Rare cask from Scotland’s oldest independent, family-owned distillery to go under the hammer 

Springbank 1997 expected to exceed £100k at auction

The 12th Auction Your Cask will go live on 21st November 2023 featuring an old and rare Springbank 1997 bourbon barrel with a reserve of £100k.

Established in 1828, Springbank stands as Scotland’s oldest independent, family-owned distillery. Priding itself on traditional production methods that have been passed down from one generation to the next, the distillery continues to set the standards for unique and highly-sought after whiskies.

From its humble beginnings on the site of Archibald Mitchell’s illicit still, Springbank is now extremely sought-after and one of the most prominent whiskies produced out of Campbeltown and one of only three distilleries operating in the area.

Springbank prides itself on producing a single malt that is made entirely in-house which are lightly peated in their kiln and distilled 2.5 times.

Spirits master and Keeper of the Quaich, Colin Hampden-White, has tasted the 26 Year Old Springbank and describes it as absolutely delicious.

“A very good example of Springbank with all the salinity one would expect with rich fruits, some floral notes and the ever expressive saline, sea breeze Springbank is so well known for. Complex and balanced, this is an unctuous whisky with Campbeltown character,” says Colin who adds: “On the nose there were notes of rich honey, honeysuckle and fresh vanilla pods, apricot and some cooked red apple. On the palate, the spirit is clean and complex with both fresh orchard fruit and caramelised pears. Clear honey and cherry blossom give lighter notes and all spice sits in the background giving great balance.”

Colin concludes: “The spice and smoke persist all the way through the finish and are joined by waves of honey and pastry. Touches of chocolate and golden syrup come and go as do some summer fruits. The end is still juicy, and smoky, oaky and rich.”

Going from strength to strength

The upcoming event follows on from Auction Your Cask’s most successful sale to date in September where 284 people registered to bid, 183 bids were placed, 22 cask samples were sent out and a total of 13 lots were sold.

Other highlights of the next auction, which will run until 8pm on Tuesday 28th November 2023, include: North British (Grain) 1991 –  1st Fill Barrel, Reserve £6,500 and Ben Nevis 2015 – Barrel, reserve £8,000.

auctionyourcask.com is the only live, online auction dedicated to cask whisky and premium spirits serving a global audience.

If you have a cask you would like to submit into the auction complete this form before 10th November 2023.

To sign up to bid in the live auction, register here

ABOUT AUCTION YOUR CASK:

Auction Your Cask (AYC) is the UK’s first live auction website dedicated to exceptional spirits casks.

Hosted four times a year and helping private owners/investors sell their cask to independent bottlers and other investors all around the world.

Auction Your Cask displays all re-gauge dates and aims to offer bidders the opportunity to sample the whisky from the casks before purchase to verify the cask and ensure quality of the spirits on offer.

AYC’s parent company Cask Trade validates all the sellers and confirms proof of ownership and the history of the cask enabling bidders to safely buy. With complete transparency and no sellers’ fee, AYC offer you the actual hammer price. The low buyers’ fee of 15% will offer the opportunity to buyers, trade or private, to buy rare casks.

https://www.auctionyourcask.com

THE DALMORE PRESENTS THE VINTAGES COLLECTION 2023

The Dalmore announce two Limited-Editions – Vintage 2005 and Vintage 2008

The third release from the annual Limited-Edition Vintage Collection

The Dalmore Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky has unveiled two new Limited-Editions – The Dalmore Vintage 2005 and The Dalmore Vintage 2008 – which form the third release from the distiller’s prestigious Vintage Collection.

The Dalmore Vintage Collection, created by innovative Master Whisky Maker Gregg Glass and Master Distiller Richard Paterson OBE, offers exceptional whiskies of distinguished character.  The whiskies selected to form The Dalmore Vintage Collection are ultimately dictated by the casks themselves and the way they choose to shine during the annual cask inspection week, in a tradition which dates back over fifty years.

Each November, The Dalmore whisky makers spend countless hours in their historic warehouses on the banks of the Cromarty Firth, reacquainting themselves with their rare casks that have been quietly, patiently maturing. November is the optimum time for this process to take place, with the casks at rest in the cooler temperatures after the warm summer months, and their flavours alive and true.

Only the most exceptional casks, which display the finest qualities of The Dalmore and its signature style during this time, are hand-picked to become a ‘Vintage’. For the 2023 Vintage Collection, The Dalmore’s unmistakable chocolate and orange profile is showcased. The 15 Year Old, Vintage 2008 offers milk chocolate and mandarin, while the 18 Year Old, Vintage 2005 presents dark chocolate and Seville orange.

The Dalmore Vintage 2008 provides aromas of milk chocolate, caramel, mandarin, and cracked black pepper. To taste, manuka honey, sweet cacao, poached apples, and golden sultanas. To finish, expect to enjoy vanilla cream, chocolate brioche, Navelina orange, and a light cinnamon warmth. This expression has been matured in American white oak ex-Bourbon casks and enhanced by hand-selected Matusalem Sherry and Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks, with an ABV of 45.8%, natural colour, and non-chill filtered.

The Dalmore Vintage 2005 offers aromas of dark chocolate, salted caramel, antique leather, and rich orange citrus. To taste, expect rich cacao, blood orange, dark fruits, marzipan, and moist ginger cake. To finish, Madagascan vanilla with Seville orange, a rich nuttiness and long, dry chocolate complexities. This expression has been matured in American white oak ex-Bourbon casks and enhanced by hand-selected Matusalem Sherry and Vintage 2005 Sherry casks, with an ABV of 49.3%, natural colour, and non-chill filtered.

Master Whisky Maker Gregg Glass comments: “The annual cask inspection which ultimately leads to the creation of each years Vintage Collection is a true highlight of working on The Dalmore. We can never know what time and nature has given to these whiskies, until we take stock each November and see what magic has unfolded in the year. Richard and I select casks which we feel contain whiskies that exemplify The Dalmore’s quality and style, with the best of the best, becoming our Limited-Edition Vintages.

“For 2023, we are pleased to present two whiskies which, at different ages, showcase nuances of The Dalmore’s signature notes – chocolate, orange, and subtle spice. Vintage 2008 reveals naturally balanced shades and interplays of sweet cacao, fresh citrus and soft spices, and is a beautiful example of refined elegance from The Dalmore, captured at a moment in time. Vintage 2005 has quintessential dark chocolate notes which intertwine with rich citrus offering a flavour experience to be remembered and savoured.”

The Dalmore 2008 Vintage ($225) and The Dalmore 2005 Vintage ($490) will be available from November at select outlets worldwide.

Facebook:           @thedalmore

Instagram:           @thedalmore

Twitter: @DalmoreWhisky

About The Dalmore

Founded in 1839 on the banks of the Cromarty Firth in the Scottish Highlands, the Dalmore has been making masterpieces of whisky for over 180 years.

The 12-point silver stag which proudly adorns each bottle was bestowed upon the first chieftain of Clan Mackenzie in 1263 by King Alexander III of Scotland. The stag became the whisky’s emblem when descendants of the clan took over the distillery in 1878.

The Dalmore distillery’s collection of idiosyncratic stills creates a New Make spirit of unique character and depth – robust and fruity, particularly well-suited to longer and more complex maturation. This allows renowned Master Whisky Maker Gregg Glass and his team to develop spirit over longer periods, continuing a tradition of visionary whisky-making as they fully express their art using rare casks from some of the world’s finest wineries and bodegas.

Diageo agrees sale of Windsor Global to PT W Co., Ltd.

27 October 2023, Seoul, South Korea – Diageo has today signed and completed the sale of Windsor Global (“WG”), a subsidiary of Diageo which owns the Windsor business and associated intellectual property, to PT W Co., Ltd., a Korean company sponsored by Pine Tree Investment & Management Co., Ltd., South Korea’s leading alternative investment firm.

The transaction includes the sale of 100% of the shares of WG from Diageo Atlantic B.V. (“DABV”) to PT W Co., Ltd.

John O’Keeffe, President, Asia Pacific, Global Travel and India for Diageo said: “This transaction reflects Diageo’s disciplined approach to capital allocation and further highlights our continued track-record of active portfolio management. We remain fully committed to Korea and our international spirits and beer business. Our position in the market remains strong as premiumisation trends persist and consumer interest in categories like international whisky continues to grow.”

About Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

The Glencairn Glass crime short story competition is back

The world’s favourite whisky glass – the Glencairn Glass – is once again delving into the dark side of crime fiction with the launch of its popular annual crime short story competition.

This year in partnership again with the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival and Scottish Field Magazine, the competition offers the winning writer a prize of £1,000 and their story published in Scottish Field and online.

Over the last two years the competition has attracted hundreds of entries from both experienced and novice crime writers internationally. Writers from around the world are invited to compose their stories, in less than 2000 words, on the theme: “A crime set in Scotland” – the competition closes on 31^st December 2023.

In addition to the £1,000 prize, the winner will also see their story published in Scottish Field Magazine in the spring. The runner up will receive a cash prize of £500. Both stories will be published online on the Scottish Field website, as well as on the Glencairn Glass website (whiskyglass.com).

The Glencairn Glass is no stranger to the ‘dram-atic’ world of Scottish crime fiction. The Scottish family business Glencairn Crystal has celebrated and supported the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival since 2020 with its Glencairn Glass sponsorship of the McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year and the Bloody Scotland Debut Crime Novel of the Year awards. Earlier this year a new three-year deal was agreed to secure the company’s commitment and sponsorship until the end of 2025. 

The judges

This year’s Glencairn Glass short story competition judging panel includes Callum McSorley, a Glasgow based writer whose debut novel Squeaky Clean won this year’s Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year. He is joined by Kate Foster the Edinburgh based national newspaper journalist and author, whose debut novel The Maiden won this year’s Bloody Scotland’s Debut Prize and has become a Times and Waterstones bestseller.

Glencairn Crystal’s marketing director Gordon Brown, who is also one of the founding directors of the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival, is the third judge. Gordon, who is also a crime writer, has had eleven crime and thriller books published to date.

Gordon commented: ‘We are delighted to set out on the search for a great Scottish set crime short story once more. The Glencairn Glass’s sponsorship of the crime writing prizes at Bloody Scotland and its success globally, makes it the perfect glass to toast all those writers that are about to sit down to pen a classic crime short story.’

Previous winners

Last year’s short story competition was won by Frances Crawford from Glasgow, whose captivating tale The Dummy Railway told the story of a disturbing discovery through the eyes of a young Scottish girl. Frances graduated last year, at the age of 60, with an MLitt (First) in Creative Writing from Glasgow University and says that winning the competition has opened many doors for her.

Frances commented: “What attracted me to the Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition was the fact that it is so inclusive and open to everyone, whether absolute beginner or published author. Since winning, I developed The Dummy Railway as a full-length novel, with very promising agent interest. It was an honour to win such a prestigious prize. I would encourage crime writers at all stages of their writing path to enter”.

The winner of the first Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition in 2021 was Brid Cummings, a fiction writer and occupational therapist in South Australia. Her story Halmeoni’s Wisdom was a dark tale of human trafficking, illegal trade and a desire for freedom. Winning the competition gave Brid the confidence and encouragement to complete her psychological suspense novel and she has recently been signed up by a UK literary agency.

How to enter

All short story entries must be submitted at www.whiskyglass.com/crime-short-story-competition. The competition closes at midnight on Sunday 31st December 2023. The winner and runner up will be announced in March 2023.

Bloody Scotland’s Festival Director, Bob McDevitt, said: “Bloody Scotland has always been dedicated to supporting and discovering new writing and this short story competition provides a great opportunity for writers to flex their creative muscles and explore the broad church of crime writing.”

The winner and runner up will also receive a set of six bespoke engraved Glencairn Glasses.

For further details about the competition rules and regulations please visit:

www.whiskyglass.com/crime-short-story-competition

For further information about the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival please contact fiona@brownleedonald.com

About the Glencairn Glass:

The Glencairn Glass for whisky was created in 2000 by Glencairn Crystal, and over 6 million glasses are now sold each year across the world.

STEPHANIE MACLEOD MAKES WHISKY HISTORY WITH FIFTH CONSECUTIVE MASTER BLENDER OF THE YEAR AWARD

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY ESTABLISHES A NEW ERA OF ULTRA-AGED AMERICAN WHISKEY WITH INTRODUCTION OF EAGLE RARE 25 BOURBON 

Eagle Rare 25 is the oldest expression released from the Eagle Rare portfolio and the first-ever innovation to come from the Distillery’s experimental Warehouse P

FRANKFORT, FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY (OCT. 26, 2023) – Buffalo Trace Distillery today announces the release of Eagle Rare 25, an ultra-aged bourbon that exemplifies the Distillery’s relentless commitment to innovation and honoring tradition but embracing change. At 25 years old, Eagle Rare 25 marks the oldest expression released from the Eagle Rare portfolio. Defying existing perception of ultra-aged bourbon with its smooth, complex flavor profile, Eagle Rare 25 is a remarkable result from the World’s Most Award-winning Distillery’s multi-decade and $20-million-dollar-plus experimental program.

Driven by a belief that the world’s best whiskey has yet to be created and the idea that the category is bound only by the ideas that have yet to be considered, Buffalo Trace Distillery has conducted thousands of experiments over the years to test a variety of factors impacting the aging and maturation of whiskey, including barrel char levels, temperature, airflow, light, barrel placement, and more. Eagle Rare 25 is the first release from Warehouse P, one of Buffalo Trace Distillery’s two experimental warehouses. A purpose-built, state-of-the-art warehouse, Warehouse P was constructed to test if it was possible to extend favorably both the aging and maturation processes typical for American whiskey and bourbon.

“Eagle Rare 25 defies the conventional limits of typical bourbon aging,” remarked Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. “When crafting whiskey in conditions like those we experience in Kentucky, two reactions happen over time: more liquid is lost due to evaporation – also known as angel’s share – and extraction of flavors from the barrel becomes more intense, often leading older whiskeys to taste over-oaked, astringent, and dry. The unique set of aging conditions in Warehouse P has allowed us to create a 25-year-old bourbon that smooths out the extractions and highlights the desirable flavors found in ultra-aged American whiskey products.”

While time in the barrel contributes to creating an ultra-aged bourbon, it is the marriage of age and maturity, or how factors including oak type, barrel char, temperature, humidity, and barrel placement alter the whiskey over time, that creates a truly outstanding taste experience.

“We closely monitored Eagle Rare 25 throughout the aging process and discovered that the impact over time due to controlled, extended aging was optimally mature whiskey – by that, I mean whiskey that is uniquely smooth and complex with deep, mature flavors around every corner,” Wheatley added. “Eagle Rare 25 is unlike any other extra-aged bourbon on the market today. We are quite proud of this bourbon.”

Eagle Rare 25 boasts notes of intense cherry, oak, dark chocolate, and an icing drizzle beginning on the nose; the palate is a balance of vanilla, dark fruit, and butterscotch, followed by an extremely long finish with lingering notes of rickhouse floor, baking spice, and black pepper.

Eagle Rare 25 was bottled upon reaching its silver anniversary in the barrel, symbolized by the custom sterling silver wing hand-hammered to encase each hand-blown crystal decanter perfectly. Opening the custom display box reveals an eagle’s outstretched wings framing the 101-proof bourbon, which also contains an elegant glass eagle inside the bottle. This dramatic presentation is befitting the exceptional nature of this rare, first-of-its-kind bottling.

“Around the globe, an eagle’s wings symbolize freedom and the opportunity to reach higher. It’s also a reminder for us at Buffalo Trace Distillery to never settle in our pursuit of crafting the perfect bourbon,” noted Andrew Duncan, Global Brand Director at Buffalo Trace Distillery. “In service of that relentless pursuit, Eagle Rare 25 is the pinnacle of American whiskey to date from our Distillery, and our Eagle Rare brand is the perfect portfolio to showcase this barrier-breaking expression.”

Approximately 200 750ml bottles of Eagle Rare 25 will be released to select retailers, bars, and restaurants globally beginning November 2023 at a suggested retail price of $10,000 per bottle. The expression joins the Eagle Rare lineup of Eagle Rare, Double Eagle Very Rare, and Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old, released each fall as part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.

For more information, please click HERE

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1775 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 40 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Its George T. Stagg was named World Whiskey of the Year for 2022 and its Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye was named 2nd Finest Whiskey in the World for 2022. Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 1,000 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. Buffalo Trace Distillery also has a deep commitment to supporting charitable initiatives. Nonprofit organizations interested in learning more about the Distillery’s efforts are encouraged to register their charity here. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery, visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com.

New ‘Virgin Oak’ release unveils a new bold  side to

Wire Works Whisky

 -White Peak Distillery, Derbyshire-

White Peak, the award-winning Derbyshire distillery, is unveiling a bold dimension of its Wire Works Whisky this season with a rich Virgin Oak Cask whisky release.

Wire Works Virgin Oak is a progression towards a permanent addition to the Distillery’s portfolio – the first being Caduro that launched in March this year. This is the second whisky release from White Peak that has been matured in Virgin Oak – a development of a limited release in 2022.

Bottled at 50.5% ABV, Virgin Oak’s flavour profile is true to the Wire Works house style – made with lightly peated malted barley, live brewer’s yeast and a six day fermentation time to add deep fruit notes in the spirit. A vatting of lightly peated single malt whisky initially matured in premium, first fill ex-bourbon barrels and then finished for several months at a lower ABV in virgin American oak barrels (with a select range of toast and char levels). The bold oak-forward flavours of the casks contribute to the intensity and combination of sweet & spice, showcasing the rich fruit flavours and elegant smoke profile of the core house spirit.

Claire Vaughan, founder of White Peak Distillery said: “In our latest release, we’re giving whisky enthusiasts the opportunity to savour the unique flavours of our lightly-peated spirit and explore the journey our whisky has taken in new wood. Matured in Virgin Oak casks from the renowned Kelvin Cooperage, celebrated for exceptional quality, this is a development of the limited edition 2022 release. The selection of char levels in this vatting introduces a delightful range of flavours, from lighter toasted nuts, vanilla, and sweetness to the richer notes of caramel and toffee. This whisky is a perfect dram for the fireside.”

White Peak Distillery was founded seven years ago by husband-and-wife team Max & Claire Vaughan – both originally from Derbyshire – and continues to go from strength to strength. Last year saw the Distillery winning multiple awards, not only for its whisky, but also for its Distillery visitor experiences and the much-celebrated, sustainable Wire Works Whisky packaging.

Wire Works Virgin Oak will be available from 20th October onwards, via the Distillery shop and online, as well as from trade partners including Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange and select independents nationwide, RRP: £67 per 70cl.

The Distillery is open Monday – Saturday for shop visitors, with tours available every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. For availability, timings and to book, please visit: www.whitepeakdistillery.co.uk

About Wire Works Virgin Oak:

50.5% ABV

2,769 individually numbered bottles

As with all Wire Works Whiskies, Virgin Oak is 100% natural colour and non-chill filtered.

 Virgin Oak Tasting Notes:

Nose: Banoffee pie, fruit salad sweets, pistachio and cranberries

Palate: Treacle tart, toasted nuts and sweet spice

Finish: Light lingering smoke

About Wire Works Whisky:

Wire Works Whisky from White Peak Distillery is Derbyshire’s very first single malt.

Provenance, heritage and flavour are at the heart of the Distillery ethos and whisky-making process, and its home at the dramatic former Johnson & Nephew Wire Works is celebrated within the whisky brand. The Distillery’s woodland home on the banks of the River Derwent has a long history of innovation and forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Wire Works Whisky celebrates its rich homeland and the brewing heritage for which the region is so renowned. Every aspect of production and maturation is done onsite at the Distillery to ensure that the unique location and environment can play their part in the provenance of the final spirit.

The lightly-peated single malt whisky has been created using a combination of English un-peated and peated malted barley. A flavour-focused four-day fermentation uses a unique yeast Blend incorporating live yeast sourced from a local Peak District brewery.

The Distillery’s traditional, bespoke copper pot stills have been hand-built by McMillan and are run slowly to help produce the desired flavour profile. The final spirit is matured in a variety of carefully selected first fill oak casks, including ex-bourbon, virgin and STR (re-conditioned casks that have been shaved, toasted and re-charred), adding the final rich flavours to the whisky.

White Peak Distillery Awards:

2022 and 2023 has seen White Peak also win numerous awards for their whiskies and packaging, as below:

UK Packaging Awards 2022:

• Corrugated Pack of the Year
• Best Packaging of a New Product
• Glass Pack of the Year, Spirits, Perfumes and Cosmetics

The Global World Whisky Masters 2022:

• Necessary Evil: Gold
• Small Batch: Gold

International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2022:

• Best Contemporary Design: Wire Works Whisky

International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2023:

• Caduro: Gold

People’s Choice Awards 2023:

• Best Whisky: Wire Works Whisky Small Batch – World Whisky Category

2023 World Whisky Masters Wire Works Caduro Gold

2023 World Whisky Masters Wire Works Alter Ego Masters

English Whisky Guild:

White Peak Distillery is one of the 15 members of the English Whisky Guild, that was founded in 2022 by the English whisky industry to represent the interests of the increasing number of English whisky distilleries (currently there are 40) on the world stage of whisky.

For further information visit:  English Whisky Guild

Laphroaig® debuts the Elements series, revealing a new and unexpected side to Islay’s most characterful whisky

J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery Opens in Frankfort, Ky

Mattingly Family Carries on Bourbon Tradition started Two Centuries Ago, Innovating with Double Stave Process and Custom Blending Experience

FRANKFORT, KY (Nov. 1^st, 2023) – J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery, created by Jeff Mattingly, a descendant of distilling pioneer John Graves Mattingly, opened its distillery today in Frankfort, Ky.  The new distillery features 23,000 square feet, which includes a gift shop, tasting bar, a small pot still, and a premier custom bourbon blending experience.  The distillery will offer tours, tastings and the custom bourbon blending experience every day but Sundays.

            Previously located in Georgetown, Ky., the new location at 20 Reilly Road in Frankfort, Ky. is part of a $6 million investment which will also add up to 50 new jobs.  That investment is projected to grow as the distillery starts distilling on site, and eventually adds a second column still and barrel warehouses on property purchased in Shelby County, Ky.  The addition of the column still carries on the 19^th century Mattingly innovation of the coffee column still which greatly enhances continuous production of bourbon.

            A grand opening took place today with Public Protection Cabinet Secretary Ray Perry speaking, joined by Frankfort Mayor Layne Wilkerson; President of J. Mattingly 1845 Harry Richart IV; and Cameron Mattingly, vice president of production.

            One could say Jeff Mattingly has bourbon in his blood.  His ancestor John Graves Mattingly started his first distillery in 1845.  Although the distillery was Registered Distillery #2, it is widely reported his distillery may have been the first registered distillery in Kentucky.  The Mattingly name is so ingrained with distilling there have been at least nine distilleries in Kentucky in which a Mattingly had a hand in developing.  The family also has connections to some of the most prolific bourbon barons in the industry, including George Garvin Brown of Brown Forman, the Willett family, and the Samuels family, with Margie Mattingly Samuels creating the iconic Maker’s Mark packaging, label, bottle shape and famous red wax.

            Today, current owner Jeff Mattingly, alongside his son Cameron, carry on the Mattingly family mantle and continue to innovate, much like their ancestors did.  Each batch of their flagship J. Mattingly 1845 Bourbon is a custom, one-of-a-kind blend, using a proprietary double stave process to add texture, richness and depth before it is expertly blended by the J. Mattingly 1845 production team.

            Visitors to the new location in Frankfort will have the opportunity to participate in a state-of-the-art custom blending experience, which allows them to blend their own bottle from a combination of hand-selected barrels of Kentucky bourbon, wheated bourbon or rye whiskey, then choose their bottle, customize their label, and choose their wax color, offering a premiere hands-on experience not found at any other distillery.

            “We’re excited to be in Frankfort and we appreciate the warm welcome we’ve received from the community,” said Jeff Mattingly, founder and owner of J. Mattingly 1845.  “Our slogan is ‘One Hell of a Pick,’ which came about when I was blending a batch with some bourbon experts from around the United States and it was so good we proclaimed it ‘One Hell of a Pick.’  That batch and that slogan will always have special meaning to me since it was one of the first bourbons sold and marketed in over 100 years under the Mattingly family name.  Now, we’re starting another new chapter with our move to Frankfort, and we look forward to helping our guests blend their own ‘One Hell of a Pick!’”

            The J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery will be open for tours, tastings, and the J. Mattingly custom bourbon blending experience Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Closed on Sundays.  Reservations are not required but are encouraged, especially for the custom blending experience.  Reservations can be made online at www.JMattingly1845.com.

 About J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery

The Mattingly family has been synonymous with distilling in Kentucky for more than two centuries, having a hand in the development of at least nine separate distilleries in the Commonwealth, and with connections to some of the most illustrious names in the distilling industry, including George Garvin Brown, the Willetts and the Samuels.

It all started in 1845, with John Graves Mattingly’s first distillery in Marion County, Kentucky, Registered Distillery #2.  Many historians today believe his distillery was the first registered distillery in Kentucky.

In 2010 Jeff Mattingly took up the family mantle and started his own craft bourbon business.  Today, Jeff’s son Cameron has joined the team as Vice President of Production, continuing the legacy into the latest generation for J. Mattingly Distillery 1845 in Frankfort, Kentucky. For more information about J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery visit www.JMattingly1845.com.

SOTHEBY’S TO OFFER THE WORLD’S MOST VALUABLE WHISKY

Bottle of The Macallan Adami 1926 to come under the hammer at Sotheby’s in London on 18 November with an estimate of £750,000 – 1.2 million

This autumn, Sotheby’s will offer at auction a bottle containing the world’s most valuable whisky. The Macallan 1926 has always been recognised as the most sought-after Scotch whisky, as illustrated by the sum of £1.5m ($1.9m) achieved by Sotheby’s in 2019, for the Fine & Rare version, which set a new auction record for any bottle of wine or spirit.

After being aged in sherry casks for six decades, just 40 bottles of The Macallan 1926 were bottled in 1986, representing the oldest Macallan vintage ever produced. The 40 bottles were reportedly not made available for purchase; instead, some were offered to The Macallan’s top clients. The appearance of any of these bottles at auction over the years has resulted in extraordinary results – across 2018 and 2019, the auction record was broken three times by three of the different variations (Sir Peter Blake, Michael Dillon, Fine & Rare).

Marking the first time one of the 40 bottles has come to auction at Sotheby’s since the current record was set, a bottle of The Macallan Adami 1926 will come under the hammer at Sotheby’s in London on 18 November 2023, with an estimate of £750,000-1,200,000. Advance bidding will open on 1 November.

Distinguishing this offering even further is the fact that this is the first bottle to have undergone reconditioning by The Macallan Distillery ahead of being presented at auction. This process involved replacing both the capsule and the cork, applying new glue to the corners of the bottle labels and taking a 1ml liquid sample to test against another 1926 bottle at the Edrington offices in Glasgow. The Macallan 1926 Adami bottle to be offered by Sotheby’s is now the foundation for all other 1926 bottles that may undergo testing in the future. In order to recondition the capsule, a sample swatch of the old capsule was used as a material match by a producer in Austria to recreate an identical replacement matching the original.Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Global Head of Spirits, said: “The Macallan 1926 is the one whisky that every auctioneer wants to sell and every collector wants to own. I am extremely excited to bring a bottle to a Sotheby’s auction for the first time since we set the record for this vintage four years ago. Working alongside our friends at The Macallan Distillery to recondition and perform clinical analysis on this bottle and liquid has elevated it to an unparalleled status. Now, as the bedrock for all Macallan 1926 authenticity and with its condition approved by master distiller Kirsten Campbell, this must surely be the most desirable bottle of whisky ever to come to the market.”

Of the 40 bottles drawn in 1986, a maximum of 14 were decorated with the iconic Fine and Rare labels, one of which was the record-breaking bottle sold by Sotheby’s in 2019. Two bottles were released with no labels at all. Of these two, one was hand painted by Irish artist Michael Dillon, a creation that saw Macallan’s own Easter Elchies House immortalised onto the bottle. When sold in 2018, it became the first bottle of whisky to surpass £1 million.

Of the remaining bottles, in 1986 twelve were labelled by Pop Artist Sir Peter Blake, whose work saw the most notable events from this year in the roaring 20s depicted in black and white sketches and photography. In 1993, a further 12 bottles had their labels designed by Italian painter Valerio Adami.

The rarity factor is amplified in the knowledge that one of the Adami-labelled bottles is thought to have been destroyed during a Japanese earthquake in 1911, while the remaining unlabelled bottle is unaccounted for. It is also believed that at least one of the 40 bottles has been opened and consumed, verified by images taken in Japan.

In 2022, The Macallan produced a short film focusing on the heritage of the brand back to the Janet Harbinson era of the 1920s. Fondly known as Nettie, Harbinson was central to The Macallan’s early success and the creation of The Macallan 1926, after taking charge of the distillery when her husband died in 1918. Perhaps without intending to, though always with an eye to developing the future of the brand, she created the most valuable whisky in the world. Watch the short film here.

The Italian artist Valerio Adami (born in 1935) was recommended to The Macallan by their Italian agent, Armando Giovinetti. He has become renowned for his graphic style of painting, using blocks of flat colour bordered with pronounced black lines. Limiting his palette to black and white for the label design, Adami produced a design that has since become iconic in the world of whisky.

1980s

In 1987 a Guinness record was set for “The World’s Most Expensive Spirit”, when a bottle was sold in New York for £5,000.

1990s

Two bottles were sold at auction: in 1991 a Sir Peter Blake labelled bottle in Glasgow for £6,375; in 1996 a Valerio Adami labelled bottle in London for £12,000. 

2000s

Two unlabelled bottles were sold by McTear’s in Glasgow, in 2001 for £15,000; in 2002 for £20,150. In 2007 a Fine & Rare labelled bottle at Christie’s in New York for $54,000 (£45,293).

2018

In 2018, six bottles were sold, including the hand-painted bottle by Michael Dillon, which was the first bottle of whisky ever to surpass £1 million (Sir Peter Blake bottle: £615,062 / $766,762; Sir Peter Blake bottle: £816,983 / $1,108,485; Valerio Adami bottle: £886,112 / $1,1054,664; Valerio Adami bottle: £848,750 / $1,058,087; Sir Peter Blake bottle: £638,159 / $843,200; Michael Dillon bottle: £1,200,000 / $1,495,970).

2019

In 2019, two bottles were sold, including a bottle with the iconic Fine and Rare label at Sotheby’s in London for £1,452,000 / US$1,873,951 – setting an auction record for any bottle of wine or spirits.

About Sotheby’s

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*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium or overhead premium. Prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium and overhead premium and are net of any fees paid to the purchaser where the purchaser provided an irrevocable bid.