Our currently live 172nd auction will close tonight, which still leaves loads of time to get your bids in.  With that in mind we’ve selected a few things worth highlighting that you might have missed this month.  Best of luck in the auction everyone.

Kilkerran 16 Year Old

Glengyle Distillery, if you believe the narrative in Campbeltown itself, was a distillery re-opened largely out of spite. With the SWA point-blank refusing to officially recognise Campbeltown as a region until there were at least three active distilleries there, Hedley Wright (the late chairman of J&A Mitchell and Springbank) purchased the old Glengyle buildings in 2000. Following a four year (!) renovation, distillation re-commenced in 2004 and quickly gained a reputation for producing a cleaner, more precise style of whisky than their big brother Springbank – but retaining a definite Campbeltown character. In the years since, the reputation of their distillate (named Kilkerran) has only increased, and many savvy drinkers now ensure they always have a bottle in their cabinet – with one of the most popular examples being the consistently excellent 16 Year Old (which we just so happen to have 20+ bottles of in the 173rd Auction…).

It just wouldn’t be a highlight reel without something elegant and rare from Japan, so without further ado this is the Karuizawa 1999 & 2000 ‘The Golden House of Five Mistress’ Mini Set 5 x 18cl.  Karuizawa has become a force of nature in the secondary market. The rarity of official expressions, and the now finite supply make for an explosive combination in the world of rare whisky, with die-hard collectors clamouring to get hold of any releases, and driving a buoyant second hand market.  This box-set includes 5 limited edition Karuzawa whiskies matured in Sherry Casks and bottled in 2017, each with a different Japanese Geisha image on the label. Every bottle is one of only 500 released, adding to the exclusivity of this marvelous little set.

Cadenhead’s

Following on from our opening gambit of a Kilkerran 16, we thought we’d shine a light on another veritable treasure trove of affordable high-quality drams, the Campbeltown powerhouse Cadenhead’s.  One of the most distinguished independent bottlers in Scotland Cadenhead’s has a long and storied history beginning in Aberdeen in 1842 before eventually passing into the ownership of the Mitchell family of Campbeltown, owners of another Scottish institution, Springbank Distillery.  With almost every whisky making region in the world represented in their output, not to mention the bourbons, rums, armagnacs etc etc, Cadenhead’s really does have something for everbody, and at every price point too.  We always have a wide selection of Cadenhead’s bottlings in every auction so if you haven’t sampled their wares yet we suggest you get involved.

Kentucky Bourbon aged for over twenty years used to be viewed as an expensive, yet ultimately disappointing, vanity project – in the often stifling Kentucky heat, the comparatively small amount of whiskey left in the barrel after two decades tended to be too concentrated, woody and astringent. At Buffalo Trace, however, a part of their sprawling distillery complex is devoted to aging barrels at a much lower, controlled temperature – with other sections set aside for experimenting with other variables such as humidity and sunlight. Although somewhat shrouded in secrecy, we do know that the barrels for this incredible Eagle Rare 25 Year Old were sourced from the ‘cold room’ – and the results are widely accepted to be very special indeed. Filled into one of the most aesthetically pleasing decanters we’ve ever seen, and housed in a beautiful box, everything about this release feels decades in the making.

As always, we have a wide range of drams with something to suit everyone, so now is the time to get moving 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.Thinking of selling your bottles? 

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