We’ve picked out our favourite show-stopping single cask releases that we reckon will make a special addition to your collection. Have a look for yourself and see what takes your fancy – and remember, we’re offering 10% off everything until Monday 25th January with code BURNS10 applied at checkout.
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SOTHEBY’S ANNUAL AUCTION SALES OF WINES AND SPIRITS TOTAL $92 MILLION
Driven by Expansion of Online Sales and Increase in First-Time Buyers
Market Leader in Asia
Growth in Spirits Business with 20% of Overall Sales
NEW YORK & LONDON, – Sotheby’s Wine’s annual auction sales of wines and spirits totalled $92 million in 2020, driven by the expansion of online sales, younger buyers entering the market, an increase in first-time buyers, and both new and established collectors embracing the company’s enhanced digital tools. Buyers from Asia continued to claim a larger share of global sales, with Sotheby’s leading the market in the region for the third consecutive year. Sotheby’s Wine Retail also achieved strong results this year, in both Hong Kong and New York.
Jamie Ritchie, Worldwide Head of Sotheby’s Wine, said: “Our success in 2020 was due to our team’s ability to adopt a very rapid digital transformation, where we hosted 17 online auctions in addition to 23 live auctions, when we originally planned 28 live auctions. The digital tools that we now use would have taken another two to five years to implement under normal circumstances and resulted in the growth of 40% of new buyers, with particular strength in the under 40 category. The year’s highlights were the strength of our sales in Asia, representing over 55%, the growth in the Spirits market representing 20%, and the publication of The New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia. The range of our sales illustrates our innovation as leaders in the wine and spirits business and the breadth of our activities, from auction to retail, from New York to Hong Kong.”
Adam Bilbey, Head of Sotheby’s Wine, Asia, said: “To lead the market in Asia for the third year in a row, with our second highest total and backboned by eight single owner sales, is testament to the wonderful collections we have been entrusted with, and thanks to our loyal clients throughout the region. In these unprecedented and challenging times, Sotheby’s Wine has transformed its business across the world, with a digital revolution. In Hong Kong, our Spirits business has led this charge with eight online sales, selling to more fine Spirits collectors and to a younger and more diverse client base, than ever before. We look forward to continuing this trend in 2021.”
Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Spirits Specialist, said: “2020 saw phenomenal growth for spirits, which made up 20% of Sotheby’s Wine’s annual business globally. During this challenging time, we rapidly and successfully transitioned to an online auction format, bringing in new bidders and generating records for the most valuable Japanese Whisky, the oldest vintage Cognac, and the highest price for any bottle of Dalmore sold at auction. Sensitive to the struggles felt by so many around the world this year, we partnered with The Macallan, The Dalmore, Dictador and Diageo to produce sensational results for charities such as City Harvest, Water Aid and SAMH. We look forward to continuing this success into 2021 with more distillery partnerships for charity, leading with the Black Bowmore Cabinet in Hong Kong next Spring”.
Facts & Figures
• Global Wine and Spirits sales total $92 million
• Over 15,000 lots sold across 41 sales, an almost 50% increase in the number of sales held in 2019
• Bidders from more than 40 countries
• Market leader in Asia for third consecutive year
• Growth in spirits business with an overall total of $18 million (20% total sales), 15 sales and 1,800 lots sold – five years ago spirits represented less than 2% of sales
• Top lots of the year:
o The Macallan Red Collection, sold for $977,496
o The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection, sold for $507,819
Strength in Asia:
• Second biggest year ever, with digital transformation (including 11 online sales versus two online sales in 2019)
• Three-day Hong Kong sale series in July brought $23 million: the third highest total ever for a wine sale series in Asia, over 150% higher than any competitor wine sale series
• 40% of bidders in Hong Kong sales are in their 20s and 30s
• Over 30% bidders in Hong Kong sales are new to Sotheby’s
• 73% of total bid amount in all Wine and Spirits sales come from collectors in Asia
Online:
• Over $60 million of wine and spirits sold to online bidders in 2020 versus $28 million in 2019
• 84% lots offered were bought online
• 46% first time bidders aged in their 20s or 30s
New Buyers and Bidders:
• 40% buyers and 38% bidders new to Sotheby’s
• Bidders aged 40 years or younger made up 29% of new bidders, 31% total amount bid amount in global wine sales, and 38% bidders in global Spirits sales
• 45% bidders bid for first time in Spirits sales
• 31% bidders bid for first time in Wine sales
Spirits
• Several world record prices for Spirits at auction were achieved this year:
o World record for any bottle of Japanese whisky with Karuizawa 52 Year Old Zodiac Rat Cask #5627 1960 ($435,273, London, March).
o World record for any bottle of whisky produced by the Dalmore Distillery with two bottles of The Dalmore 62 Year Old ($324,445 per bottle, London, May).
• The year saw several partnerships with leading distilleries:
o Sotheby’s X The Macallan:
In October at Sotheby’s in London, a unique set of The Macallan Red Collection – the only artist’s label set to be released by The Macallan – sold for $977,496. Proceeds from this lot were donated to City Harvest London and provided 620,000 meals for those in need.
o Sotheby’s X Diageo:
In September the first offering at auction of set #1 of the first release of The Prima & Ultima Collection sold for $35,249 in an online auction, with proceeds from the sale donated to Diageo’s charity partner WaterAid.
o Sotheby’s X The Dalmore:
Sotheby’s first Dalmore collaboration of the year in Hong Kong saw an entire Cask of 1973 Dalmore offered as part of the innovative cross-category silent auction ‘In Confidence: Selected Masterpieces’. The winning bidder will be flown to Scotland to work directly with The Dalmore Master Distilling team to complete their casks maturation and bottle into personalised decanters.
Sotheby’s second partnership of 2020 with The Dalmore in Hong Kong consisted of two 1979 Private Cask bottlings in engraved Candela crystal decanters donated directly from The Dalmore Distillery for charity. The proceeds from the Dalmore 38 & 39 Year Old Private Casks 1979, which sold for $32,390, benefitted the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH).
o Sotheby’s X Bowmore:
In the spring of 2021 in Hong Kong, Sotheby’s will offer The Black Bowmore Archive Cabinet – the complete Black Bowmore single malt whisky collection direct from the Bowmore distillery, comprising five archive bottles, spanning 1993 to 2016, presented in a truly unique bespoke piece of furniture created by award-winning craftsman John Galvin (estimate in the region of $500,000).
About Sotheby’s Wine
Sotheby’s Wine, with a store located within the auction house’s worldwide headquarters on New York’s Upper East Side, offers a carefully curated selection of wines from the world’s most prestigious producers and important regions. Expertly assembled by Sotheby’s’ experienced specialists, the ever-evolving selection is built upon lasting relationships with winemakers from across the globe, with prices beginning at just $13.95. With bottles that are ready for immediate consumption, in addition to investment-worthy wines from highly sought-after vintages, each wine is chosen for its expression of its region and value for money. Each bottle selected by Sotheby’s specialist team must pass the brand’s signature “three-glass” tasting guideline, meaning that the tasters must like it enough to want to drink three glasses, or the standard amount enjoyed when sharing a bottle.
The Sotheby’s Wine Store in New York City is located at 1334 York Avenue, and is open Monday through Friday from 10AM to 7PM and Saturday from 10AM to 6PM. Along with a retail location in Hong Kong Sotheby’s Wine also offers all bottles online, 24 hours, at www.sothebyswine.com.
Virginia Distillery Company’s Courage & Conviction American Single Malt Receives 96-Points from Wine Enthusiast
LOVINGSTON, Va. (January 19, 2021) – Virginia Distillery Company’s American Single Malt whisky Courage & Conviction was included in a recent buying guide for Wine Enthusiast which focused on Global Single Malts and Potato Vodka. Courage & Conviction received a 96-point score, putting the spirit in the superb category.
The Buying Guide is included in each issue of Wine Enthusiast as well as online and includes ratings and reviews of new releases and selected older beverage alcohol products that are evaluated by Wine Enthusiast editors and other qualified tasters. The panel of reviewers performed a blind tasting to determine the score for each product included. The scores are categorized as the following:
“It’s an honor to earn a superb score from one of the industry’s most accredited publications,” said Virginia Distillery Company’s CEO Gareth H. Moore. “Since day one, our team has been dedicated to producing quality American Single Malt whisky and setting a new standard in the category with Courage & Conviction.”
The name of Virginia Distillery Co.’s American Single Malt is a nod to a phrase founder Dr. George G. Moore was often heard saying: “Have the courage of your convictions.” The inaugural batch, which released in the spring of 2020, was dedicated to Dr. George G. Moore. The second batch of Courage & Conviction, which released in the fall of 2020, is dedicated to Dr. Jim Swan, who passed away in 2017 following a 40-year career supporting the science of distilling as a chemist, professor, researcher and author. Dr. Swan was the man behind Courage & Conviction: the distillate, the casks and the maturation strategy. Additional releases in the Courage & Conviction line are slated for Spring 2021.
Amongst Wine Enthusiast’s 96-point score, Courage & Conviction has earned national recognition and accolades including Double Gold in the SIP Awards, Double Gold in the John Barleycorn Awards, 94 Points in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge and 91 Points in Whisky Advocate.
Virginia Distillery Company released batch.info, a website hub that includes distillate and cask data about each batch of Courage & Conviction, as well as bottling and process information for consumers. Virginia Distillery Company also recently launched a complete guide to American Single Malt whisky.
For more information, visit the distillery’s website at www.vadistillery.com.
About Virginia Distillery Company
Staffed by a local Virginia team mentored by Scottish consultants with decades of experience, Virginia Distillery Company is the largest dedicated American Single Malt whisky distillery in the U.S. The distillery has a current annual production volume of 80,000 4.5L cases and growing. At full capacity, the distillery can produce over 8,000 casks yielding 350,000 4.5L cases annually. The distillery produces Courage & Conviction American Single Malt on-site using malted barley from North America and water from Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. In addition, the distillery offers the award-winning Virginia-Highland Whisky series, made with 100% malted barley. Showcasing both Old and New World whisky-making, the award-winning line marries whisky made on-site in Virginia with whisky from Scotland.
Our January auction ends soon!
Place your bids from Friday 15th January until Sunday 24th January.
Every month, we present an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits to our members right across the globe. You will find everything here from limited edition releases and vintage bottles to whole casks of rare whisky. There is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest or enjoy!
Hanyu – Joker Monochrome
Glenfarclas – 40 Year Old
(& corresponding Limited Edition numbered print)
Port Ellen – 40 Year Old (1979) Casks of Distinction
Old Rip Van Winkle – 18 Year Old (Blue Smoke)
*Glen Garioch – 1985 (Hand-filled cask #1586)
*All proceeds raised from the sale of this lot will be donated to NHS Grampian, in an effort to assist the fantastic work they are doing in the fight against COVID-19.
Selling whisky? Why not arrange the pick-up of your bottles using our global courier service? If you’re based in Scotland, you might want to arrange the personal collection of your bottles. Wherever you’re based in the world, we will make getting your bottles into our monthly auction as simple as possible. Get in touch with the Whisky Hammer team now by dropping them a message at sales@whiskyhammer.co.uk.
How is whisky made? Does age matter? What even is whisky!?
We’ve got the answers for you…
If you’re new to the world of whisky, it’s completely normal to find it all a little overwhelming. Ahead of Burns Night on Monday evening, which of course is synonymous with enjoying a dram or two, we’ve tried to make the whole thing easier for you by putting together a beginner’s whisky guide so you can get started on your very exciting whisky journey ahead. If you still have some burning questions that you want to ask, please feel free to get in touch with us anytime, we’re more than happy to help!
Don’t forget – you can enjoy 10% off selected Cotswolds whiskies until midnight on Sunday!
Take A Walk On The Wild Side
SINGLE MALTS OF SCOTLAND AND
SINGLE CASKS BY THE WHISKY EXCHANGE
A wise man – Joe, who works at our London Bridge shop – once said that, ‘independent bottlings are where the jazz is.’ But to the uninitiated, the world of indie bottlings can appear murky, hard-to-navigate and even downright mysterious. So let’s fix that.
Simply put, an independent – or ‘indie’ – bottling is any whisky not bottled by the distillery at which it was made, or by the people who own said distillery. These whiskies are often selected and purchased – by the cask or in larger quantities – from a distillery or third-party-vendor by the company who wishes to bottle them. Because they are not ‘official’ distillery releases, they may exhibit qualities and characteristics which don’t necessarily reflect that distillery’s house style – or, depending on the bottler’s aim, which reflect that house style to an exemplary degree.
Because of this, indie bottlings present a stellar opportunity to examine our favourite whiskies from different angles. They also often represent excellent value for money.
If you fancy dipping your toes into the world of independent bottlings, or gifting a little jazz to a loved one, we can’t think of anywhere better to start than with our own range of single casks – great value drams we’re proud to stake our reputation on – or with new Single Malts of Scotland Reserve Casks from our sister company, Elixir Distillers.
MONDAY 25 JANUARY, 10AM
THE PAST HAS GREAT TREASURE.
THE PRESENT HAS EXTRORDINARY RICHES.
ALL WILL BE REVEALED ON 25 JANUARY.
Burns Night on Monday 25 January provides the perfect excuse to enjoy a dram or two of fine whisky and to raise a toast to the legendary Scottish poet, Robert Burns. Whether you’re a whisky novice or connoisseur, here’s a list of delicious whiskies to suit every palate and price range as well as some beautiful glassware to enhance your tasting experience.
Glenmorangie Lasanta, £47
Gaelic for “warmth and passion,” the 12-year-old single-malt Lasanta is extra-matured in Spanish sherry casks, revealing enticing aromas, full-bodied flavours and a lusciously soft texture. Aged for 10 years in first and second fill ex-bourbon casks, then ‘finished’ in Oloroso and PX Sherry casks, the creation of Lasanta is an exercise in fine-tuning, with Glenmorangie’s craftsmen seeking a smoother, sweeter whisky than is traditional in the Highlands. The ideal whisky to enjoy with your haggis on Burns Night.
Available through www.clos19.com www.glenmorangie.com
Ardbeg Wee Beastie, £39
For over 200 years, Ardbeg has been made on the remote Scottish isle of Islay. This new single-malt style showcases the daring, experimental side of the distillery. Aged just 5 years, but with a feisty and intensely powerful flavour, Wee Beastie has been matured in ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks. Untamed by age, it accentuates the raw power of Islay whisky. Intensely smoky, with notes of cracked black pepper, tar and savoury meats, Wee Beastie has been described as a ‘monster of a dram’ and it’s not for the faint hearted.
Available through www.clos19.com www.ardbeg.com
Glenmorangie Malaga Cask, £75
Indulgently sweet and rich, Glenmorangie’s latest small-batch Highland single malt Scotch whisky brings the sun-kissed flavours of the south of Spain to whisky lovers old and new. Enriched by the honeyed intensity of famed Malaga wine casks, 12-year-old limited edition Glenmorangie Malaga Cask Finish brims with chocolate, fruit and gentle spice.
Available through www.clos19.com www.glenmorangie.com
Ardbeg An Oa, £49
An Oa – part of Ardbeg’s core range of whiskies – is named after the Mull of Oa in the south west of Islay where the distillery is situated. The whisky is singularly rounded due to time spent in the bespoke oak Gathering Vat where whiskies from several cask types – including; sweet Pedro Ximénez; spicy virgin charred oak; and intense ex-bourbon casks, amongst others, mingle unhurriedly. The result is a dram with smoky power, mellowed by a delectable, smooth sweetness and a truly untamed single malt. Ideal for those whisky lovers who prefer a more peaty, smoky dram with their neeps and tatties.
Available through www.clos19.com. www.ardbeg.com
Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1996, £635
Sixth in the Bond House No. 1 Collection, Grand Vintage 1996 is the first Glenmorangie whisky to be aged in specially designed casks. The casks are first seasoned with bourbon for four years, then lightly charred to magnify Glenmorangie’s creamy character. The result is a smoother, rounder single malt whisky, aged for a total of 23 years and a rare chance to own a piece of the distillery’s history.
Available through www.clos19.com www.glenmorangie.com
The Glencairn Crystal Glassware Range
Every whisky aficionado will tell you that the only way to drink whisky is from the iconic Glencairn Glass – in fact 3 million glasses are now sold every year across the world. Endorsed by the Scotch Whisky Association as the official glass for whisky, its unique and stylish shape has been crafted to enhance the enjoyment of both single malts and aged blends. The tapering mouth of the glass captures those all-important aromas, and its wide bowl allows the fullest appreciation of the whisky colour with the thistle style base designed to be comfortable in the hand.
There’s a wide range of Glencairn Glasses to suit all budgets starting from a beautifully presented single glass (uncut or hand cut crystal) with prices from £6.
Or you could try something special to serve your whisky from such as Glencairn’s best-selling decanter designed in the shape of a whisky pot still. This beautiful crystal decanter holds 75cl and comes in a stylish presentation box, RRP £70.
The Glencairn Glassware range can be personalised with bespoke engraving to create a truly unique gift and is available at the Glencairn online shop.
Responsible Drinking:
Glenmorangie and Ardbeg advocate responsible drinking and suggest that drinkers savour whiskies in moderation and in line with recommended daily guidelines for alcohol consumption.
