Auction Update: Port Ellen's Royal Bottling, Ardnahoe's Record, But Weaker Sales in UK and Europe Overall

January’s auctions started the year in spectacular fashion in New York, but February’s sales look quiet by comparison. Most auctions in the UK and Europe have struggled to attract bids above $20,000 this month. There was one major exception: Port Ellen 12 year old The Queen’s Visit 1980. This expression was bottled to mark the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Port Ellen Maltings on August 9, 1980. Shuttered in 1930, Port Ellen returned to distilling from 1967 to 1983, making this 12 year old the only bottling released during this period of operation. Port Ellen distillery re-opened again in 2024. Whisky Auctioneer sold it for $84,732, beating the hammer price of $80,796 from January 2025, but falling short of the record of $125,423 set in 2022. Diageo bottled its last remaining cask of Port Ellen from the year of the Queen’s visit as part of the 2022 Prima & Ultima series: Port Ellen 1980 41 year old scored 96 points.

Unicorn Auctions delayed the end of its February Spirits auction for Super Bowl LX, and took $12,600 for a bottle of Eagle Rare 25 year old. A bottle of Dalmore 1926 50 year old sold for $11,562 at Scotch Whisky Auctions. A bottle of cask strength Ardbeg 1976 Cask No. 2390 hand-bottled from a sherry butt at the distillery in 2002 fetched $5,415 at Whiskyauction.com in Germany, the highest hammer price of the sale.

The roll call of high-value bottles not selling is noticeable this month. Scotch Whisky Auctions couldn’t sell its Corti Brothers Clynelish 1965 21 year old, Glenfarclas 1959 60 year old, or Balvenie 1937 50 year old, while Whisky Auctioneer didn’t sell Samaroli Laphroaig 1967 15 year old Matured in Sherry Wood or Brora Casks of Distinction 1978 45 year old, and the 15-bottle Yoshitoshi Ghost Series collection failed to find a buyer for the fourth time. A Gordon & MacPhail 85 year old distilled at Glenlivet Distillery at WVA Whisky Auctions took the highest bids of the month, but also failed to meet the reserve price: bottle No. 1 of the world's oldest whisky sold for $160,000 in November 2025.

Outside of the highest-value bottles, sales are still looking good, but a couple of smaller auction houses have stopped running regular auctions. Whisky Auctions Edinburgh announced it is taking a break in 2026, hinting at a possible return in the summer. Whisky Bull Auctions took a break for several months at the end of 2025 and has yet to resume this year.

Van Winkle looks on course to remain at the top of the auction table for a second consecutive month, with no real challenge coming from scotch or Japanese whisky at the moment. Currently, the bar is low for brands to make February’s 20-highest list, so look out for some interesting bottles making the cut when we publish it early next month.

Good Bottle Auctions – February 2026 My Boozy Valentine Auction

Auction ended February 1^st

• Scotch: Bowmore Timeless Series 27 year old, $1,100. The youngest release in this four-bottle series, this one produced 3,000 bottles.
• Bourbon: A. Smith Bowman 9 year old Cask Strength,$350. Distilled in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Batch 3 weighed in at a mighty 67.55%.
• Bourbon: Blue Note 17 year old Barrel Proof Straight bourbon, $400. A single barrel No. 12807 distilled in Tennessee, our tasting panel gave 93 points to a similar release.

Unicorn Auctions – January 2026 No Reserves IV

Auction ended February 1^st

• Bourbon: Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned Copper 1982, $22,300. This is one of 50 bottles released in 2016.
• Rye: Hirsch Selection 13 year old straight rye, $5,200. This was bottled for Preiss Imports by Julian Van Winkle III.
• Scotch: Bowmore 1971 34 year old, $3,375. Matured in sherry casks, this is one of 960 bottles. In 2025, Bowmore released another 1971 vintage release: the 51 year old (rated 97 points).

Whisky Auctioneer – January 2026 Auction

Auction ended February 9^th

• Islay: Port Ellen 12 year old The Queen’s Visit 1980, $84,732. This rare bottling set the highest hammer price to date this year for a bottle of scotch.
• Speyside: Macallan The Red Collection 50 year old, $34,166. This was released at a price of $50,000 in 2020.
• Highland: Brora Rare Malts Selection 1972 22 year old, $11,753. Whiskies made at Brora in 1972 are the most sought-after vintage due to the distillery’s earthy, peaty style at the time.

Lot of the Week

Islay’s Ardnahoe Distillery filled its first cask in 2018, making its debut release in 2024. It was built by Hunter Laing & Co., following the division of Douglas Laing & Co. in 2013. The distillery, in the north east of the island, has since released a number of collectible editions, including Fèis Ìle bottlings, Ardnahoe Society exclusives, and small batch and single cask releases for different export markets. These expressions give whisky lovers the opportunity to develop a deeper knowledge of the Ardnahoe character, by exploring different ages, different ABVs, and different cask types. Bottled for Taiwan in 2025, this 6 year old expression was matured in a PX sherry quarter cask and bottled at 60.3%. One of 177 bottles, this achieved a superb distillery record for a young scotch.

Lot: Ardnahoe 2019 6 year old Single Cask No. 70 Taiwan 2025 Selection
Sold at: Scotch Whisky Auctions, February 8^th 2026
Hammer Price: $762

Upcoming Auctions:

February 17th, Whisky.Auction: February 2026 Whisky & Spirits. The sale includes a bottle of the new Macallan 2007 18 year old Diamonds are Forever 55^th Anniversary Release.

February 24^th, Bonhams Skinner, Massachusetts: Rarest Spirits. Lots include a bottle of Midleton Very Rare Vintage 1989 (est. $6,500–$8,500) and a Don Julio 1942 Blue Label (est. $1,200–$1,600).

March 10^th, Christie’s, London: A Final Chapter: The Last Karuizawa Casks from the Private Collection of Sukhinder Singh. The owner of Tormore and Portintruan distilleries is selling two casks of Karuizawa distilled in 1999.