RABBIE BURNS AND H.M. THE QUEEN AT BONHAMS CHRISTMAS WHISKY SALE

Bottle of Black Bowmore 1964, estimated at £5,000-6,000; The Macallan Robert Burns Semiquincentenary (1759-2009), estimated at £1,500-1,800

Two bottles of Black Bowmore 1964 lead Bonhams annual Christmas Whisky sale in Edinburgh on 7 December.  They are estimated at £5,000-6,000 each.

One bottle is from the Second Edition of the Black Bowmore 1964 that was bottled in 1994 and limited to 2000 bottles; the other comes from the Final Edition bottled in 1995 of which there were a total of 1812 bottles. Morrison’s Bowmore Distillery produced three editions from 1993-5.

As usual, the Christmas Whisky sale has some bottles with fascinating histories and associations including:

• The Macallan Robert Burns Semiquincentenary (1759-2009) which commemorates the 250th anniversary of the birth of Scotland’s national poet. (£1,500-1,800).

• The Macallan Diamond Jubilee bottled in 2012 to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (£1,200-1,500).

One of the most intriguing lots is the Bruichladdich Château d’Yquem Finish 20 year old (£750-850 for three bottles).  The whisky has been aged for 15 years in a Bourbon cask and then finished in a cask that previously contained Chateau d’Yquem, the most famous Sauternes from one of the finest wine-producing areas in the world.

Bonhams whisky specialist, Martin Green, said, “Bonhams December whisky sale has something for everyone, from limited editions of cask-aged whiskies aimed at the dedicated collector to modestly priced malts that will help get the Christmas season off to a flying start.”

NOTES

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. Today, the auction house offers more sales than any of its rivals. The main salerooms are in London, New York and Hong Kong. Sales are also held in the UK in Knightsbridge and Edinburgh; in the US, in San Francisco and Los Angeles; in Europe, in Paris and Stuttgart and in Sydney, Australia. Bonhams also has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of forthcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com.

The Whisky SaleBonhams, 22 Queen St. Edinburgh EH2Wednesday 7 December 2016, 11amSpecialist: Martin Green Bonhams’ Whisky Specialist