the limelight was a single bottle of the Macallan 1926 Fine and Rare, bottled 60 years ago and one of only 14 such bottles surviving from the 40 ever produced. The price? A cool £1 million.
