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NEW WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR A WHISKY SERIES

HANYU ICHIRO’S ‘FULL CARD SERIES’ WHISKY FROM

CLUB QING SOLD AT BONHAMS HONG KONG FOR A COMBINED TOTAL OF HK$11,890,360/ US$1,520,000

Hanyu Ichiro’s Full Card Series whisky from Club Qing

(Four of the 54 bottles)

Today at Bonhams Fine & Rare Wine and Whisky sale in Hong Kong, the Hanyu Ichiro ‘Full Card Series’ whisky of 54 bottles sold for a sweeping combined total of HK$11,890,360/ US$1,520,000, setting a new world auction record for a whisky series. The legendary set was previously a two-time world-record setter for the most expensive series of Japanese whisky at auction, also established by Bonhams in 2015 (for HK$3,797,500) and 2019 (for HK$7,192,000) respectively.

Daniel Lam, Bonhams’ Director of Wine & Spirits, Asia, commented: “Today, Japanese whisky set a new market high point. We are thrilled to establish yet another world auction record with the Hanyu ‘Full Card Series.’ The bidding for the 54 lots was spirited and global, with strong participation from young collectors under 40 years old. This fully demonstrates the universal appeal of whisky, and the deep market appetite for what is now ready to be one of the most collectable categories for the next generation.” 

Hanyu Distillery and the ‘Full Card Series’

Founded in 1941 by Isouji Akuto, a 19^th generation descendant of a long line of sake brewers producing Scotch-style malt whisky, the Hanyu distillery ceased production in 2000. But not before Ichiro Akuto, grandson of Isouji, stepped in to secure the 400 premium whisky casks left from the distillery. An avid whisky lover like his grandfather, Ichiro personally selected the prized amber liquid to be bottled for each ‘card’ released between 2005 and 2014, ensuring that the Hanyu legend lives on.

The Club Qing Collection

On offer this time was the reputable collection from Club Qing, a world-acclaimed whisky bar in Hong Kong specialising in Japanese whisky and rare old Scotch whisky, founded by Mr. Aaron Chan in 2015. Over the past five years, this collection has been admired as a centerpiece in the bar and a destination piece by thousands of whisky aficionados from around the globe.

Mr. Aaron Chan formed his collection over a decade prior to the bar’s opening, sourcing each of the 54 bottles – including many ultra-rare first-editions – globally before they became available in the auction market.

Quick stats:

Hanyu Ichiro’s ‘Full Card Series’ whisky from the Club Qing Collection

·         All 54 lots 100% sold

·         Combined total: HK$11,890,360/ US$1,520,000

·         Pre-sale total estimate: HK$6,380,000-9,780,000

·         Four first-edition bottles far exceeded expectations:

o    Hanyu Ichiro’s Malt-King of Diamonds, 1 of 124 bottles Sold for HK$ 620,000. Estimate: HK$ 300,000 – 500,00.

o    Hanyu Ichiro’s Malt-Jack of Clubs, 1 of 124 bottles Sold for HK$ 744,000. Estimate: HK$ 250,000 – 350,000

o    Hanyu Ichiro’s Malt-Queen of Hearts, 1 of 125 bottles Sold for HK$ 682,000. Estimate: HK$250,000 – 350,000

o    Hanyu Ichiro’s Malt-Ace of Spades, 1 of 122 bottles Sold for HK$ 682,000. Estimate: HK$300,000 – 500,000

Fine and Rare Wine and Whisky Auction date: 20 – 21 NovemberAuction venue: Bonhams Hong Kong Saleroom, 20/F, One Pacific Place, Admiralty, Hong Kong

NOTES

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and antiques, motor cars and jewellery. The main salerooms are in London, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, with auctions also held in Knightsbridge, Edinburgh, Paris, San Francisco and Sydney. With a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 22 countries, Bonhams offers advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full list of forthcoming auctions, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com. bonhams.com

WHISKY GALORE! RARE WHISKY FROM ACROSS SCOTLAND UP FOR AUCTION

A fantastic range of whisky, with over 200 examples from nearly every major distillery across Scotland, is on offer in Tennants Auctioneer’s Fine Wine and Whisky Sale on 12^th December. Incorporating several good Private Collections, the sale offers high-end bottles for investors, rare mid-range collectors’ bottles and interesting, good value bottles for drinking or those looking to start collecting.

Macallan once again dominates the top end of the sale, with the like of The Macallan 18 Years Old. Examples in the sale include a bottle distilled in 1970 and bottled in 1988 (estimate: £2,000-2,500 plus buyer’s premium), and a bottle distilled in 1966 and bottled in 1984 (estimate: £1,600-2,000).

One of the rarer bottles in the sale is a Macallan-Glenlivet 1937 35 Years Old Pure Highland Malt Scotch Whisky (estimate: £3,000-4,000). Not only is this a desirable Pre-War distillation with a good age, but it is also an Italian import bottle by Pinerolo. There was a boom in whisky drinking in Italy after the Second World War, and a large number of bottles were imported by Italian retailers. Indeed, the country was the biggest consumer of single malt in the 1970s. In recent years, they have become a strong niche area of collecting.

A good selection of Dalmore is also on offer. The highland distillery is currently performing well at auction, being highly sought after. Highlights to look out for include the Dalmore Directors’ Cut 21 Years Old, distilled in 1990 and bottled in 2011 by Douglas Laing & Co. One of 297 bottles, it is sold with original wooden box with an estimate of £300-500. Also of note is a Dalmore 1981 Matusalem Sherry Finesse Highland Single Malt Whisky (estimate:  £600-800). The whisky was matured in American white oak bourbon barrels for 22 years, followed by a prolonged maturation in Matusalem sherry casks from Gonzalez Byass.

Port Ellen, an Islay silent distillery, is also well represented in the sale. On offer is a Port Ellen 30 Years Old, Old Malt Cask 60^th Anniversary Commemorative Bottling. Number one of 234, the bottle was released in 2009 and is entered with an estimate of £700-1,000. A Port Ellen 35 Year Old Platinum Selection Distilled in 1977 and bottled by Douglas Laing & Co. Ltd. is offered with an estimate of £1,000-1,500.

With provenance from the distillery is a Bowmore Bicentenary 1979 Single Malt Whisky in original wooden presentation case with certificate (estimate of £2,000-4,000). The vendor received the bottle from Bowmore in exchange for a drawing he did of the distillery whilst he was visiting Islay.

Further interesting lots to look out for include a Rosebank 12 Years Old Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Flora and Fauna release (estimate: £200-300), a Springbank 27 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Chieftain’s bottling distilled in 1974 (estimate: £400-600), and a selection of limited edition releases from That Boutique-Y Whisky Company.

A fully illustrated catalogue will be available at www.tennants.co.uk.

Picture Caption:

• Macallan-Glenlivet 1937 35 Years Old – Estimate: £3,000-4,000
• The Macallan 1970 18 Years Old – Estimate: £2,000-2,500
• Bowmore Bicentenary 1979 – Estimate: £2,000-4,000

NB: All hammer prices are correct at time of publication; however, they can be subject to change. Prices quoted are an estimated hammer price, which is subject to 24% buyer’s premium incl. of VAT.

FINE WINE AND WHISKY SALE

Auction:           12^th December

Tennants Auctioneers is a fourth-generation family business and is one of the UK’s largest international Antiques and Fine Art auctioneers. Situated in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, Tennants holds over 80 sales a year.

Tennants connects more than 200,000 buyers and sellers a year.

As a family business, Tennants stays true to its Yorkshire heritage and offers its clients unrivalled service, expertise and value.

In 2014 Tennants expanded the Auction Centre to 80,000sq ft with the development of The Garden Rooms – a dedicated venue for events, weddings, conferences and exhibitions. The venue is one of the region’s largest event spaces with a capacity of over 600 people.

Churchill’s Whisky Sells for More Than a Wee Dram

1930s Painting of a Drinks Tray by Former Prime Minister
– Featuring a Bottle of his Favoured Johnnie Walker Black Label –

Sells for £983,000 / $1,294,120 

London, 17 November – A rare 1930s painting by Sir Winston Churchill, Jugs and Bottles, combines two of the former Prime Minister’s greatest pastimes: painting and the enjoyment of alcoholic refreshment. Gifted by Churchill to Averell Harriman, and appearing at auction for the first time in 1997, it today sparked a bidding battle to sell for £983,000 – five times the pre-sale estimate of £150,000-250,000, and ranking among the top prices for a painting by Churchill at auction.

Churchill’s scotch of choice was Johnnie Walker, whose distinctive black and gold diagonal label is clearly evident on the bottle here, painted alongside a bottle of what appears to be brandy – the perfect backdrop to the translucent effect of the glasses and jugs set on a silver tray. The play of light and juxtaposition of objects clearly shoes the influence of famous still life painter, and friend of the family, Sir William Nicholson.

The choice of objects is evocative of the rhythm of life at Chartwell, Churchill’s beloved home in Kent, where he often brought associates from Westminster down for lunch, over which business, politics and current affairs would be passionately discussed. It is significant that Churchill gave this painting to Averell Harriman, by all accounts a larger-than-life personality and railroad heir who became involved in politics. Harriman served as a special envoy to Europe during the 1940s under Roosevelt when he had several meetings with Churchill and was then appointed Ambassador to the Soviet Union in October 1943.

The work leads Sotheby’s online auction of Modern & Post-War British Art, which saw a luminous, miniature sculpture by Dame Barbara Hepworth, carved from alabaster in 1962, bring £680,500 (est. £300,000-500,000) and a painting from Sir Stanley Spencer’s The Beatitudes of Love series sell for £620,000 (est. £80,000-120,000). Elsewhere in the sale, a 1944 portrait by Frank Owen Salisbury, who painted Churchill on more occasions than any other artist during his lifetime, sold for £113,400. 

Also closing today: Sotheby’s annual sale of Scottish Art, led by Samuel John Peploe’s Pink Roses (1906), which sold for £499,000 (est. £200,000-300,000).

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sothebys

Twitter: www.twitter.com/sothebys

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sothebys

Following the update today from the Scottish Government regarding COVID-19 restrictions we have taken the decision to close our office the the public whilst Glasgow remains in Tier 4. Whilst there will be no collection or drop off appointments during this period  – commencing 6pm on Friday 20th November –  our courier services and indeed auctions will continue as normal online.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and office appointments will resume as soon as it is safe to do so. We are hopeful that appointments can resume from Monday 14th December.

Wishing everyone the very best in these challenging times.

November whisky auction is now LIVE!

Place your bids from Friday 13th November until Sunday 22^nd November

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!

Macallan – 50 Year Old (The Red Collection)

Bowmore – 52 Year Old (1965) Oloroso

Macallan – Distil Your World (London Edition)

Pappy Van Winkle – 23 Year Old (Family Reserve, 1^st Release) 1999

Talisker – 24 Year Old (1953) G&M

Yamazaki – 1979 Mizunara Oak (Bottle #1)

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.

November Auction is closing soon!

^{www.thegrandwhiskyauction.com/live-auction}

3050+ lots to bid on including special bottlings & casks…

Auction closes Monday 16th November at 9pm.

Interested in selling whisky in our next auction?

+44 (0)1463 210 427

sales@thegrandwhiskyauction.com

November whisky auction is now LIVE!

Place your bids from Friday 13th November until Sunday 22^nd November

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!

Macallan – 50 Year Old (The Red Collection)

Bowmore – 52 Year Old (1965) Oloroso

Macallan – Distil Your World (London Edition)

Pappy Van Winkle – 23 Year Old (Family Reserve, 1^st Release) 1999

Talisker – 24 Year Old (1953) G&M

Yamazaki – 1979 Mizunara Oak (Bottle #1)

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.

WHISKY AUCTIONS PROVE POPULAR IN A PANDEMIC

Demand for cask whisky as an alternative investment is almost outstripping supply as people look for a safe haven to put their finances in an economic downturn.

According to Knight Frank’s Rare Whisky Index – which tracks auction results of rate Scottish single malts, whisky auctions have proved popular during the pandemic and sales are up more than 3% this year (2020).

Autionyourcask.com is the world’s only live, online auction dedicated to cask whisky and will be hosting its third auction on 25^th November and has already seen a record number of people register their interest to bid.

Owner of Cask Trade, the parent company of auctionyourcask.com, Simon Aron says: “It’s a challenge to keep up with the very high demand for casks of good whisky and we are constantly having to renew our stock. The country is struggling financially because of the pandemic and with the financial markets unstable people are looking at cask whisky as an alternative investment.”

The auction, hosted by Cask Trade via its online auction website auctionyourcask.com, will go live on 25^th November and run for 10 days until 5^th December 2020. Casks to go under the virtual hammer are priced between £2,500 and £45,000 and include 2015 Glen Ord casks, a 2015 Glenrothes and a 2009 Glentuachers.

Auctionyourcask.com allows private owners and investors to sell their cask to independent bottlers and other investors all around the world. Whether you are a first-time or seasoned buyer, a collector, an investor, or an independent bottler, there is something for you!

To sign up to bid in the live auction, register here: https://www.auctionyourcask.com/members/login

Auctionyourcask.com is inviting people to register their casks for auction by 5^th November 2020. Those looking to register their cask for sale should complete an online form to request a valuation. https://www.auctionyourcask.com/request-a-valuation

The auction, which will go live on 25^th November and run until 5^th December (ending 8pm GMT), will feature a wide selection of casks at different price points.

All casks will need to have had a recent re-gauge ready for auction and a full 70cl sample will be drawn so that bidders have the opportunity, wherever possible, to try the whisky before they buy. Auction your cask validate all the sellers and confirm proof of ownership and the history of the cask enabling bidders to safely buy. With complete transparency and no sellers’ fee Cask Trade can offer bidders the actual hammer price. Their low buyers’ fee of 15% + VAT will offer the opportunity to buyers, trade or private, to buy rare casks.

TOP 5 REASONS TO INVEST IN CASKS:

1)         Whisky is a top performing luxury investment and far outstrips the more established alternative asset investments such as art, wine and cars. Estimated accumulative short-term returns of 40%, medium term of 80%, and long term 140%.

2)        Each cask is unique and only a limited number are available. No two casks will ever be the same.

3)        Time is on your side as whisky only matures in the cask. The more mature it gets, the more valuable it becomes.

4)        Complete transparency – Cask Trade own every cask it sells and hold all the essential paperwork. The location and health of the cask is verified before it makes it onto the stock list.

5)        Trusted marketplace – Buyers can take Cask Trade’s WOWGR number, go to the warehouse and confirm the cask exists. Bonded warehouses check-in each cask and perform a ‘dip’ test to measure the level of alcohol. Every year, the business is required to report to HMRC how many casks it has and the levels of alcohol. Casks cannot be faked or fabricated.

NOTES:

Founded in 2018 by Simon Aron in partnership with several of the world’s foremost whisky masters, including Keeper of the Quaich Sir Colin Hampden-White, Cask Trade buys and sells exceptional cask whiskies. The company is unique because it only sells casks it owns outright, and it only sells whole casks: it is not a whisky cask broker and it does not offer fractional sales.

A passionate whisky collector for more than 20 years, Simon Aron suffered many false promises from whisky investment companies and this drove his ambition to create a real and trustworthy market place for whisky collectors and investors, and bottlers:

The company’s casks are held in the best HMRC bonded warehouses, regularly visited and approved by Cask Trade whisky masters. All stock holdings have a complete paper trail.

• Delivery orders from supplier to Cask Trade
• Invoices for transfer of ownership, storage insurance, re-gauging, sampling or movement
• HMRC-issued WOWGR (warehouse keepers, warehouse premises, owner of goods and registered consigners): a fully regulated and closely monitored license requiring due diligence on suppliers as well as customers.
• HMRC-issued AWRS Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme: Licenced to wholesale, bottle and retail.

Included in its extensive list of customer services, Cask Trade’s rigorous processes means that the company will guarantee to buy back from its clients the casks they buy from and have had managed by Cask Trade. It also offers…

• Regular sampling and re-gauging of casks
• Re-racking (sherry wine, port etc)
• Estimates of bottles and strength in cask (effects of angels’ share 0ver years of maturations)
• Financial modelling for each cask based on age and rarity with estimated % returns
• Costings for bottling, labelling and shipping (duty & tax)
• Regularly updated whisky investment guide which includes statistics from two authoritative third parties (independent of Cask Trade)
• Cask Trade will arrange for clients to receive samples of their whiskies and visit their barrels(s), upon request – wherever possible.

Cask Trade has started the first live auction website dedicated to exceptional whisky casks: auctionyourcask.com.

Hosted four times a year and helping private owners/investors sell their cask to independent bottlers and other investors all around the world. All casks will be re-gauged ready for auction and a full 70cl sample will be drawn so that bidders have the opportunity to try the whisky before they buy. – Wherever possible. We validate all the sellers and confirm proof of ownership and the history of the cask enabling bidders to safely buy. With complete transparency and no sellers’ fee we can offer you the actual hammer price. Our low buyers’ fee of 15% + VAT will offer the opportunity to buyers, trade or private, to buy rare casks.

https://www.casktrade.com

https://www.auctionyourcask.com

Whisky Price Growth

Knight Frank’s Rare Whisky Index: https://www.knightfrank.com/wealthreport/article/2020-04-16-how-valuable-is-whiskey-as-an-investable-asset-class

Results of the Knight Frank Wealth Report’s new unique luxury investment index revealed whisky was one of the most coveted objects of desire.

The report out in February 2020, says Rare Whisky has grown in value the most over the last 10 years at +564% and increased by +5% in the past 12 months; and states casks remained in huge demand. By comparison cars have seen an increase of 194%, art by 141% and wine by 120%.

https://www.knightfrank.com/wealthreport

Data collected by Rare Whisky 101 suggests the four-year growth from December 2014 in rare whisky has increased over 160%, compared to just 2.47% for the FTSE 100. https://www.rarewhisky101.com/indices

The same report by Rare Whisky 101 claimed via the BBC that they had performed a controlled test of 55 rare bottles, of which over a third were fakes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-4656670

KEEP IN TOUCH

info@whisky.auction

+44 (0)20 8838 9381

whisky.auction