
MACALLAN MIZUNARA 33-YEAR-OLD 1990 KOMOREBI EDITION LEADS BONHAMS FINEST WHISKY SALE
World’s rarest Japanese whisky also offered

Macallan Mizunara 33-Year-Old 1990 Komorebi Edition, East Asia Whisky Company. Estimate: £6,000-9,000.
Edinburgh – A rare and highly sought after Macallan Mizunara 33-Year-Old 1990 Komorebi Edition whisky leads Bonhams Finest Whisky & Spirits online sale from 23 September-3 October. The third in the final instalment in the Macallan Mizunara project by the East Asia Whisky Company, this edition, named ‘Komorebi’ meaning ‘golden beams of light filtering through tree leaves’, was matured for 33 years (two of which were in Mizunara) and is offered with an estimate of £6,000-9,000.
Also offered in the sale is an exceptionally rare Shirakawa 1958 whisky – the earliest known single vintage Japanese whisky ever bottled. The Shirakawa Distillery operated for nearly six and half decades before being demolished in 2003. Distilled and bottled in Japan by Takara Shuzo Co Ltd, bottle 242 of 1500, and in its original presentation case, the Japanese Single Malt is offered with an estimate of £6,000-8,000.

Shirakawa 1958 whisky. Estimate: £6,000 – 8,000.
Other Japanese whiskies of note offered in the sale include:
- Karuizawa 1999 #671, bottled 1999 and distilled by Karuizawa Distillery. One of 394 bottles and in original presentation case. 1 bottle. Estimate: £1,600-2,200.
- Hanyu 2000 #63 La Maison du Whisky. Bottled in 2015. Distilled, matured and bottled by Hanyu Distillery. Specially selected and imported by La Maison du Whisky. In original carton. 1 bottle. Estimate £1,200-1,600.
Georgia Porteous, Bonhams Whisky Specialist in Edinburgh comments, “The sale features highly sought after rare Japanese whiskies alongside stand-out lots including a bottle of Aberfeldy 30-Year-Old 1991. A bottle of Highland Park Rebus 30-Year-Old is also offered, celebrating 30 years of the whisky-loving Inspector John Rebus, immortalised in Sir Ian Rankin’s series of detective novels set in Edinburgh. There are some exceptional whiskies here.”

Left: Highland Park Rebus 30 Year. Estimate: £3,000-4,000. Right: Macallan Private Eye. Estimate: £2,250-3,000.
The 78-lot sale features some beautifully well-balanced whiskies as well as commemorative editions including:
- Aberfeldy 30-Year-Old 1991, distilled 1991, hand bottled 2021 by Burn O’ Bennie Distillery. 2nd Fill Bourbon Cask. Bottle One of One and in hand crafted Walnut presentation case by Stevie Stuart, cabinet maker. Label illustration is Peter Howson x Burn O’Bennnie. Included in this lot is the original artwork that was used for the label design. Estimate: £6,000 – 8,000.
- Highland Park Rebus 30-Year-Old, distilled and bottled by Highland Park Distillery and in the original wooden presentation case. 1 bottle. Estimate: £3,000-4,000.
- Macallan Private Eye, selected by Whisky Maker F. A. Newlands at The Macallan Distillery, bottled to commemorate the 35th Anniversary of Private Eye. Includes cask number 1580, bonded 1961. Estimate £2,250-3,000.
Sale: Finest Whisky & Spirits Sale
Location: www.bonhams.com
Date: 23 September – 3 October 2024
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.
In 2023, Bonhams achieved 14% growth with $1.14 billion in turnover. 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
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