TOP RESULTS FROM THE BONHAMS SKINNER RARE SPIRITS SALE
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Glenlivet “The Winchester Collection” 50 Years Old 1967 (1 750ml bottle, 1 50ml bottle), sold for 21,250.
Boston – Bonhams Skinner saw impressive results in its Distinguished Distilleries: Rare Spirits sale from June 4 – 18, with several bottles fetching over $10,000. Overall, the 471-lot sale totalled $708,000 with a 84% sell-through rate.
A standout of the sale was a 1967 50 Year Old Glenlivet from “The Winchester Collection,” which included a 750ml and a 50ml bottle. This highly sought-after and limited-edition single malt Scotch whisky, with only 150 bottles produced, sold for a remarkable $21,250. Equally fetching $21,250 was the Highland Park 50 Years Old, a highly prestigious and rare single malt Scotch whisky
The sale also featured a significant collection from Dr. Paul S. Hirsch, an award-winning writer and historian. Hirsch developed an effective system for discovering vintage and rare bottles of whiskey, becoming a leading authority with a robust community around collecting outstanding spirits. The 47-bottle offering, boasting labels from a number of important distilleries, exemplifies Hirsch’s dedication to seeking out the best of the best. Of note from the sale was a Willett Bourbon 25 Years Old Black Wax, which sold for $17,500. Overall, Dr. Hirsch’s collection totalled $125,960.
Another standout at the auction was the Blanton’s Frankfort, KY 200th, a special bottling of Blanton’s bourbon whiskey commemorating the bicentennial of Frankfort, Kentucky. This highly rare offering achieved an impressive price of $5,250.
Additional highlights include:
- Macallan Select Reserve 52 Years Old 1946 (1 70cl bottle), sold for $16,250.
- OFC Bottled in Bond Geo. T. Stagg Company 1917 (1 pint bottle), sold for $11,875.
- Willett Rye 24 Years Old Black Wax (1 750ml bottle), sold for $10,000.
- Colonel E.H. Taylor Old Fashioned Sour Mash (1 750ml bottle), sold for $10,000.
Bonhams US will ramp up its sale cadence in the fall, with a run of multiple Spirits auctions to close the year, the first in the series taking place in September. The forthcoming sales will be led by Sean Purce, the new Senior Specialist of Spirits based out of New York. With years of expertise running online sales at Zachys Wine Auctions and expertise in the appraisal and evaluation of rare bottlings of wine and spirits, Purce’s addition will be a valuable asset to Bonhams as it expands its Wine & Spirits department in the US. Bonhams is strategically positioned to tap into the vital US market and is bolstered by Bonhams’ coast-to-coast strength, supported by its global network of auction houses that have consistently demonstrated success in presenting Wine & Spirits auctions to a discerning international clientele.
About The Bonhams Network
Bonhams is a global network of auction houses, with the largest number of international salerooms, offering the widest range of collecting categories and selling at all price points. Bonhams is recognised for its bespoke service, and a dedication to local market relationships, enhanced by a global platform. With 14 salerooms, Bonhams presents over 1,000 sales annually, across more than 60 specialist categories, including fine art, collectables, luxury, wine & spirits, and collector cars.
Founded in 1793, Bonhams has representatives in more than 30 countries and operates flagship salerooms in London, New York, Paris, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. In 2022, Bonhams added four international auction houses to its network: Bukowskis, Stockholm; Bruun Rasmussen, Copenhagen; Cornette de Saint Cyr, Paris and Brussels; and Skinner, Massachusetts. The success of Bonhams’ global strategy is a result of recognising the shift in growing intercontinental buying and increased digital engagement.
Recent important auctions and landmark single-owner collections, include the white glove sales of Sir Michael Caine: The Personal Collection, Alain Delon: Sixty Years of Passion; Sir Roger Moore: The Personal Collection; Personal Property of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and The Robert & Jean-Pierre Rousset Collection of Asian Art: A Century of Collecting. Other notable single-owner sales included The Estate of Barbara Walters: American Icon; The Alan and Simone Hartman Collection; The Crown Auction: Props and Costumes and The Claude de Marteau Collection.
Top lots for 2023 include 1967 Ferrari 412P Berlinetta, Sold at Quail Lodge, US for US$30,255,000. Tipu Sultan’s Bedchamber Sword (sold in London for £14m – a world record for both an Islamic and an Indian object); Paul Signac (1863-1935), Sisteron, 1902. Sold for US$8,580,000 (estimate US$4-6 million), and Claude Monet (1840-1926), La Seine près de Giverny, 1888. Sold for US$6,352,500 (estimate US$4-6m), both from the Alan and Simone Hartman Collection; A Gilt Copper Alloy figure of Virupaksha, Central Tibet, Densatil Monastery, Early 15th century. Sold for HK$37.9m (£4,060,326) in Hong Kong. Yoshitomo Nara (born 1959) Three Stars. Sold for HK$36,754,000 (£3,930,914), also in Hong Kong.
More information and highlights can be found here. For a full list of forthcoming auctions, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com.
