Get bidding this weekend – Glenfiddich 50 Years Old

This month, we have a large selection  American whiskies and miniatures. The selection of blended Scotch is big; we have more than 80, from limited-edition Johnnie Walker to some incredible bottles from the 1930s and 1940s. Glenfiddich 50 Years Old is leading the auction, with many Japanese whiskies sitting on good prices. There are many other great whiskies to bid on.

Get bidding, and good luck! The Whisky Auction team.

A special cask of Springbank Single Malt coming up for sale on Tuesday 5^th April.  

We are proud to announce the sale at auction in Glasgow of a Cask of Springbank 1993 Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Lot 100).  Filled in May 1993 this cask has been partially bottled and currently holds approx. 98 bottles of Single Malt Scotch Whisky.  Currently aged at 22 years, this cask is held under bond at the Springbank Distillery in Campbeltown and is of an age generally held to be the high-point for whiskies from this distillery.  This cask carries an auction estimate of £6000-8000.  Samples of this cask are available upon request.

Mulberry Bank Auctions

26A St Vincent Crescent
Glasgow
G3 8LH
T: 0141 225 8181
W: www.mulberrybankauctions.com

SURPRISE BIRTHDAY SALE 

April 1 2016 celebrates the one year anniversary of the sale of Kensington Wine Market to Andrew Ferguson. Please help us celebrate Andrew’s success (we’re still in business!) with this one weekend only in store and web sale. All in stock wines discounted 15%, all in stock single malt and other whiskies discounted 10%, all in stock beer 5%.

Friday April 1 to Sunday April 3

We aren’t fooling!

www.kensingtonwinemarket.com

Classic And Contemporary Architecture Blends Together In Celebration Of Spirit Of Speyside Whisky Festival

Visitors to Speyside – the world’s best known whisky-producing region – are never far from the sight of the distinctive pagoda. It’s a design which has become an iconic symbol for Scotch whisky the world over and one which has its roots firmly set in the Speyside region – home to some of the biggest names in distilling.

The ornate pagoda roofs which adorn many of the area’s 50-plus distilleries will be used as a backdrop for thousands of photographs, videos and selfies during the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival this spring, during which visitors will learn just how pivotal this piece of architecture has been to shaping the whisky industry.

As ornate as they are, pagoda roofs weren’t created solely for decoration. They may look Oriental, but they were designed for a very practical reason – as a chimney, to improve the flow of smoke out of distillery buildings from the fires which dried the malt below. They are, essentially, a key ingredient in Scotland’s water of life.

Renowned distillery architect Charles Chree Doig came up with the classic design. On moving to the county capital of Elgin in 1882 he became assistant to a land surveyor, going on to become a partner in the business and moving into architecture and engineering. When the owners of Dailuaine Distillery commissioned Doig to carry out alterations to their maltings, he converted the existing ventilator into the distinctive pagoda shaped roof that is so familiar.

Ann Miller of Speyside Whisky Festival says the pagoda design charms and intrigues the many thousands of visitors that descend on the area for the annual celebration, which takes place this year from April 28 to May 2.

Ann Miller adds, “Charles Doig died in 1918 but his design lives on, not only at distillery buildings in Speyside and elsewhere in Scotland but in branding and marketing materials promoting this world-famous export, being an emblem of Scotland’s Malt Whisky Trail.

“They are a real talking point and are instantly associated with the region’s industry. Scotland will celebrate the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design in 2016 so it seems only fitting that we celebrate an iconic piece of Scotland’s architectural heritage, while also introducing people to brand new distilleries that use modern technology and design.”

Many options were considered and discounted before the final pagoda design was reached, and its strikingly attractive appearance, combined with functionality, ensured the pagoda became an essential feature during the distillery building boom of the late 19th century.

Strathisla, boasts twin pagodas and its setting and style makes it one of the most photographed – and arguably the most picturesque – of all Scotland’s distilleries. Dating back to 1786, the Keith distillery buildings have changed little, from the old cobbled courtyard to the water wheel and of course the distinctive double pagodas.

In the 21st century whisky industry, heritage mixes with high tech and two new Speyside distilleries have been able to take centuries of accumulated distilling knowledge and expertise and merge it with cutting-edge design and green technology to produce quality spirit.

Opened in 2009, Roseisle was the first malt distillery of scale to be opened in Scotland in 30 years. The striking distillery, owned by Diageo, uses cutting-edge technology to significantly minimise our carbon footprint and impact on the environment.

Roseisle was designed to build on best practice from Diageo’s other 28 malt and grain distilleries to improve efficiency and performance, building on centuries of distilling experience and knowledge.

Dalmunach opened in summer 2015 on the site of the mothballed Imperial Distillery at Carron and is an excellent example of securing the future of the industry by respecting its heritage and utilizing energy saving innovations.

Remnants from the old distillery situated on the site from 1897-2012, were built into the new one with an architecturally impressive design, inspired by the shape of a sheaf of barley reflecting the core ingredient of single malt whisky.

It houses eight unique copper pot stills, with a tulip shape used for the wash stills and an onion shape used for the spirit stills, replicating those from the original distillery. In a departure from tradition, the stills have been positioned in a circular design that provides a unique aesthetic for the future.

Distilleries of all shapes and sizes, old and new, will be the focus of whisky lovers from all over the world during the annual Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. It has become one of the leading events of its kind over the past 17 years, attracting thousands of visitors from all over the world to enjoy more than 400 events, from tastings to ceilidhs, food pairings to comedy.

The 2016 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival – and its traditional musical arm the Spirit of Speyside Sessions – takes place from April 28 to May 2. For further information about the event visit www.spiritofspeyside.com with tickets on sale from 12 noon on February 2. The Festival is also active on social media – visit facebook.com/WhiskyFestival, Twitter and Instagram @spirit_speyside

Captions

1. Dalmunach – one of Scotland’s newest distilleries opened in June 2015 by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
2. Strathisla – the oldest operating distillery in the Scottish Highlands
3. Roseisle – one of the most environmentally sustainable Scotch whisky distilleries

Notes

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is committed to promoting responsible drinking. Visitors travelling to and from festival events can take advantage of a range of transport options. Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has received funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and is also financially supported by many other private and public partners.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund Programme 2014 to 2020. The Scottish Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme.

Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design

2016 will shine a spotlight on Scotland’s achievements in innovation, architecture and design through a wide-ranging, variety of new and existing activity.

The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design will run from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016 and will build on the momentum generated by the 2015 Year of Food and Drink as well as previous years including Homecoming Scotland 2014, the Year of Creative and the Year of Natural.

Through a series of exciting events and activity, the year will showcase Scotland’s position as an “innovation nation”, its outstanding built heritage, and its thriving, internationally acclaimed fashion, textiles and design sector.

The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland, supported by partners including Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, Architecture + Design Scotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Enterprise, The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).

The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design events fund is managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate

Whisky School!

Malt and moo-sic: Speyside farmers launch bid to produce beef to rival world famous Kobe beef from Japan

Farmers help Scotch industry lead fight back after a Japanese whisky is named best in world

www.youtube.com/watch?v=01wUhewCre8

Farmers on Speyside are being urged to lead a fight back for the Scotch whisky industry after a Japanese malt was named best in the world – by feeding their cattle a daily dram.

A nip of our national drink – coupled with a diet of high quality feed from distillery by-products – could produce meat so succulent and tender that it will rival Japan’s famous Kobe beef.

And it is thought that playing cattle upbeat traditional Scots music, in much the same way that Kobe herds enjoy classical sounds, will further enhance the quality of the beef.

Now there are calls from organisers of the world renowned Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival for local farmers to help further trial the theory.

Thousands of visitors from all over the globe visit the annual Festival, and organisers are concerned about the level of attention being focused on Japanese whisky.

Ann Miller, a director of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, says, “We do not believe there is anywhere on earth that produces better malt whisky than Speyside – and millions of whisky drinkers agree.

“We were genuinely shocked and dismayed when Yamazaki was named the best whisky in the world, but we are firm believers in the old adage of don’t get mad, get even.

“And that is exactly what we intend to do. All the signs indicate that introducing Speyside malt into a cow’s diet and using animal feed created from distillery by-products gives the meat a lovely, whisky-tinged flavour.”

The incredible discovery was made by Speyside farmers Ali Rolfop and Joe King, who have a herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle.

They were mucking out a byre one evening on their farm, Ure Gullybale, near the distillery town of Keith and poured a bottle of single malt Scotch into a water trough.

Ali explains, “I’m a big fan of two of Speyside’s most famous products – malt whisky and traditional music – and so I decided to share these with our cattle.

“The next day, we noticed their coats were shiny and their eyes were bright. We’ve since been sharing a bottle of malt with them and we even have some local fiddlers come down to perform. We tasted the beef from the herd for the first time a couple of weeks ago and it is sensational – there is definitely a hint of whisky in the meat.”

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival takes place from April 28 to May 2 and is one of the biggest events of its kind anywhere in the world. It comprises almost 500 different events, from distillery tours to whisky tastings, from ceilidhs to comedy nights, and from whisky themed dinners to outdoor events.

Ann adds, “With all this focus on Japan, I suppose we are a little worried that the thousands of visitors who fly in from all corners of the globe to enjoy our Festival might be tempted to go there instead.

“But while Japan may have been able to produce some decent drams, it doesn’t have the history and heritage of Scotch whisky. We’ve been producing the best whisky in the world for generations – no beef about it – and while they have learned how to make whisky from us, we’re now learning from their farming techniques.”

Tickets for all events in the 2016 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival programme are available to buy now at http://www.spiritofspeyside.com/ The Festival is also active on social media – facebook.com/WhiskyFestival and @spirit_speyside on Twitter and on Instagram.

Picture captions:

One of the Aberdeen Angus herd cannot wait to get his daily dram from Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival director Ann Miller.

Fiddler Lorna Edward has been entertaining the cattle at Ure Gullybale, which have also been enjoying a daily dram. Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival director Ann Miller suggests other Speyside farmers try out the newly discovered farming techniques.

Cask 27 gives up its secrets: bottle number one from Speyside Distillery first distillation auctioned off

The first bottle in a limited edition release of the first distillation from Speyside Distillery has fetched £650 at auction. Bottle number 1 from Cask 27 – the final cask to be filled from the first distillate in December 1990 – was bought by a bidder at the auction room.

The bottle went under the hammer at McTear’s Auctioneers and was bought by whisky enthusiast James Robertson, owner of the Kempock Bar in Gourock, near Glasgow.

Only 249 bottles from Cask 27 now remain. A further 25 of these will be auctioned by McTear’s in a 10-day online auction starting on Friday (March 25, 2016) and the remainder will be sold through a network of hand-selected distributors worldwide.

Demand for the rare bottles is expected to be high, particularly in Greater China where the SPEY brand is a household name. There have also been enquiries from Scotch whisky enthusiasts from all over Europe who are eager not to miss out on the opportunity to buy a unique piece of the distillery’s history.

Speyside Distillery chief executive officer John Harvey McDonough says. “It was a very emotional experience for myself and our managing director, Patricia Dillon to watch the bidding take place, knowing that we were sharing a very special piece of our history with the world.

“We are delighted that this historic bottle has found a home, and that it is about to start a new chapter in its life. Whether it has been bought to be enjoyed or to take pride of place on a collection shelf, I am sure the owner will enjoy it.”

McTear’s whisky specialist, Stephen McGinty, adds, “Over the years McTear’s has auctioned some of the world’s most exclusive whiskies and there is no doubt the first distillation from Speyside Distillery fits very firmly in this category.

“Not surprisingly, given the significance of the bottle, there was huge interest in the lot, with collectors at home and overseas ensuring there was lively bidding on the day.   This is a magnificent whisky and we are delighted that it has achieved such a good price at auction.”

Speyside Distillery is located in the Cairngorms in the Scottish Highlands and is home to the SPEY brand of single malt Scotch whisky.

The distillery was founded in 1990 by local businessman George Christie on the site of a former grain mill. It took him 30 years to achieve his dream of building a distillery, with the renovation work being undertaken completely by hand over a 30-year period.

Bottles at 55.1% cask strength from American oak casks, Cask 27 is natural colour and non-chill filtered. It is light golden in colour, with a refreshing, delicate aroma of fruits with hints of vanilla and honey. The taste is of subtle vanilla, with a smooth crème brulee flavor. Cask 27 has a mild, fresh citrus fruit finish.

The whisky is presented in a humidor box with hand written label, numbered bottle and is also wax stamped with the wording – 1990 year of 1^st distillation. It is completed with a certificate of authenticity signed by the CEO.  The RRP will be set following the 10 day auction.

For further information about sales of Cask 27, contact Karenann Lyon at Speyside Distillers Co Ltd on 0141 647 4464 or Karenann@speysidedistillers.co.uk More information about Speyside Distillery is available at www.speysidedistillery.co.uk. Follow the distillery on Twitter @SpeySingleMalt and on Facebook at facebook.com/speysidedistillery

Picture caption above – Speyside Distillery CEO John Harvey McDonough (left) presents successful bidder James Robertson with bottle number one from Cask 27.

MARCH AUCTION LIVE!

Spring is in the air here at Whisky Auctioneer HQ, the sun is out, the daffodils are blooming and it’s a Good Friday for more than one reason! Our March Auction is now live and it features a fantastic array of stunning bottles, from fresh new releases to vintage gems this sale has got it all. So if chocolate isn’t your thing this Easter have a hunt through the auction and find yourself an alternative tasty treat or two!

GLENFIDDICH 30 YEAR OLD SILVER STAG’S HEAD DECANTER 

When it comes to whisky it’s usually what’s inside the bottle that counts but every now and then the quality of the presentation can rival the liquid within, as is the case here. Starring in our March Auction is this incredible Glenfiddich 30 Year Old crystal decanter. In keeping with the Glenfiddich logo the decanter is paired with an impressive finely crafted London solid-silver stag head stopper and ‘Whisky’ label.

DALMORE 50 YEAR OLD 1926 

The opportunity to own a whisky of this vintage does not come along very often. Bottled in the 1970’s and presented in a simple but well crafted wooden case this classic Dalmore would be the highlight of any collection!

BOWMORE 1957 

A real rarity from Bowmore’s legendary Number One Vault. Matured for 38 years and presented in a handsome wooden case, only 861 of these outstanding bottles were released. A dream addition to any collection!

MOON IMPORT ANIMAL COLLECTION 

Specialising in bringing small batch Scottish whiskies to Italy, Moon Imports released their Animals Collection during the late 1980’s early 1990’s. With only 600 bottles of each produced and with their eye catching designs it is no wonder this is a very popular range!

GLENFARCLAS 50 YEAR OLD 

A fantastically well aged whisky, released to celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of John Grant, the distillery’s founder. Presented in an attractive mahogany case and with only 110 produced this is a very special bottle!

HIGHLAND PARK ICE EDITION 

The new limited release from the Orcadian distillery! Continuing on with their distinctive Norse inspired designs, this bottle brings to life the ice realm, Niflheim. It’s sure to be as popular as other recent Highland Park releases.

There is no registration fee, our commission structure is very competitive and we offer worldwide shipping. For our terms and conditions please click here.

With close to 20 years of experience in the whisky industry, Whisky Auctioneer specialises in auctioning whisky whether it be fine, old, rare, collectable or affordable. Formed in 2013 and based in Perth, central Scotland, we aim to be the most comprehensive website for the buying and selling of whisky online.

http://www.whiskyauctioneer.com/ 

Happy Bidding!

Tastings in Perth, Scotland

Paul writes; For anyone who lives in Perth or close by (you will need a driver), these are not to be missed. I usually attend all tastings, but as our tour season is quite hectic from April, my tastings here will be sadly limited. But that shouldnee stop you! Each tasting is a real experience and only limited seats available – GUYS, ALL ARE FREE! What are you waiting for? Sign up today.

Exel Shop Perth, Scotland.

South Street, Perth starting at 6.30pm. Seats are limited so please book in advance and early to avoid disappointment. perth@exelwines.co.uk

5th May – Rocking with Rock Town Whiskey Jonny McMillan, recently a father of twins, takes a brief respite from his hectic day to delight us with the range of bourbons and other interesting spirits from the small Rock Town Distillery in Arkansas. Who knows, if technology and time zones permit, we may even be able to talk to the master distiller himself, Phil Brandon