We wanted to give you a quick update about what’s happening at Sotheby’s – both now and in the pipeline. We closed 2021 with sales of Spirits totalling $21 million, and 2022 looks set to be an equally exciting year.

Currently open for bidding (until 18th February) is Whisky | Asian Spirits featuring The Three Continents Collection Part II, Sotheby’s first ever spirits sale consisting of only Asian Spirits. It is made up of bottles from The Three Continents Collection Part II, (The first part of The Three Continents Collection – which numbers some 5,000 bottles of Scotch, Japanese and American bottles in total – debuted at auction in December 2021, selling for two times its low estimate.)

The sale also sees bottlings of Karuizawa dating from 1980 all the way through to 2000, the year in which the distillery closed, as well as a handful of non-vintage bottlings, alongside a number of rare Hanyu bottlings. Last but not least, the very best of both the Suntory and Nikka portfolios are on offer, with sought after single bottles and the opportunity to bid on full cases of six and twelve bottles across several price brackets.

Demand for US whiskey seems to have grown significantly over the last year. Next month will see Sotheby’s increasing its American Whiskey offerings significantly, further to our first American Whiskey Single Owner auction in New York in April 2021 with The Thoroughbred Collection, which comprised rare Bourbon and Ryes from one dedicated enthusiast. The sale total achieved more than 300% of its low estimate at just shy of $1 million, and set a new benchmark for what the future of Whiskey auctions will look like.

On March 19th in New York we will host a US Whiskey-only auction featuring two significant collections. The first: American Muscle, a collection accrued over the last 10 years by one of California’s most renowned Muscle Car drivers featuring a significant selection of Willett, Four Roses and Van Winkle. The second: The Three Continents Collection Part III (containing just US Whiskeys).

Looking ahead, we will be holding a sale of Spirits as part of our Spring series of auctions in Hong Kong in April, and beyond that on the horizon, a sale of Asian spirits in May and Scotch Whisky in June, both in London.

Whisky  | Asian Spirits featuring The Three Continents Collection Part II, New York, 2 – 18 February

American Muscle | Rare Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye, New York, 19 March