The world's first 80 year old whisky Glenlivet Generations 80 year old bottled by Gordon & MacPhail has an estimate of $44,000–$55,000.
Update (October 18, 2024): The highest hammer price in the sale was $8,000 for a bottle of Black Bowmore 1964 Final Edition bottled in 1995. The Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80 year old distilled at Glenlivet was withdrawn from the auction before it began. The highest hammer price for American whiskey was $3,800 for a bottle of Colonel E.H. Taylor Warehouse C Tornado Surviving.
Collectors trawling through the listings of the latest Bonhams Skinner sale in search of rare whiskies cannot fail to find something to add to their collection. The online auction runs until October 16th and contains over 355 lots of bourbon, scotch, Irish, Japanese, and Canadian whisky as well as a selection of cognac, brandy, and chartreuse. The sale also includes 50 bottles of whiskey sold posthumously as part of the estate of wine critic Josh Raynolds.
American whiskey makes up over 60% of the lots, with estimates ranging from $100 – $8,000. The leading American whiskey expression is a bottle of A.H. Hirsch 1974 16 year old blue wax which has an estimate of $6,000–$8,000. The majority of the American whiskey lots are 21st-century bottlings, and include an abundance of Angel’s Envy collectibles, Colonel E.H. Taylor, higher age statement Elijah Craig, Four Roses Anniversary bottlings, Old Forester Birthday bourbons, Parker’s Heritage Collection, Pappy, Stagg, Weller, and Buffalo Trace Antique Collection releases.
However, look closely, and there are plenty of bottles that don’t come up every month, such as European releases of Blanton’s for La Maison du Whisky, Paris (est. $700–$1,000) and exclusive bottlings of Blanton’s for Poland ($600–$900). In true Bonhams style, there are plenty of mixed lots, which can usually be relied upon to offer good value if you’re happy to have multiple bottles of the same whisky. The pre-Prohibition bottles appear to be in good condition though check the fill levels and closures before bidding. Included among them are Bourbon De Luxe Straight Bourbon distilled in 1916 (est. $220–$280), 2 pint bottles of Glenmore’s Kentucky Tavern Whiskey 17 year old distilled in 1917 (est. $800–$1,000), a pint bottle of Good Old Guckenheimer 17 year old (est. $150–200), and a bottle of Thomas Moore Old Possum Hollow from 1914 (est. $1,200–$1,800), the latter two both originating from Pennsylvania. Mid-20th century bottles include Very Old Fitzgerald 8 year old from 1950 (est. $900–$1,200) and a pint of Old Grand-Dad from 1961 (est. $400–$500) among others.
A bottle of Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80 year old from the Glenlivet Distillery (est. $44,000–$55,000), the world’s first 80 year old whisky, leads the scotch offerings. Watch this bottle closely, as a number of these have come to auction since its release, at Zachys, Scotch Whisky Auctions, and Sotheby’s and failed to sell. Instead, why not consider the rare bottle of Connoisseur’s Choice Ardbeg 1963 30 year old, also from Gordon & MacPhail (est. $1,200–$1,600), and from an era of Ardbeg that’s incredibly hard to sample. Most of the scotch offerings come up frequently at auction, and again, there are some great mixed lots, but there are a few harder-to-find picks including Octomore 2.2 Orpheus ($500–$650), Balvenie single cask bottlings (est. $2,800–3,600) distilled in the early 1970s, and a bottle of Rare Malts Selection Clynelish 1973 23 year old (est. $1,100–$1,600).
Beyond the scotch and American whiskeys, I’ve got two picks for exceptional drinking from the Japanese and Irish categories: Hibiki 100th anniversary blend bottled for the Japanese market (est. $2,000–$2,600) and Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve 2009 (est. $300–$400), which is listed at a bargain price. It’s time to dive in and place your bids.
Bidding continues online until October 16th and Bonhams Skinner’s Buyer’s Premium is 25%.
