A 77 Year Old Glen Grant And Other Rarities Set for UK Charity Auction

The first of 40 rare and bespoke scotch whiskies have been unveiled ahead of the third Distillers One of One auction this fall. The oldest whisky to be offered will be a magnum of Glen Grant Eternal 77 year old distilled in 1948, while other highlights include a glass sculpture incorporating a Port Ellen bottled for the distillery’s bicentenary, the oldest-ever expressions of Aberlour, Aberfeldy, and Old Pulteney, and the Founder’s Reserve decanter by Glencairn Crystal, which contains a blend of whiskies created by master whisky maker Richard Paterson. The auction will take place on Friday, October 10^th at Hopetoun House near Edinburgh, Scotland.

Distillers One of One is run by the Worshipful Company of Distillers, one of the UK’s oldest livery companies (trade guilds) that was founded in 1638. It has partnered with Sotheby’s to handle the auction side. The event, launched as a biennial affair in 2021, allocates 100% of the hammer price of each lot to charity. To date, $5.25 million has been raised for the Youth Action Fund to support its portfolio of charity partner organizations helping young people in Scotland from disadvantaged backgrounds to reach their full potential.

The auction has become a showcase for one-off luxuries, high-concept design, large-format bottlings, rare casks, and an exhibition for art, design, sculpture, and the craft of high-end scotch. Companies invest heavily in each project, raising the bar by engaging skilled craftspeople around the world to create the most compelling presentation packages for these rare liquids, combining style and form with rarity and flavor. In a statement, Jonny Fowle, Global Head of Spirits at Sotheby's said, “Distillers One of One is the apex at which whisky meets art and luxury. It is remarkable that so many whisky brands have generously donated pieces of such high age, high quality and highly creative concepts, merging the most historic scotch whiskies with breathtaking and innovative designs.”

The Distillers One of One sale is set to be the auction highlight of the year, though it will be intriguing to follow as the secondary market has softened since the last Distillers One of One sale in 2023 and the whisky industry is experiencing challenging market conditions. “2025 has already brought its share of surprises and uncertainties on the global stage, and the whisky industry is feeling those effects too,” said managing director of The Distillers One of One Beanie Espey-Geraedts in a statement, “That’s why we are hugely grateful to all the donor brands and sponsors who have come together once again in support of this unique philanthropic endeavor, to keep raising funds for such a vital cause.” Earlier this year, one-off creations by Bowmore and Dalmore were sold at auction with mixed results, while Gordon & MacPhail plans to auction the world’s oldest whisky this November. Unlike with most collectibles, bidders rarely ever purchase one-of-one releases with concerns about their resale value and while these whiskies often break auction records, the initiative also contributes to good causes. These desirable one-offs attract the world’s elite collectors, and with most whiskies destined to enter private collections, it’s unlikely that many of these expressions will ever resurface on the secondary market. With market conditions giving the sale an added edge this year, the 40-lot auction, which will be streamed live on the Sotheby’s website, should be compelling, regardless of your whisky budget.

Distillers One of One Auction 2025 Lots

Here's what we know about the first 16 lots in the Distillers One of One auction 2025, and the estimates disclosed so far:

A unique expression of Port Ellen encased in a bespoke glass sculpture as part of its Atlas of Smoke project, the lot includes an in-depth distillery experience for four guests.

Glen Grant Eternal 77 year old is a single cask expression matured in a sherry-seasoned European oak butt filled in 1948 and presented in a handblown magnum decanter inspired by a seed pod.

Glenlivet SPIRA (Est. $81,000–$150,000) is a single cask 60 year old single malt distilled in 1965, the oldest release by the distillery, presented in a spiral decanter inspired by the rising vapors in a copper pot still.

Aberlour 53 year old The Mouth of the Chattering Burn (Est. $27,000–$54,000) is a single cask bottling distilled in 1967 and presented in a handblown magnum glass decanter by Swedish master glassblower Micke Johansson in collaboration with master mold-maker Gunnar Englund, with intricate carvings on its surface by glass artist Simon Holm.

The Glendronach Arias in Time (Est. $81,000–$135,000) is a set of four vintage whiskies distilled in 1968, 1972, 1989, and 1993 drawn from oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks and presented on a bronze sculptural plinth by Milan-based artist Osanna Visconti.

Laphroaig Capsule 40 year old (Est. $54,000–$108,000) was distilled in 1980 and 1981 and is bottled in magnum in a striking green and platinum-plated Glencairn crystal decanter. Matured in oloroso sherry-seasoned and bourbon American oak hogsheads for 26 years, these medicinal whiskies were vatted together in hogsheads until June 2022.

Gordon & MacPhail whiskies, Benromach, and The Cairn is a trio of crystal decanters including a 75 year old from Glen Grant Distillery, a Benromach 52 year old, and the first single malt release from The Cairn Distillery, bottled at 3 years old. The combined age of 130 years of maturation was chosen to coincide with Gordon & MacPhail’s 130^th anniversary.

KANDOBLANC Dragons in Clouds is a 60 year old single malt presented in a handblown Murano glass vessel.

Ladyburn Marilyn Monroe by Sam Shaw is a single bottle from the short-lived distillery drawn from a sherry butt filled in 1966, and presented with a Sam Shaw photograph of Marilyn Monroe taken in New York in 1954.

Old Pulteney Polaris (Est. $35,000–$54,000) is a 47 year old single malt, the oldest from the Highland distillery, which underwent a 7-year secondary maturation in a single first-fill Spanish oak butt after four decades in American oak casks. Reflecting its maritime origins, it is offered in a handblown magnum by Glasstorm evoking the North Sea and encased in Caithness slate, representing the cliffs of the coastline.

The Last Drop Private Blending Experience with master blender Colin Scott (Est. $21,500–$38,000) is a chance to create 12 bottles of a bespoke blended scotch aged over 30 years, with the legendary blender in Scotland. The winning bidder will also enjoy a private archive tasting, a celebratory dinner, and a two-night stay at Scone Palace.

Royal Brackla 54 year old (Est. $17,500–$32,000) comes from a single refill hogshead filled in 1970 and was selected by master blender Stephanie Macleod. It is bottled in a handmade bespoke crystal carafe by La Cristallerie Royale de Saint-Louis, Europe’s oldest crystal maker, founded in 1586.

Aberfeldy 49 year old Single Cask (Est. $16,000–$27,000) the oldest expression from the distillery, is a 1975 distillate matured in a refill hogshead, and presented in a bespoke crystal carafe by La Cristallerie Royale de Saint-Louis, which took 3 weeks to make.

House of Hazelwood and Huntsman of Savile Row Bespoke Tailoring and Whisky Experience will afford the winning bidder to design the fabric for their own bespoke Huntsman cashmere tweed jacket and work with House of Hazelwood’s master blenders to create six bottles of a custom blend from scotch whiskies up to 60 years old.

Gleann Mór Rare Find – The Age of Change is a trio of whiskies created to commemorate the 1823 Excise Act, including Littlemill 1990 34 year old, Miltonduff 1981 43 year old, and Springbank 1992 32 year old.

Founders Reserve Decanter is a one-off piece by Glencairn Crystal that is filled with a special blend comprising whiskies from the auction’s founding donors—Bacardi, Suntory Global Spirits, Brown-Forman, Campari Group, Chivas Brothers, Diageo, Gleann Mór, Gordon & MacPhail, International Beverage, KANDOBLANC, The Last Drop, and William Grant & Sons—created by master blender Richard Paterson.