Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 508: Glen Moray 15 Year Old 2007 Thompson Bros

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tastes a Glen Moray. It is one of those distilleries that often stays under the radar, producing primarily for blending purposes. But sometimes independent bottlers succeed in selecting an excellent single cask. This is one of those, bottled by Phil and Simon Thompson under their Thompson Bros label. It’s a single bourbon cask from 2007, bottled in 2023 at cask strength. And while it’s a UK exclusive, Mark was lucky enough to have a pal bring over a bottle.

Auction Record for a Collection of Japanese Whisky

KODAWARI | The Greatest Japanese Whisky Collection

Achieves £1.8 Million / $2.2 Million

“I am delighted that we have broken the record for the most valuable collection of Japanese whisky ever sold at auction. The KODAWARI Collection was built tirelessly over many years by an extremely passionate and dedicated collector and it’s fantastic to have achieved such a fitting result for him and his bottles. With many of the rarest whiskies from Karuizawa, Hanyu and Yamazaki distilleries among others, it was a real honour to work on a collection of this calibre and bring yet another record-breaking collection to auction at Sotheby’s. The result far outweighs the previous record which is a testament to the quality and rarity of the KODAWARI collection and this is undoubtedly one of my career highlights so far.”

James Gray, Sotheby’s Whisky Specialist

17th NOVEMBER 2023 – Today at Sotheby’s in London, an auction record for a collection of Japanese whisky was achieved when KODAWARI | The Greatest Japanese Whisky Collection brought an overall total of £1,784,937 / $2,216,892.

Predominantly made up of single cask releases from the famed Karuizawa Distillery, which ceased production in 2000, many of which rarely come to auction, the four-hour sale drew spirited bidding in the room and on the telephones as well as online. The results were headlined by a bottle of Karuizawa 52 Year Old Cask #5627 1960, which sold for £300,000 / $372,600. One of only 41 bottles and the oldest Karuizawa to have been released, each is uniquely identified not by a bottle number, but by an individual character or katabori netsuke that was carved from the oak cask head of cask #5627.

The collection included in excess of 150 bottles of Karuizawa dating back to 1960, alongside rare whiskies from The Yamazaki, Hakushu, Yoichi and Hanyu distilleries. Among the top lots were a trio of Karuizawa distilled in 1965 and bottled for the 60th Anniversary of Parisian whisky shop, La Maison du Whisky, and a bottle of the Karuizawa Aqua of Life 45 Year Old, released for the Taiwanese market.

This year, 2023, marks the centenary of Japanese whisky – a spirit that 100 years ago was forged in the footprint of Scotch whisky, but nowadays very much has a unique standing in the whisky collecting world. Today’s sale was made possible by one collector’s foresight for the potential of Japanese whisky. Not only did the collector manage to obtain some of the rarest whiskies ever produced, he is also in the unique position of having tasted almost every single one of them, including the Karuizawa 1960. His passion overwhelmed any sense of trepidation when building the collection – when he began his foray into Japanese whisky, interest in the category outside of Asia was fairly non-existent, which is surprising given the exceptional quality of much of the malt whisky being produced in Japan. Although a ‘hidden gem’ in the West at the time, Japanese whisky was still fairly accessible. By the early 2010s, the whiskies had begun to appear regularly in Europe and the collector – a true enthusiast – started to swap and trade bottles with other like-minded individuals around the world to ensure his collection was as comprehensive as possible.

About Sotheby’s

Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. Sotheby’s promotes access to and ownership of exceptional art and luxury objects through auctions and buy-now channels including private sales, e-commerce and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by an industry-leading technology platform and a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 70 categories which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Design, as well as collectible cars and real estate. Sotheby’s believes in the transformative power of art and culture and is committed to making our industries more inclusive, sustainable and collaborative.

Our NOVEMBER 2023 Auction ENDS SOON!

Looking to expand your whisky collection? Head to our November auction to see what your missing!

Auction closes from 8pm (BST) Tuesday 28th November

www.speysidewhiskyauctions.co.uk

Macallan – 30 Years Old – 1974 Fine & Rare

This remarkable Macallan 1974 – Fine & Rare whisky was unveiled in 2004. On July 18, 1974, a solitary puncheon, Cask No. 929038, was filled and aged for an impressive 30 years before being bottled in 2004 at its natural cask strength, without undergoing chill filtration.

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Macallan 30 Year Old “Double Cask” Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $4,999.99 View

 Smells of chocolate-covered orange, dry malt and oak; aeration stimulates dry breakfast cereal, lanolin, beeswax and palm oil aromas. Entry is layered by sweet grain, oak barrel, vanilla wafer, toffee and fudge; midpalate gives off wave after wave of integrated spirit, grain, wood and acidity. A perfect Speyside single malt. (PP)  (11/2008)

K&L Notes

Macallan’s Double Cask line still features all sherry cask matured whiskey, but includes American oak sherry casks as well as European oak sherry cask. The big 30 year age statement is only available in tiny quantities. Get it while you can!

Macallan 30 Year Old Sherry Oak Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $5,999.99 View

 Smells of chocolate-covered orange, dry malt and oak; aeration stimulates dry breakfast cereal, lanolin, beeswax and palm oil aromas. Entry is layered by sweet grain, oak barrel, vanilla wafer, toffee and fudge; midpalate gives off wave after wave of integrated spirit, grain, wood and acidity. A perfect Speyside single malt.  (11/2008)

K&L Notes

This mighty 30 year is never available long.

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Glenfarclas 1984

ralfy review 1004 Extras – Glasgows Whisky Festival + ralfy bottlings !

Ayrshire-based Lochlea Distillery crowned

International Trade Business of the Year in regional awards

Darren McCormick from Lochlea Distillery

and Samantha McKechnie from Neogen (award category sponsor)

 The independently owned and family-run Lochlea Distillery in South Ayrshire – one of the very few farm-to-cask whisky distilleries in Scotland – has scooped the ‘Going Global – International Trade Business of the Year’ award at the Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

The annual Ayrshire Business Awards attract high profile industry support and are established as the leading awards ceremony for Ayrshire businesses, providing the opportunity to showcase major achievements and to celebrate outstanding success.

The winners were announced at the 2023 Awards Dinner on Friday (6th October) at Ayr Racecourse where the Lochlea Distillery team were delighted to win the Going Global – International Trade Business of the Year category, celebrating companies that have demonstrated significant international growth and proving that borders are not a barrier to trade.

Lochlea Distillery has a rich Scottish heritage and was once home to Robert Burns himself who worked and lived on the farm during his formative years, from 1777 to 1784. Having only launched their first whisky in January 2022, Lochlea’s whiskies are already stocked in over 150 retailers in the UK and in 20 export markets worldwide.

David Ferguson, Commercial Director at Lochlea Distillery commented: “We are over the moon to have won this prestigious award celebrating growing businesses in our region, especially given the calibre of our fellow Ayrshire finalists. We have a strong and expanding local customer base whose support has been key since we launched last year. On the export side, it means a lot to our team that Lochlea has been recognised for our achievements to date, and we have exciting plans to continue moving into more international markets in future”.

About Lochlea Distillery:

Lochlea was originally a 222 acre livestock farm before being purchased by Neil and Jen McGeoch in 2006. After much consideration of the future of the farm and a successful trial to grow its own barley in 2015, the couple transformed the land and existing farm buildings into a fully-operational distillery in 2017 and started distilling the following year. The farming side has remained a unique part of Lochlea, with the move into barley production – paving the way for Lochlea to be one of the very few fully grain-to-cask distilleries in Scotland.

November 2023 Auction // 24.11.23 – 04.12.23

Now Live: November Auction

A warm welcome to our November auction. Featuring almost 9,000 rare whiskies and fine spirits.

This month marks a historic moment as the Blair Castle whisky comes to sale. Believed to have been distilled in 1833, this whisky may very well be the oldest Scotch whisky in existence, with 24 bottles available. Bid on the Blair Castle bottles here.

Alongside this, we have an incredible auction of old & rare bottles, many seen for the first time at Whisky Auctioneer- from an extensive collection of over 300 lots of Ardbeg, to the iconic 2010 release Highland Park 50 Year Old. This is also the last opportunity to buy that special bottle before the festive season kicks off.

Browse almost 9,000 lots in our live auction.

Blair Castle Scotch Whisky

Discovered in the cellars of Blair Castle in Highland Perthshire, this month’s auction sees 24 bottles of what is thought to be the oldest Scotch whisky in the world come to auction. Believed to have been distilled in 1833, this is a historic moment for the Scotch whisky industry.

Discover single malts aged 40 years or above

Ardbeg Special Liqueur D&J MacEwen 1950s

Highland Park 50 Year Old 2010 Release

Strathisla 25 Year Old Intertrade Bicentenary Magnum 1.5 Litre

Dunkeld Archives Charity Bottles

Whisky Auctioneer is delighted to be supporting The Chapter House Museum Trust [also known as the Dunkeld Archives] by offering donated bottles in our November 2023 Auction to support their redevelopment project to create a first class, accessible heritage centre. The Chapter House Museum Trust is a recent recipient of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service and Dunkeld, one of the neighbouring towns to our Perth home, has a history stretching back to the Picts and includes many links to the whisky industry.

All of the proceeds from this lot, including Whisky Auctioneer’s buyer’s commission, will go to support their redevelopment project.

Next month marks ten years since we held our very first auction at Whisky Auctioneer. A lot has happened since then – the launch of our sister sites, Wine Auctioneer and Rum Auctioneer, as well as exciting projects, record-breaking auctions and global expansion.

While we’ve thoroughly enjoyed our journey so far, things can’t stay the same forever. That’s why we’ve refreshed our branding to better reflect the nature of Whisky Auctioneer in 2023. We’re really excited to share our new look with you, and are even more excited to see where it takes us in the next ten years. We hope you enjoy seeing it across our website, social media and emails too.

Interested in selling in our next auction? Fill out our Seller Form today.

ralfy review 1003 Extras – More about Irish Pot-Still Whiskey.

Evan Williams American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund Announces 2023 Grant Recipients

Veteran Community Action Grants award $75,000 to nonprofits that serve the veteran community

BARDSTOWN, Ky. – Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey announced today 15 recipients of the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund grants. The 2023 Veteran Community Action Grants awarded $75,000 across projects that make a meaningful difference in the enjoyment and quality of life for veterans. From training service dogs to professional development, music therapy and medical care, each program supports giving back to those who served.

As an American-made and owned Bourbon, Evan Williams is proud to support U.S. military veterans through the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund. First established in 2020, the fund continues the brand’s support of veteran communities since launching the Evan Williams American-Made Heroes program and limited-edition label in 2015. To date, Evan Williams has recognized 54 veteran heroes on its American Hero Edition bottles and donated $600,000 to nonprofits.

“The 2023 recipients of the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund Grants are an incredible group of organizations who deserve to be recognized for their amazing work to help their fellow veterans,” said Molly Vincent, Evan Williams Senior Brand Manager. “We would like to commend these organizations and their leaders who selflessly give back to their communities and protect the American spirit of service.”

The 15 recipients of the 2023 Veteran Community Action Grants awarded by the Evan Williams American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund are as follows:

AZIMUTH CHECK FOUNDATION: ACF helps injured veterans achieve wellness in an atmosphere of camaraderie by providing them with challenging and rewarding events, including hiking, mountaineering, deep sea fishing, rock climbing, snowshoe hiking, sporting events & tournaments, and more. Learn more at https://azimuthcheckfoundation.org/.

BATTLE DAWGS: Battle Dawgs offers a place for veterans to relax, reset, and refocus through outdoor rehabilitation, mentorship, and leadership programs. Learn more at https://www.battledawgs.org/.

EXTREME ADVENTURES, LLC: Extreme Adventures provides outdoor experiences for Veterans and their families with goal of enhancing their lives through recreational and social opportunities that reengage them with the activities they love and unite them with people who share similar backgrounds and experiences. Learn more at https://xtremeadventures.org/.

FINAL SALUTE, INC:  Final Salute was founded in 2010 with the goal of providing homeless female veterans and their families with safe, suitable housing. Learn more at https://www.finalsaluteinc.org/Home.html.

HEROES ON THE WATER, NORTHWEST WASHINGTON CHAPTER: Heroes on the Water provides kayak fishing excursions to veterans, first-responders, active-duty military members and their families at no cost. These therapeutic events support America’s heroes and improve their quality of life. Learn more at https://heroesonthewater.org/.

HILLVETS FOUNDATION: HillVets serves Veterans and the Military-connected community in Washington, D.C. by providing opportunities for networking and second careers of service in government. Learn more at https://www.hillvets.org/.

INFINITE WISHES FOUNDATION: The mission of the Infinite Heroes program through Infinite Wishes Foundation is to provide experiences (“Gratitude Tours”) to active-duty military and veterans that have been combat-wounded and are permanently disabled, are mobility impaired, or have a service related life-threatening illness. Learn more at https://www.infinitewishes.org/infiniteheroes.

LITTLE BLESSINGS VETERAN AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH: Through the healing power of equine services, wellness programs, and community integration, Little Blessings helps veterans and their families successfully transition to civilian life. Learn more at https://lbveteranoutreach.org/.

NAVY SAFE HARBOR FOUNDATION: Navy Safe Harbor Foundation works with Navy Wounded Warrior to support wounded, ill, and injured Navy and Coast Guard Sailors, their families, and caregivers through financial assistance and non-medical care. Learn more at https://safeharborfoundation.org/.

REFOCUS-ON-U: Refocus-On-U offers programs designed to help veterans receive wholeness of the mind through learning how to manage relationships, increasing motivation, boosting creativity, living above loss, managing stress without distress, overcoming depression and anxiety, and achieving peak mental performance. Learn more at https://www.refocusonu.org/.

ROBIN’S HOME: Robin’s Home provides a full continuum of care for homeless, unstably housed and low-income female veterans and their children, through housing, case management, financial literacy, workforce development, and more. Learn more at https://robinshome.us/.

SHE’S THE VETERAN: Mental health in female veterans is under-researched, under-diagnosed, and under-treated. She’s the Veteran provides comprehensive support services for women who have served, improving their lives through activities, advocacy, and research. Learn more at https://shestheveteran.org/.

STAND WITH ME ASSISTANCE DOG TEAM TRAINING, INC: Stand With Me provides an intensive school for canines and their humans, allowing veterans with service-related mental health disabilities to train their own service dogs. Learn more at https://www.standwithmeorg.com/about-us.html.

WARRIOR MUSIC FOUNDATION, INC: Warrior Music Foundation provides an avenue for healing by offering free music therapy and lessons to active-duty military, veterans, and their families promoting learning and camaraderie along the way. Learn more at https://www.warriormusicfoundation.org/.

WARRIOR’S ART ROOM, INC: Warrior’s Art Room provides an inclusive space for veterans and their families to express themselves through a variety of mediums, engage in creative workshops, and build a community. Learn more at https://warriorsartroom.org/index.html.

As the second-largest selling Bourbon in the world, Evan Williams is proud of its American heritage and honored to broaden its support of veteran communities across the country. The 2024 class of Evan Williams American-Made Heroes will be selected from affiliate organizations who applied through the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund Grant process and will be announced in early May. To learn more about the Evan Williams American-Made Heroes Program, please visit american-madeheroes.com.

ABOUT EVAN WILLIAMS: The flagship Bourbon of Heaven Hill Distillery, Evan Williams is among the leaders in the rapidly growing American Whiskey segment as the world’s second largest-selling Kentucky Bourbon. Evan Williams is a proud sponsor of Major League Baseball and the World Series, first forming a partnership with the national pastime in 2016. As an American-made and American-owned brand, Evan Williams has recognized true American heroes through their exceptional stories of honor and bravery on special edition American-Made Hero labels for the past eight years, now supported by the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund. The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience (www.EvanWilliamsBourbonExperience.com) celebrates the legacy of Evan Williams through an immersive visitors center experience which brings to life the history and tradition of Kentucky’s native spirit as an official stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN-MADE HEROES FOUNDATION FUND: Evan Williams is honored to broaden its support of veteran communities across the country through the launch of the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund, announced in April 2020. The American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund was established to show Evan Williams’ pride in being American-made and owned, and to give back to those who served. Our purpose is: to provide a platform for sharing inspiring veteran stories; to raise public awareness for causes impacting the veteran community; and to support nonprofit organizations that help veterans through a specialized grant program.

Heaven Hill reminds you to “Think Wisely. Drink Wisely.”