JULY 2026 AUCTION ENDS SOON!

With the auction drawing to a close, this historic Lagavulin is well worth a final look. Released in 1982, this 12-year-old formed part of the pioneering Ascot Malt Cellar series, alongside Linkwood, Rosebank, Talisker and the blended malts Strathconon and Glenleven. Widely regarded as the precursor to the iconic Classic Malts range, the series laid the foundations for one of Scotch whisky’s most celebrated collections, with the 12-year-old later giving way to the now-famous 16-year-old expression. As the first official bottling ever released by the distillery, this is a landmark whisky in Lagavulin’s history.

The end of an era, captured in a bottle! Filled on 16th March 1983, Cask #327 was the final cask laid down before the legendary Speyside distillery Dallas Dhu ceased production for good. This highly sought-after release was commissioned by Historic Scotland (now Historic Environment Scotland) to commemorate the distillery’s rich heritage. While it carries no official age statement, it is widely believed to have been bottled in the mid-to-late 2000s at around 23 years of age. A remarkable bottling that preserves the final chapter of one of Speyside’s most iconic lost (but not forgotten) distilleries.

A standout release from the celebrated Manager’s Dram series, this Blair Athol was selected exclusively for employees across what is now Diageo’s portfolio of distilleries. Each annual bottling was chosen by the distillery manager, who hand-picked the finest casks to create a limited-edition whisky bottled at natural cask strength. Distilled at Blair Athol and matured for 15 years, this exceptional expression was bottled at natural cask strength in 1996. It remains one of the most sought-after releases in the iconic Manager’s Dram collection.

Following on from the previous Manager’s Dram, this Lagavulin edition is another outstanding example of the celebrated series. Distilled at Lagavulin, matured for 11 years, and bottled at natural cask strength in 2013, it showcases the unmistakable character of one of Islay’s most revered distilleries. This exclusive, official bottling is a fantastic opportunity to secure a distinctive chapter in Lagavulin’s modern history.

Two big events. One Sunday evening. Our July Auction closes from 8pm BST on Sunday, 19th July – the very same time the World Cup Final kicks off. Beat the rush by placing your bids early or leaving your maximum bids in advance at www.clickwhiskyauctions.com, then sit back and enjoy the match knowing your favourite lots are still in play!

FOCUS ON
JAPANESE WHISKY

From rare releases to distinctive expressions, there’s something for every Japanese whisky collector. Build your collection with exceptional bottles that don’t come around often. Get your bids in now.

WATCH OUR LIVE AUCTION

JULY 2026 AUCTION IN FULL SWING!

Our July auction is well underway and among the hidden gems is this exceptional release from Gordon & MacPhail’s iconic Connoisseur’s Choice range. First introduced by George Urquhart in the late 1960s, Connoisseur’s Choice transformed the whisky landscape by showcasing carefully selected single casks from distilleries across Scotland. The pioneering series inspired generations of independent bottlers and remains one of the most respected names in Scotch whisky. Distilled at the now-closed Pittyvaich Distillery in 1993, this whisky spent 29 years maturing in a single refill American hogshead (Cask #3723) before being bottled at natural cask strength under the Connoisseur’s Choice label by Gordon & MacPhail. With only 159 bottles produced, this is a rare opportunity to secure a beautifully matured whisky from one of Scotland’s lost distilleries, an exceptional addition to any serious collection!

Another exceptional collector’s piece, this incredibly rare Macallan miniature was distilled in 1967 and matured in a single Fino sherry butt (Cask #10469) before being bottled at natural cask strength in 1994. Beautifully presented in a wooden Fine & Rare presentation box from the same vintage, it represents a remarkable opportunity to acquire a scarce and highly desirable piece of Macallan history.

A superbly sherried single cask from GlenAllachie, this 1989 vintage spent an impressive 31 years maturing in a single Oloroso sherry hogshead (Cask #6118) before being bottled at natural cask strength exclusively for the UK market in 2020. Richly matured and beautifully presented, this limited release comprises just 339 bottles – offering collectors and enthusiasts the chance to secure a wonderfully aged expression from one of Speyside’s most sought-after distilleries. This is bottle 339 of 339.

A highly sought-after release, the Manager’s Dram series was produced exclusively for employees of what is now Diageo’s portfolio of distilleries. Each annual bottling saw the distillery manager hand-select the finest casks to create a unique, cask-strength expression in strictly limited quantities. This outstanding example was distilled at Glen Elgin, matured for 19 years, and bottled at natural cask strength in 1993. An excellent opportunity to own one of the most collectible and respected series in Scotch whisky, prized for both its exclusivity and exceptional quality.

Two big events. One Sunday evening. Our July Auction closes from 8pm BST on Sunday, 19th July – the very same time the World Cup Final kicks off. Beat the rush by placing your bids early or leaving your maximum bids in advance at www.clickwhiskyauctions.com, then sit back and enjoy the match knowing your favourite lots are still in play!

JULY 2026 AUCTION NOW LIVE!

Our latest whisky auction is now live, featuring an exceptional lineup of rare, collectible and highly sought-after bottles. One of this month’s highlights is a remarkable release from the lost Speyside distillery, Dallas Dhu. Distilled in 1982 – barely a year before the distillery closed – this rare single cask expression spent 24 years maturing before being drawn from Cask #3739 and bottled at natural cask strength for Historic Scotland. With only 590 bottles produced, it represents a rare opportunity to own a piece of Scotland’s whisky heritage.

Another gem among this month’s standout lots is a remarkable vintage Macallan, distilled in 1965 and bottled as a 17 Year Old – one of the celebrated releases that paved the way for the now-iconic 18 Year Old. Matured exclusively in sherry casks, these expressions were produced annually throughout the early 1980s before the inaugural 18 Year Old was introduced in 1985. Early Macallan bottlings of this calibre are becoming increasingly difficult to source, appearing less frequently at auction as demand for the distillery’s historic releases continues to grow. A rare opportunity for collectors to acquire a significant piece of Macallan’s rich legacy.

One of this month’s most distinctive highlights is a rare Oban Manager’s Dram, bottled at natural cask strength in 1991 to commemorate the distillery’s 200th anniversary. Distilled at Oban and matured in sherry casks, this exceptional release was selected from some of the distillery’s finest casks by the distillery manager. Traditionally reserved for employees within what is now the Diageo distillery portfolio, Manager’s Drams have long been revered for their quality, exclusivity and limited availability. Anniversary bottlings such as this are particularly sought after, offering collectors a rare opportunity to acquire one of Oban’s most celebrated releases.

A superb example of long-aged sherry-matured GlenAllachie, this 1989 vintage spent 31 years maturing in a single Oloroso sherry hogshead (Cask #6118) before being bottled at natural cask strength exclusively for the UK market in 2020. Limited to just 339 bottles, this single cask release offers collectors a rare opportunity to secure an outstanding expression from one of Speyside’s most respected modern distilleries.

These featured bottles are just a taste of what’s on offer in our July Auction. Explore the full catalogue at clickwhiskyauctions.com to discover even more rare and collectible whiskies.

Register to bid today and don’t miss your opportunity to add something exceptional to your collection. Bidding closes from 8pm BST on Sunday, 19th July.

Our collection schedule for July 2026 has now been finalised.  Please complete the form HERE to  register your interest in our free collection service.

The deadline for collection requests is 12noon on Monday 13th July 2026.

Home collections are available for those customers sending 10+ bottles or bottles to the value of £1000. Lots can be split over the next three auctions.  Unfortunately this service is not available in London. Although we do have four collection points in London.

Collections are limited and offered on a first come first served basis. It is essential that a submission sheet is completed, you can find the link to do so under the selling section on your ‘My SWA’ page. It would be appreciated if bottles could be packed for uplift with your name clearly marked on the front of the box.

A winner in our auction? We are now offering a delivery service to customers who are dropping bottles off for a future auction. This service is charged at £12 (inc. VAT), optional loss and breakage cover is available.

If you can tear yourself away from the superb spectacle that is the World Cup (slightly less hard for us Scotland fans) then you might like to marvel instead at the thousands upon thousands of fantastic drams in our now live 181st auction!  Fear not though if you want get back to the football for we have picked out a few choice lots to whet your appetite and ease your scrolling burden as you build your watchlist.

This solid looking specimen is the terrific Ledaig 42 Year Old Dusgadh.  The peated spirit in this release is some of the last to come out of the distillery before the stills were replaced in 1996. ‘Dusgadh’ is Gaelic for ‘awakening’ and each bottle comes with a memento card made from the copper from the now retired stills this spirit came from.  A little piece of history as well as a delicious dram from a highly reputable distillery.

The stuff of legend this next one, here we have the Glengoyne Tea Pot Dram Batch #1.  As the story goes the Glengoyne workers were given three large drams of 1st fill sherry whisky a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner (nice work if you can get it).  There was a large tea pot in the break room used as a receptacle for any ‘unwanted’ drams, which would be thoroughly drained by the more seasoned distillery workers throughout the day.  The Teapot Dram was created to encapsulate those days and consists of five first fill sherry casks between the ages of nine and 11 years old.

Next is a very well-aged whisky from a now silent distillery which had a legitimate claim to being the oldest licensed distillery in Scotland, though ‘licensed’ is very much the key word here, this is the Littlemill 1989 30 Year Old Artist #13 La Maison du Whisky.  This excellent example of lowland style whisky has been bottled by French whisky specialists La Maison du Whisky as part of their Artist series.

Finally we have a one-off bottle from one of Scotland’s most popular distilleries, this is the Glenfarclas 40 Year Old for Burns Night 2023 Master of Malt.  A genuine rarity this one since it was bottled specifically for Master of Malts Burns Night celebrations in 2023 and as such is a 1 of 1 release.  As if the fact it was a Glenfarclas 40 year old wasn’t enough, a thoroughly delicious dram we can all agree, it also comes with that inimitable sheen of exclusivity!

As always we have an enormous selection of drams to suit every budget on offer this month, so now is the time to delve into this month’s offerings and start building that watchlist.

Best of luck to everyone in the auction, and as always………..don’t lose your bottle.

Since our inception we have made every effort to keep our rates as low as we can, however given the increasing cost of doing business we will soon be making an increase to our Buyer’s Commission rate. From next month in our 181st auction starting Friday the 3rd of July we will be raising our Buyer’s Commission rate from 12.5% to 15% . All others fees will remain unchanged, including 0% commission for sellers.

Thank you for continuing to choose Scotch Whisky Auctions.

Our June 2026 Auction ENDS SOON!

Place your bids until 7pm (GMT) Sunday 28th June

www.whiskyhammer.com

Every month, we present an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits to our members right across the globe. You will find everything here from limited edition releases and vintage bottles to whole casks of rare whisky. There is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest or enjoy!

Glenfarclas – 1954 (Family Cask #1259) Summer 2014

Glen Grant – 72 Year Old (1948) Gordon & MacPhail

Springbank – 21 Year Old (1990s)

Clynelish – 17 Year Old (Manager’s Dram)

Selling whisky? Why not arrange the pick-up of your bottles using our global courier service? If you’re based in Scotland, you might want to arrange the personal collection of your bottles. Wherever you’re based in the world, we will make getting your bottles into our monthly auction as simple as possible. Get in touch with the Whisky Hammer team now by dropping them a message at sales@whiskyhammer.com.

BONHAMS HONG KONG SETS

NEW WORLD AUCTION RECORD

FOR A BOTTLE OF JAPANESE WHISKY

A Unique Yamazaki 50-Year-Old, Created for Club Natsume

Achieves HK$8,250,000 (US$1,050,000)

 Karuizawa 52-Year-Old Cask #5627, 1960 – Treasure Ship

Sells for HK$6,250,000 (US$797,000)

Sharon Chan hammering down the Yamazaki 50-Year-Old – Exclusively Created for Club Natsume to set a new world auction record for a bottle of Japanese whisky

Yamazaki 50-Year-Old Exclusively Created for Club Natsume

Hong Kong — Bonhams set a new benchmark today at The Legendary Japanese Whisky sale, where a unique Yamazaki 50‑Year‑Old created exclusively for Club Natsume soared to HK$8,250,000 (approx. US$1,050,000), nearly doubling its high estimate (estimate: HK$2,800,000 – 4,200,000) and setting a new world auction record for a bottle of Japanese whisky. Alongside the Karuizawa 52‑Year‑Old Cask #5627, 1960 – Treasure Ship, which realised HK$6,250,000 (approx. US$797,000; estimate: HK$2,200,000 – 3,200,000), the two rare ultra-aged bottles together achieved HK$14.5 million. Bonhams now holds the top three prices ever achieved at international auction for a bottle of Japanese whisky, affirming its unrivalled leadership in the category.

The Yamazaki 50-Year-Old ignited fierce competition in Bonhams’ Hong Kong saleroom. After intense bidding by three determined collectors in the room and on the phones, the bottle achieved a record-breaking HK$8,250,000. The spirited contest eclipsed the previous record of HK$6,200,000 (approx. US$790,000), set at Bonhams Hong Kong in 2020 for a Yamazaki 55-Year-Old, underscoring strong demand for ultra-rare Japanese whiskies.

Amayès Aouli, Global Head of Wine & Spirits, Bonhams, comments: “Breaking the world record for a Japanese whisky at auction is an important milestone. I would like to thank our passionate bidders, the consignor and all the Bonhams teams involved. It is also another powerful signal of Bonhams’ commitment to shaping the future of fine wine and spirits auctions. We are not simply responding to market demand; we are redefining it through expertise, authenticity and a truly international platform. This record underscores our ambition: to be the trusted global reference in our field and to keep elevating the category to new heights.”

(Left) Karuizawa 52-Year-Old Cask #5627, 1960 – Treasure Ship; (Right) Yamazaki 50-Year-Old Exclusively Created for Club Natsume

Among the rarest Japanese whiskies in existence, the Yamazaki 50‑Year‑Old is the distillery’s second‑oldest expression, released only in 2005, 2007 and 2011. This singular example stands apart for its exceptional provenance: created exclusively for Club Natsume in Nagoya to commemorate the club’s 50^th anniversary, distinguished by a washi label and signed by Suntory’s Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo.

The Legendary Japanese Whisky sale followed the “white-glove sale” of Masterpiece Cellar of a Prescient Collector – Finest & Rarest Wines earlier today. In a packed saleroom, all 350 lots were sold for a total of over HK$23 million (approx. US$2,930,000), surpassing the pre-sale high estimate.

Building on these two successful live auctions, three online sales are also underway. Icons of Elegance: The Private Wine Collection of Marie‑France Van Damme (closing on 3 June), Wine Icons from Distinguished Private Collections (closing on 4 June), together with A Dialogue of Time: Finest and Rarest Spirits (closing on 4 June), offer collectors further opportunities to acquire exceptional bottles.

About Bonhams

Founded in 1793, Bonhams is one of the world’s leading auction houses — defined by connection, and home to the curious.

With over 230 years of expertise, Bonhams operates a global network of trusted specialists across 24 countries, including flagship salerooms in London, New York, Paris and Hong Kong. Across more than 60 specialist categories, Bonhams serves collectors of every kind — from emerging to established — with the objects, stories and expertise that define their collecting journey.

Beyond auctions, Bonhams is both a destination for discovery and for industry-leading services and support. Its rotating programme of exhibitions and public programming is free and open to all, reflecting a longstanding commitment to curiosity, cultural conversation and the enduring power of objects.

For forthcoming auctions and details of specialist departments, visit Bonhams.com. Bonhams: A house built on knowledge. Defined by connection. Home to the curious.  

Iron Gate June 2026 Whisky Auction Closes Tonight

The timed auction closes tonight,  Monday, June 22, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Featured highlights include the Ardbeg Double Barrel Single Cask Set, Yamazaki Hospitality 25 Year Old, Bowmore Hart Brothers Dynasty Decanter, and Benromach 68 Classic Speyside Aged 55 Years—bottlings recognized for rarity, age, provenance, and collector appeal.

“This auction brings together bottles that speak to true spirit collectors in Canada,” said Ajay Bhardwaj, Vice-President of Spirits at Iron Gate. “From bespoke Scotch whisky releases to exceptional Japanese whisky and “The Pappy Family”, the June sale offers whisky enthusiasts and collectors alike an opportunity to acquire bottles rarely seen in the Canadian market.”

Iron Gate is Canada’s dedicated fine spirits auction house, serving collectors with a focus on provenance. Bidders may register in advance and view the auction catalogue through Iron Gate’s online auction platform.

Please note that a buyer’s premium of 19.5% applies to this sale. The auction is operated under license by Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis and under the applicable Alberta auction license.

Auction Details
Event: Iron Gate Fine Whisky Auction
Start: June 15, 2026, 10:00 a.m. EDT
End: June 22, 2026, 8:00 p.m. EDT
Format: Timed online auction

About Iron Gate
Iron Gate provides fine wine and spirits auction services for collectors across Canada, combining specialist expertise with a commitment to provenance, trusted handling, and a seamless online bidding experience.

Spirits Contact
Ajay Bhardwaj, VP Spirits Iron Gate Auctions
Email: ajay@irongate.wine