September 2023 Auction // 29.09.23 – 09.10.23

Now Live: September 2023 Auction

Featuring over 8,500 rare whiskies, our September auction offers a unique opportunity to bid on some fantastic bottles for your whisky shelf or collection. This month is full of incredibly rare bottles, from a vast collection of Springbank, to iconic 1960s Bowmore, and a 12-bottle original case of Macallan 1938 35 Year Old appearing at our auction for the first time.

Browse our live auction.

Springbank 1966 Local Barley Collection

Willett Family Estate Highlights

Rare 1960s Cadenhead ‘Dumpies’ US Imports

Macallan 1938 G&M 35 Year Old 12 x 75cl / Edward & Edward

Bowmore 1972 Signatory Vintage 36 Year Old

The World’s Oldest Scotch Whisky: 24 November – 04 December

Believed to be distilled in 1833 and the oldest Scotch whisky in the world. this whisky was discovered in the cellars of Blair Castle, in Highland Perthshire. In November 2023, Whisky Auctioneer will have the privilege of presenting 24 individual bottles of Blair Castle c.1833 Scotch Whisky in a historic whisky auction.

Register your interest now and receive exclusive updates, content and more.

Interested in selling in our next auction? Fill out our Seller Form today.

Introducing Founder’s Highlights
Regular update
from Dan

This week marks the first in what will hopefully be a regular series of random thoughts, impressions and musings which my marketing team suggested is called “Founder’s Highlights”.

When the idea was suggested to me, I immediately agreed since – as anyone who’s met me knows – I love nothing more than sharing the ups, downs, joys and challenges of the amazing journey we’ve been on for over 10 years ever since I first had the idea to open a distillery in the Cotswolds.

September is always a busy month as the late Summer torpor gives way to the busiest time of year and the start of the “whisky season”.  Highlights of last week included an excellent “day in trade”, meeting with bartenders and shop owners in London with our brilliant new brand ambassador Katie.  It’s been too long since I last did this and there is truly no better way to spend your time as a founder  as it involves direct contact with customers and consumers, and also a chance to take the pulse of the market and understand whether our brand remains relevant (the answer to which I can happily report seemed to be a resounding “yes”!).

The second half of the week was spent in Edinburgh attending the annual Worshipful Company of Distillers’ Scottish Dinner at the Signet Library, where as Renter Warden I had the honour to personally greet over 200 guests representing the breadth of the whisky industry.  There were also visits to the new Port of Leith Distillery as well as the wonderful Holyrood Distillery.  Port of Leith – a 9-story purpose built vertical whisky distillery – is one of the few projects that is so ambitious as to make me feel comforted I’m not the biggest dreamer of them all.  Holyrood’s experimental quirkiness and use of novel yeasts and mashbills was equally fascinating and inspiring.

This week has been focused on finalising work on our exciting wetlands effluent management project, on reviewing business development and challenges faced in the difficult current sales environment, and lastly on reviewing our “wood program” for next year, i.e. the casks we’ll need to have on hand to fill the projected amount of whisky we plan to produce.  That is by far the most satisfying job as it’s all about the future, and the endless possibilities of the different whiskies we’ll be nurturing over the years to come.

I hope you’ve all had a good week and I promise that future missives will be shorter!

Cheers
Dan

Introducing The Wall Collection.

The first release in our new and exciting Wall Collection is Peat Edition, a 36-year-old single malt that embodies its namesake both in bottle and taste.

Laura Carlin is an award-winning illustrator and ceramicist from London, and it’s thanks to her that each of the 200 bottles of The Wall Collection: Peat Edition have such beautiful artwork. She journeyed to Islay to get to know us a little better and to fully immerse herself in the history of our island and our distillery. Time spent learning about how integral peat is to our process and how long our iconic Warehouse No.1 has been standing led to the beautiful design you can see on these bespoke bottles.

Both this whisky and Islay have a story to tell and it’s too good to keep to ourselves – so we captured it on film for you.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Unmistakably Laphroaig – a special dram for a special bottle.

One of the oldest releases yet, The Wall Collection: Peat Edition differs from the classic 10 Year Old not only from its extra time maturing, but the use of a cask that previously held younger, heavily-peated Laphroaig . At first nose, there’s lovely and soft vanilla custard with the distinct and classic flavour from ex-Laphroaig casks.

Explore the story behind what makes this edition so special, and see Barry and Laura enjoy a dram of it together, in the full video on Laphroaig.com

“PEAT” BY LAURA CARLIN. “This is a whisky with layers and layers of story to tell… just a sip of it takes you somewhere else.” – Laura Carlin

In Laura’s own words, she loves to create stories around physical objects, as well as explore themes of history, people and iconography. We think you’ll agree that she has done an extraordinary job of capturing the rich history of both our peat and our wall.

The paint used to decorate these unique bottles is the very same as that which adorns the wall of our iconic Warehouse No.1. Sitting right on the shoreline of the bay, the wall that boasts the iconic black LAPHROAIG lettering weathers sea spray and wind and rain, day after day, and sits on foundations that date back to the 1800s. The wall of Warehouse No.1 is strong, enduring, and full of character. Just like our whisky.

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A warm welcome everyone to our now live 148th auction!  Now the nights are fair drawin in this is the ideal time to pick up a few bottles of warming spirit to fortify you against the impending cold of winter.  With literally thousands upon thousands of bottles to choose from we have picked out a few interesting lots to get your started on your monthly whisky journey.

Macallan 1950 Tales of the Macallan Volume 1 Lalique Decanter

First up is a truly breath-taking expression the Macallan 1950 Tales of Macallan Volume 1 Lalique Decanter.  Before we even get to the tremendous whisky contained within it is worth pointing out the exquisite and bespoke Lalique decanter which is itself housed (Shawshank Redemption style) in a hefty leather-bound almanac, a weighty tome if ever there was one.  The whisky itself is a 1950 vintage Macallan which was finally bottled in 2021 giving it decades upon decades of maturity to call upon.  One of only 350 produced this is a must have for any Macallan collectors.

Tullibardine 2003 18 Year Old ‘Kibblecask 4’ Whisky Broker

Next we have a bottle which is available as a ‘Buy-it-Now’ on the site this month, the Tullibardine 2003 18 Year Old ‘Kibblecask 4’ Whisky Broker.  A thoroughly interesting dram it is punchy and herbaceous at the front of the palate, mellowing out into a warming sherried sweetness finish.  Priced at only £49 you’d be doing well to find an 18 year old single cask of similar quality in today’s market.

Springbank 12 Year Old 100° Proof 75cl

If only we’d all had a crystal ball, I don’t know what this Springbank 12 Year Old 100° Proof 75cl retailed at when it was available to buy, but rest assured it was a whole lot less than what it achieves now in the secondary market.  An old-style bottling like this is always a favourite here at SWA (what can I say, we are suckers for nostalgia), with its understated and elegant labelling, not to mention the tremendously well-balanced old-style whisky contained within.  If you collect Springbanks then this is a great opportunity to purchase an older style bottling still in excellent condition.

Hanyu Ichiro’s Malt Card Three of Hearts

This quirky dram is the Hanyu Ichiro’s Malt Card Three of Hearts.  Given there were only 17 years of whisky production at the now defunct Hanyu, their whisky stocks are not only attractively collectible but also limited and scarce.  The marketing masterstroke that is the Malt Card Series features a different playing card on every label, allowing people to easily remember their favourites and encouraging collectors to complete the full deck.  If you are missing the Three of Hearts, now is the time to strike!

Glasgow Distillery 2016 Single Cask #51 for Scottish Fire & Rescue Family Support Trust Centenary Bottle #1

And finally, we have the Glasgow Distillery 2016 Single Cask #51 for Scottish Fire & Rescue Family Support Trust Centenary Bottle #1. Distilled by Glasgow Distillery and drawn from an ex-bourbon cask this is bottle number 1 of 223 produced, with all proceeds from this sale being donated to the Scottish Fire & Rescue Family Support Trust.  As the oldest fire service charity in the UK the Family Support Trust has a proud tradition and commitment to providing care and support to serving and retired fire personnel and their families at times of greatest need, be it bereavement, illness or stress.  A noble cause if ever there was one, so we have high hopes the hammer price from this exclusive bottling will provide them with the funds they need to continue their excellent work.As always, we charge no sellers commission and only 10% buyers premium and we have some truly excellent drams in the auction this month, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

We have a wide range of drams with something to suit everyone, so now is the time to wade in and start picking out your own personal favourites for your watchlist.  Best of luck to everyone in the auction, and as always………..don’t lose your bottle.

Latest Updates

TOMATIN 36yo Batch #11

£1,200 / $1,241* / c$2,012* / €1,399

Rare cask matured in Oloroso sherry butts and traditional oak casks for 2023. Tomatin 36 Year Old Rare Casks batch #11 Highland single malt Scotch whisky. Matured in a first fill Oloroso Sherry Butts and traditional oak casks. Limited release of 1,200 numbered bottles.

Nose: Tropical fruits and winter spices from the Oloroso Sherry butts.

Palate: Rich yet sweet on the palate, the fruity tones develop into oaky flavours of raw heather honey and roasted chestnuts.

Finish: Very long finish with lashings of fruit and winter spice.

Tomatin Distillery was established in 1897 and operated with two stills until 1956 after which there were frequent and numerous additions culminating in 23 stills in 1986 making Tomatin the largest distillery in Scotland at that time. However, eleven were subsequently closed and it is currently equipped with twelve but operating with eight. Tomatin Distillery is a Highland distillery situated close to the Cairngorms National Park and, sitting at an altitude of 315m, it is the third highest distillery in Scotland. The official range includes Tomatin 12 Year Old, 18 Year Old and the peated Cu Bocan range.

CÙ BÒCAN

15 YEAR OLD – 2023 EDITION

OLOROSO SHERRY CASKS

15 Year Old | 70cl | 50% ABV

Cù Bòcan takes its name from the mythical hound that has haunted the village of Tomatin for centuries. This experimental, lightly peated Single Malt is produced every winter at the Tomatin Distillery.This Limited Edition release has been fully matured in Oloroso Sherry casks for at least 15 years. A decadent Single Malt with rich flavours and aroma sun dried fruits and smoky exotic spices.

TASTING NOTES:

Dried fruits, flamed orange peel, cinder toffee, black cherry and cardamom

£94.95

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BATCH 13 FROM ALISTAIR WALKER

Linkwood 30 Years Old 1992 

This 30-year-old single malt from Linkwood Distillery in Speyside, Scotland, was artfully aged in a Chinquapin oak barrel. Bottled at its natural cask strength, with no chill-filtration or artificial colouring, this impressive whiskey is part of Alistair Walker’s Infrequent Flyers collection.

NOSE: Almonds, toasted oak and vanilla cheesecake. Danish pastries and tree sap.

PALATE: Lots going on here. Aniseed balls, Braeburn apples and crushed digestive biscuits. Tropical notes – vanilla, coconut and Demerara syrup. A hint of rum and raisin fudge. Woody, with well-defined sweet spicy notes.

£349.99

HEAVILY PEATED

OCTOMORE 14 EDITIONS

Love peaty whisky? Bruichladdich distillery has unveiled the 14th installment of its annual Octomore series. Octomore Islay single malts are widely regarded as the world’s peatiest Scotch whisky and explore the influence of different barley types, cask types and peat levels to create peated whiskies with a distinct character. This limited edition trio has been made with 100% Scottish barley, aged for 5 years and bottled close to cask strength (ranging from 57.7% to 61.4% abv).

Described as the backbone of the series, Octomore 14.1 has been matured in bourbon casks, whilst Octomore 14.2 explores the influence of European wine casks and Octomore 14.3 uses locally grown Islay barley to produce the most heavily peated whisky in the series.

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ralfy review 996 Extras – Chasing the peat monsters !

ELEMENTS OF ISLAY LAUNCHES NEW LIMITED EDITION

 BEACH BONFIRE GLOBALLY

Elements of Islay, the award-winning independent whisky brand, is releasing its limited-edition whisky Beach Bonfire to global markets following an initial launch at Islay’s iconic whisky festival Fèis Ìle earlier this year.

The team wanted to create a whisky that captured the essence of the island’s rugged wilderness and transport the drinker to the heart of this untamed land with each sip. Head Blender Oliver Chilton took inspiration from a bonfire night where colours, smoke, flames, and sand all collided on a beach – truly representing the unique spirit and terroir of Islay.

The new release, bottled at 54.5% to be consistent with Elements of Islay’s core range, is matured in new oak, bourbon refill and sherry casks. The result is a powerful, herbaceous Islay malt with a rich, complex profile, laden with bonfire ember smoke and a sweet spice finish. Similarly to the rest of the range, Beach Bonfire is non-chill filtered and retains its natural colour.

“We’re thrilled to be releasing Beach Bonfire to markets across the world following its limited release at Fèis Ìle 2023,” said Elixir Distillers Head Blender, Oliver Chilton. “Beach Bonfire takes three distinct Islay spirits matured in a variety of different cask styles to bring a singular location and experience to life through flavour. The chance to condense and reimagine the incredible atmosphere of Islay’s coast by bonfire light into a glass of whisky is another step on our journey as blenders.”

The whisky is the first limited edition release from Elements of Islay since the re-launch of its core range in 2022.

 Elements of Islay, Beach Bonfire, 70cl, 54.5% ABV, RRP £79.95, $115.00, €85.00 will be available in key markets across Europe in October 2023. It will be rolled out to Asia and the US from 2024. 

Tasting Notes by Oliver Chilton, Head Blender

Nose: Oyster shells and bonfire smoke blend with rich baking spices and subtle notes of cherry and tarragon. Hints of mint and black pepper temper lemon oil and caramel cooking on a wood burning stove.

Palate: Bourbon-soaked Amarena Cherries, with baked vanilla pods, cinnamon and light ginger are surrounded by rich wood smoke. Touches of traditional, medicinal Islay peat play against a wonderful herbaceous character.

Finish: Warm and long, with more wood fire and soft brown sugar. A gingerbread spice starts to develop long after the last sip.