Whisky Auction Update March 31st: March Ends Strongly, April Set to Trend Even Higher

Auction sales for March made a strong finish in the final week of the month, with some big-ticket items coming under the hammer. The usual cast of stars, notably Macallan and Karuizawa, led the pack. Meanwhile, April is shaping up to make a strong showing.

Whisky Online Auctions

Auction ended March 22nd

• Scotch: Macallan Millennium 1949 50 year old, $30,574. While there were two bottles of this classic Millennium release available in this sale, only this one found a new home.
• Irish: Midleton Very Rare Vintage 1997, $642. A sweet and spicy vintage from the Barry Crockett era.
• English: The Lakes Private Reserve Platinum Jubilee, $538. Bottled for Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee in 2022.
• American: Jack Daniel’s Holiday Select (2011 Release), $294. After a number of other bottles failed to reach their reserves, this festive bottle of Tennessee whiskey was the highest-priced American whiskey in this sale.

Christie’s, Hong Kong

Auction ended March 23rd

• Scotch: Dalmore 40 year old, $5,352. The 2017 release underwent a secondary maturation in oloroso casks before a first-fill bourbon cask finish.
• Japanese: Miyagikyo 1988 20 year old, $2,549. This was limited to 1,500 bottles and contains four different styles of single malt produced at the Miyagikyo Distillery.

Whisky Hammer

Auction ended March 26th

• Scotch: Macallan Genesis in Lalique 72 year old, $68,489. This was the highest-value bottle in this sale, but its final price came in $13,000 lower than the bottle sold at Scotch Whisky Auctions earlier in the month.
• Japanese: Karuizawa Platinum Geisha 1984 38 year old Cask No. 4365, $30,575. Whisky Hammer sold a pair of Karuizawa Platinum Geisha bottles, but 5 more went unsold due to not reaching their reserve prices.
• American: George T. Stagg (2005 Release), $2,996. An early release of George T. Stagg bottled at 45.45%, much lower than some of the later releases.
• Irish: Bushmills Causeway Collection 1989 33 year old, $2,110. Master blender Alex Thomas finished this aged Bushmills in a ruby port cask for this 2022 release.

The Grand Whisky Auction

Auction Ended March 27th

• Scotch: Macallan The Red Collection 50 year old, $44,203. Crafted by Kirsteen Campbell, Macallan’s master whisky maker, this was released in 2020.
• Japanese whisky: Hakushu 25 year old, $2,855. A peated expression of this rare Japanese whisky aged for a quarter of a century.
• Irish whiskey: Midleton Very Rare Vintage 2002, $1,296. A spicy vintage from Barry Crockett, then Midleton's master distiller.
• American whisky: Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 year old, $2,486. A recent bottling from the 2021 release.

Lot of the Week

This bottle of single cask Islay single malt delivered Whisky Hammer’s highest hammer price for a bottle of Bunnahabhain since 2020. This 35 year old expression was bottled in 2002, and the tube is signed by the late John MacLellan, then Bunnahabhain distillery manager. In his final job, MacLellan took on the position of distillery manager at the newly established Kilchoman Distillery. This week marks 7 years since John MacLellan died in 2016 at the age of 60.

Lot: Bunnahabhain 1967 35 year old
Sold at: March 26^th at Whisky Hammer
Hammer Price: $2,477

Upcoming Auctions

While March ended strongly, the April auction scene looks set to bring some impressive sales, with high-value whiskies going under the hammer at Sotheby’s, Hong Kong, and the first Poly Auction sale of the year.

Bottles to watch in auctions ending in the next week:

April 1^st, Sotheby’s, Hong Kong: Macallan The Reach 81 year old. This Macallan holds the record as the oldest whisky sold at auction, but don’t expect this sale to match the $270,487 hammer price of the one-of-one edition sold in 2022.

April 1^st, Whiskyauction.com: Karuizawa 1984 30 year old (Cask No. 8838). A single sherry cask selected by La Maison Du Whisky in Paris and bottled in 2015.

April 3^rd, Poly Auction, Hong Kong: Hanyu Ichiro’s Malt Card Series. If this meets the reserve estimate of HK$10–15 million/$1.3–1.9 million, this full deck of 54 bottles could be one of the most expensive whisky auction lots of all time.

April 5^th, Bonhams, Edinburgh: Glenfarclas 60 year old. One of 360 bottles released in 2014, this aged Speysider is housed in a hexagonal cabinet representing the six generations of the Grant family who own Glenfarclas Distillery.

April 5^th, Sotheby’s, Asia: The 50^th anniversary of Sotheby’s in Asia will be marked by a Luxury Evening auction of exceptional lots, including a bottle of Yamazaki 50 year old First Edition, once the record holder for the world’s most expensive whisky sold at auction.