“We can find much common ground between whisky making and colour creation, and with Edition No. 5 we have been able to explore and celebrate these two art forms.”

Sarah Burgess, The Macallan Whisky Maker

Guided By ExcellenceNatural colour is a fundamental result of our whisky making process, expressed as one of our foundational Six Pillars. We take pride in the fact that the colour of every whisky we create is 100 percent natural. It is this particular aspect of our whisky making process that we sought to express and celebrate in this special collaboration with the Pantone Color Institute™.

The Macallan Edition No. 5

Celebrating The Macallan’s extensive natural colour spectrum and the intricate whisky making process, in partnership with masters at the Pantone Color Institute™.

EXPLORE EDITION NO. 5

New Years Eve Dinner Party

Join us in Whiski Rooms for our exclusive New Years Eve dinner party to welcome in 2020 in comfort and style at Whiski Rooms. Round the corner from Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile, this is the ultimate dinner destination on New Year’s Eve.

Enjoy a fabulous feast and then venture outside to see the amazing Hogmanay fireworks at the Castle and then return to your table to continue the celebrations.

Bookings are essential so call us on 0131-225-7224 to reserve

Learn more about New Years Eve Dinner Party

Latest Winter 2018 Back In-Stock

Released summer 2019 the last batch of single casks from Glenfarclas distillery are available from The Whisky Barrel, plus a few favourites from previous years.

GLENFARCLAS SINGLE MALT WHISKY

Glenfarclas Distillery was established in Speyside in 1836 by Robert Hay and following his death it was bought by John Grant in 1865 and has remained in the ownership of the Grant family ever since. The interior of the visitor centre is stunning, the walls are lined with the original oak panels salvaged from a lounge on the liner SS Empress of Australia when she was scrapped 1952. Ace sherry casks underpin the ethos of Glenfarclas single malt whisky, exemplified in the Family Cask range, and way back in 1968 released its first cask strength single malt. The range includes Glenfarclas 15 Year Old, Glenfarclas 105 and Glenfarclas 21 Year Old alongside the Family Casks series.

Shop – Glenfarclas Family Casks

Sotheby’s First Single-Owner Whisky Collection

Smashes High Estimate – 100% Sold

‘The Ultimate Whisky Collection’ Achieves £7.6m / $10m

Highest Total for any Whisky Collection Offered at Auction

Highest Value Wine or Spirits Sale Ever Staged by Sotheby’s London

The Macallan Fine & Rare 60-Year-Old 1926

sets new auction record for any bottle of wine or spirit

Selling for £1.5 million / $1.9 million 

“There was an electric atmosphere in the room today for our first-ever single-owner spirits auction. This sale marks an historic moment for the spirits market, with new benchmark prices and a fresh approach to selling whisky. We are delighted that our Spirits specialist Jonny Fowle, can celebrate such a ground-breaking first sale and we look forward to growing our spirits business.”

Jamie Ritchie, Chairman, Sotheby’s Wine 

London, 24 October 2019 – A new auction record for a bottle of whisky was set at Sotheby’s today when The Macallan 60-Year-Old 1926 soared to £1,452,000 / $1,873,951, far surpassing its pre-sale estimate of £350,000-450,000. This “holy grail” of whiskies was the star of a sale of more than 460 bottles of Scotch whisky from the collection of a private American Connoisseur, put together over some 20 years. Buyers from across the world drove prices well above estimate, leaving not a single lot unsold. 

Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Spirits Specialist, added: “This fantastic result is testament to the quality of the collection. It was remarkable to see so many iconic bottles break records – homage to the importance of distilleries such as Bowmore, Brora, Springbank and, of course, The Macallan. The electricity in the auction room was palpable. There were cheers when the hammer fell on the Macallan Fine and Rare 1926, in one has to be one of the most exciting moments in the history of whisky sales. The final hammer dropped just in time for our friends at RM Sotheby’s to start their sale of collectible motor cars. Our clients were delighted to share their enjoyment and passion for both cars and whisky in the same space.”

KEY STATISTICS AT A GLANCE:

• The Ultimate Whisky Collection totals £7,635,619 / $9,854,530 (pre-sale estimate: £3.3-4.6m / $4.3-5.9m)
• Sale is 100% sold
• 87% of lots achieve prices above pre-sale estimates
• Bidders from around the world, with pronounced interest from Asia
• The most comprehensive catalogue of whisky ever to be offered by a single owner in a single auction, spanning whiskies from each of Scotland’s key whisky-producing regions: Speyside, Highland, Lowland, Islay and Campbeltown (more details here)
• Full results available here

THE MACALLAN REIGNS SUPREME:

• The record-breaking Macallan mentioned above was part of a 178 bottle-strong collection of the Fine and Rare series, spanning seven decades from 1926 through to 1991, which sold for a combined total of £5.1m / $6.6m – this is the most extensive collection of Macallan Fine and Rare ever to be seen at auction.
• Two complete Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection, offered in specially designed cabinets by James Laycock, doubled their low estimate to achieve £665,500 / $858,984 and £629,200 / $812,046 respectively.
• A bespoke, hand-crafted wooden display case containing 46 bottles from the Macallan Fine and Rare miniature collection, ranging from 1937 to 1991 sparked a flurry of bids, pushing the final price over six times above the high estimate to £338,800 / $437,255. These 46 bottles represent the complete collection of miniatures in the Fine and Rare series, as the series existed when the Ultimate Whisky Collector stopped collecting them in 2018.
• The four top lots of The Macallan sell for a combined total of £3m / $4m.

NEW AUCTION RECORD FOR SPRINGBANK 50 YEAR OLD 1919:

• Distilled in 1919, bottled in 1970, this Springbank is undoubtedly one of the rarest whiskies ever to be released, with only 24 bottles produced and once listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most expensive bottle of whisky ever sold.
• The appearance on the market of one of these bottles caused a great deal of excitement, driving the final sale price to £266,200 / $343,558, almost double the pre-sale high estimate.
• Distilled a year after the end of the First World War, at a time when distilleries throughout Scotland had ceased operations, the bottle contains a snapshot of history. 

NEW AUCTION RECORD FOR BRORA LIMITED EDITION 40 YEAR OLD:

• Brora’s first release to exceed 40 years, one of only 160 bottles to have been produced reached new heights, selling for a record £54,450 / $70,273, in the year of the distillery’s 200^th anniversary, and just ahead of its reopening next year.
• The full set of Brora Annual Releases, sold as individual bottles, achieved for a combined total of £30,129 / $38,884. 

BOWMORE BECKONS BIDDERS:

• Bottle number 1 of Bowmore’s “Crashing Waves”, the oldest whisky to be released from the legendary distiller after 54 long years of maturation, swelled to £363,000 / $468,488. One of only 12 ever released in a hand-blown sculpted bottle depicting the crashing waves of the Atlantic against Islay’s shores, this is arguably the finest bottle of Islay whisky ever produced.
• Bottles from each of the Bowmore Black releases (First, Second, Final and Bowmore Black 50 Year Old) met with significant demand to sell for a combined total of £119,790 / $154,601.
• The Bowmore Trilogy series, all of which were distilled in 1964, achieved an overall total of £62,920 / $81,205. 

OUTSTANDING REPRESENTATION OF DALMORE BOTTLINGS

• Headlined by The Dalmore Eos 59 year old, which achieved £99,220 / $128,053. With a tiny release of just 20 bottles, this single malt was created from casks 1781 and 1782. 

FURTHER NOTABLE RESULTS:

• Nine casks of single malts were pursued by multiple bidders, selling for a combined total of £399,300 / $515,337. The Highland Park First Fill Oloroso Sherry Cask commanded the highest price, selling for £72,600 / $93,698.
• An entire vertical of Port Ellen’s Annual Releases (1^st to 17^th), sold as individual bottles, achieved a combined double-estimate total of £63,404 / $81,829. These bottlings are amongst the most sought after of all Scotland’s closed distilleries, with annual releases a must-own for collectors. In 2017 Diageo announced they would cease further Annual Releases, but that they planned to revive the distillery – which closed in 1983 – back to its former glory, with production due to recommence in the near future.
• A range of legendary Silvano Samaroli bottlings was led by Bowmore Bouquet Samaroli 18 Year Old, which sold for a record £72,600 / $93,698.

About Sotheby’s Wine

Sotheby’s Wine’s annual worldwide sales reached an important new milestone in 2018, with sales significantly exceeding US$100 million in a single year – for further details, please click here.

Sotheby’s Wine auctions reached $65 million worldwide in the first half of 2019, up 23% over the same period in 2018 and the highest spring season total since Sotheby’s Wine auctions began in 1970.

In Spring 2019, Sotheby’s set a world record for any series of wine sales when a four-day series of auctions in Hong Kong brought a combined total of HK$273.1 million / US$34.8 million. A record for a private wine collection sold at auction was also set when the three-day sale of Tran-scend-ent Wines realised a total of HK$233.6 million / US$29.8 million. 

About Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since 1744. Sotheby’s became the first international auction house when it expanded from London to New York (1955), the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong (1973), India (1992) and France (2001), and the first international fine art auction house in China (2012). Today, Sotheby’s has a global network of 80 offices in 40 countries and presents auctions in 10 different salesrooms, including New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris.  Sotheby’s offers collectors the resources of Sotheby’s Financial Services, the world’s only full-service art financing company, as well as the collection, artist, estate & foundation advisory services of its subsidiary, Art Agency, Partners. Sotheby’s also presents private sale opportunities in more than 70 categories, including S|2, the gallery arm of Sotheby’s Global Fine Art Division, and three retail businesses: Sotheby’s Wine, Sotheby’s Diamonds, and Sotheby’s Home, the online marketplace for interior design.

*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium and are net of any fees paid to the purchaser where the purchaser provided an irrevocable bid.

Amazon Prime TV trio The Three Drinkers release their own limited edition whisky

With part two of their global Amazon Prime series ‘The Three Drinkers do Scotch Whisky’ hitting our screens in early December, expert TV drinks trio The Three Drinkers, launch their own whisky inspired by all the locations in their show.

A Limited Edition

The Three Drinkers Scotch Whisky, Cask Selection No. 1 is a 17-year-old blended malt that’s non-chill filtered and non-coloured. This first bottling is a limited-edition release of just 300 bottles, each of which is individually numbered and personally signed by the show’s three presenters and co-producers, Aidy Smith, Helena Nicklin and Colin Hampden-White. Given its scarcity and the fact that it’s the first release, Cask Selection No. 1 is the perfect collector’s item or Christmas gift.

Tasting note

The Three Drinkers Cask Selection No. 1 is both fruity and spicy with notes of sweet fudge, dried apricots, Christmas cake and a touch of smoky oak on the finish. Whisky guru Charles MacLean describes it as “an attractive, easy drinking and very well-balanced blended malt.” The trio said “We wanted to create a dram that combined all the classic notes of Scotch that we’ve experienced on our travels, so this whisky combines the fruit and spiciness of the highlands with the subtle smokiness of Islay and Jura.”

One lucky ticket

One special bottle has a ticket attached, giving a lucky winner the chance to have a luxury whisky tasting in London with the three presenters and tap into their personal whisky stash.

Support from the trade

Cask Selection No.1 was created with the support of Cask Trade; a new, online whisky cask trading platform. It will be available exclusively through award-winning drinks retailer Master of Malt, who also feature in the new episodes of the Amazon series, going live in December.

Availability

The whisky will retail for £39.95 on masterofmalt.com and is available to order now, with product dispatched from 14th November. Buy the whisky here!

Photo credit Tamsin Cox @_tamsinc_

You can follow The Three Drinkers progress via their website and social media channels:

Instagram: @TheThreeDrinkers   |   Twitter: @The3Drinkers   |   thethreedrinkers.com

The Three Drinkers are a trio of expert drinks writers and presenters of ‘The Three Drinkers’ TV series on Amazon Prime. Through The Three Drinkers Productions, they offer a 360 degree approach to drinks content through the creation of short films, written features, social campaigns and strategic consumer events plus documentary series and branded content TV shows for streaming services. Authentic, credible and engaging, The Three Drinkers get liquid on lips and build new audiences for your brand through their informative, lifestyle approach to drinks.

Wednesday November 13th 5-7PM: Scotch Tasting: Dalmore

More Details & RSVP 

Thursday November 14th 5-7PM: 

Rye Tasting: Whistlepig
More Details & RSVP 

Friday November 15th 5-7PM: 

Scotch Tasting: Glen Moray
More Details & RSVP

Saturday, November 16th 

11AM-6PM

Mystery Single Malt with Sam Filmus

More Details & RSVP

Complete your Collection

We’re having a massive sale on ‘Game of Thrones’ branded whiskies, with most 50% to 75% off their original sale price! Even if you’re not a series fan, you can get Lagavulin, Talisker, Clynelish, and more single malt scotches at a fraction of the price during this sale.

Click Here for the Game of Thrones Single Malt Sale

Exclusive GlenDronach 1993 – 25 Year Old Single Cask

GlenDronach 1993 Single Cask #658

Cask #658 was specially selected for The Whisky Barrel in 2018. These are the last few cases left in our warehouse. An unmissable treat!

Shop – GlenDronach 25 Year Old – £250

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY RELEASES

1994 VINTAGE O.F.C. BOURBON WHISKEY

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Oct. 31, 2019) – Buffalo Trace is unveiling a new O.F.C. Vintage bourbon this fall. The bourbon whiskey in this release was distilled and rolled into the warehouse to rest in 1994, a year which saw box office hits like “Forrest Gump,” “The Lion King” and “Pulp Fiction,” and headlines documented Nelson Mandela’s inauguration as South African president and OJ Simpson’s infamous white Ford Bronco chase.

Now, 25 years later, this vintage collectable bourbon has been bottled and will begin reaching stores in late November, but will be very limited and extremely rare.

This is the fourth O.F.C. Vintage release, and like the previous releases, the 1994 Vintage will arrive in a wooden display box containing a provenance card.  Inside the wooden box lies a crystal bottle with real copper lettering in-laid in the bottle with a hand applied paper label. The label on the back of the bottle notes the milestones for the year 1994. The provenance card contains the same information found on the back label.

The O. F. C. vintage-dated bourbons have a name derived from this National Historic Landmark’s original moniker – the O.F.C. Distillery – renowned for producing top class whiskey during its tenure.

Tasting notes for this bourbon describe lots of cherry on the nose followed by butterscotch with hints of brown sugar and oak. Toasted caramel, cinnamon and oak greet the palate, followed by a long finish of coffee, herbs and oak.

Of the four O.F.C. Vintage releases this is the third offered for sale. In the fall of 2016 Buffalo Trace Distillery released three vintage-dated bourbons, exclusively to non-profit organizations at no charge to raise money for their causes. Those bottles, from 1980, 1982, and 1983 were auctioned at charity and raised nearly $1.2 million for a variety of causes such as cancer services, cystic fibrosis, leukemia and lymphoma, children’s rights, autism, military veterans, animal protection, arts foundations, and many more.

Last year Buffalo Trace released four O.F.C. bourbons to the public, including vintages from 1985, 1989 and 1990 in the spring, and a 1993 vintage in the fall.

Suggested retail pricing for this collectable and very limited 1994 O.F.C. Vintage Bourbon is $2,500.  More information about the O.F.C. line can be found at https://ofcvintages.com.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 21 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Its Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon was named World Whiskey of the Year by “Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible 2018” and its William Larue Weller and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac were named 2^nd and 3^rd finest whiskeys in the world, respectively, in the “Jim Murray Whiskey Bible 2020.”  Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 500 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com

Heaven Hill Brands Closes Black Velvet Acquisition

Black Velvet, named for its velvety smooth taste, fills an important gap in Heaven Hill’s broad distilled spirits portfolio by substantially expanding sales activities in the Imported Whisky category and fits perfectly with its portfolio of high volume, quality brands like Evan Williams Bourbon, Burnett’s Vodka, Deep Eddy Vodka, Admiral Nelson’s Rums, and Christian Brothers Brandies.BARDSTOWN, Ky. – Today, Heaven Hill Brands, the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and operated distilled spirits supplier completed the acquisition of Black Velvet Canadian Whisky, the second-largest selling Canadian whisky in the world, and the historic Black Velvet Distilling facility in Lethbridge, Canada, from Constellation Brands Inc.

“Today we are proud to officially welcome this iconic brand and others into Heaven Hill’s historic portfolio,” said Max L. Shapira, President of Heaven Hill Brands. “The Heaven Hill family is proud to continue the culture of Black Velvet and nurture the unique heritage of this great Canadian Whisky that has built a solid foundation for growth.

Perella Weinberg Partners LP acted as exclusive financial advisor to Heaven Hill Brands with respect to the transaction. The historic Black Velvet Distilling facility is one of the eight traditional Canadian distilleries in operation. The acquisition includes all the distilling operations, aging and bottling facilities and the remaining portfolio of Canadian Whisky brands owned by Constellation, which includes Black Velvet, MacNaughton, McMasters, and the international business of the Schenley brands – Golden Wedding and OFC. Canadian Whisky made up 7.3% of total distilled spirits volume in 2018 according to Beverage Information Group, the largest segment of all total Imported Whiskey. The Canadian Whisky category is approximately 16.8 million cases, with Black Velvet volume representing almost two million cases in the U.S. in 2018.

ABOUT HEAVEN HILL BRANDS: Founded in 1935, Bardstown, KY -based Heaven Hill Brands (www.heavenhill.com) is the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon. Heaven Hill’s diversified portfolio of brands includes Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, Larceny, and Henry McKenna Bourbons; Rittenhouse Rye Whisky; Deep Eddy and Burnett’s Vodkas; Admiral Nelson’s and Blackheart Rums; Black Velvet Canadian Whisky; Lunazul Tequila; The Christian Brothers Brandies; HPNOTIQ Liqueur; Carolans Irish Cream Liqueur; PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur; Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur.