Sotheby’s Unveils The Legacy Collection:

Among America’s Most Valuable Whisky Collections Ever to Appear at Auction

 Open For Bidding Ahead of Live Auction in New York on 11 May

A selection of Scotch, Japanese and American Whiskies“The Legacy Collection showcases what is undoubtedly one of the most complete Macallan Fine & Rare collections ever to come to auction as part of one of the most significant Single Owner sales offered on US soil. Discovering and working with collections like this is always a privilege and being able to offer yet another significant single owner collection at Sotheby’s never ceases to excite us.”

Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Head of Whisky & Spirits, North America and EMEA

NEW YORK, 27 APRIL 2023 – Showcasing one of the most exciting and comprehensive ensembles of The Macallan Fine & Rare ever to come to auction, The Legacy Collection will come under the hammer at Sotheby’s in New York on 11 May 2023. The 142-lot sale of Scotch, Japanese and American whisky is expected to fetch between $1.4 and $1.9 million.

Exclusively comprising bottles from a single collector accrued through painstaking dedication, the sale is headlined by one of the fullest verticals of The Macallan Fine & Rare ever to appear at auction, featuring the elusive 1957 vintage bottling. These lots are further supported by rare bottles from The Balvenie, The Dalmore, Midleton and rare whiskeys from the Van Winkle canon.

This Legacy collector spent many years building a truly staggering collection in both range and value, while consuming many bottles along the way, including The Macallan Fine & Rare and Lalique Six Pillars.

The Macallan Fine & Rare – The Record-Breaking Whisky

The Macallan is best known for being the most valuable whisky in the world, following the record-breaking sale at Sotheby’s in 2019 of The Macallan Fine & Rare 1926 for $1.9 million. The Fine & Rare series, originally introduced in 2002, has since been hailed as the pinnacle of Scotch whisky collecting, with vintages spanning from the 1920s to the 1990s.

The Legacy Collection contains 56 Fine & Rare vintage expressions, the oldest of which dates back as far as 1937 (lot 56, est. $26,000-$35,000) with the most recent being 1990 (lot 1, est. $9,000-$12,000). The oldest age statement on offer is The Macallan Fine & Rare 56 Year Old 1946 (lot 46, est. $24,000-30,000).

Eight of The Macallan Fine & Rare bottles in The Legacy collection are among the most limited in the series, with fewer than 100 bottles of each expression ever having been produced (see lots 7, 19, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29 and 50). Most rare of all is The Macallan Fine & Rare 15 Year Old 1957 (lot 28, est. $150,000-200,000).

The Macallan Fine & Rare 15 Year Old 1957 – One of the rarest whiskies in the world

The Macallan Fine & Rare 15-Year-Old

The Macallan Fine & Rare 15 Year Old is the second rarest in the series after only the 1926, with only 15 bottles ever having been produced. While only 14 bottles of the 1926 bear the Fine & Rare label, there are, in fact, 40 bottles in total of the liquid (with further iterations bearing different designs by Peter Blake, Valerio Adami and Michael Dillon). The 1957 vintage was originally bottled in 1972 at 15 Years Old, presumably by Gordon & Macphail under the Macallan-Glenlivet moniker, before being re-bottled in 2002 by The Macallan as part of this series.

There are 15 “bottle equivalents” (i.e., a total volume of between 10 and 11 litres of the liquid in total), but it is known that not all of these were released onto the market and that only two were produced with this 75cl bottle size for the American market (with European versions being only 70cl), making this, without question, the rarest Fine & Rare expression.

Additional Scotch, Irish and American Rarities 

The rare bottles in The Legacy Collection do not stop at The Macallan Fine and Rare. Other highlights include The Balvenie 50 Year Old Batch 01 (lot 92, est. $15,000-$20,000) and Midleton Very Rare 30th Anniversary Pearl Edition (lot 118, $15,000-$20,000), as well as 24 bottles of The Macallan 21 Year Old Fine Oak and eight bottles of The Dalmore 25 Year Old. From the US, there are 20 bottles from The Van Winkle stable including the 10, 12, 13, 15, 20 and 23 Year Old expressions.

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

About Sotheby’s Wine

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.

Sotheby’s Wine’s annual worldwide auction sales of wine and spirits achieved a record total of $158 million in 2022, a 20% increase from 2021. Sotheby’s currently holds the world records for any whisky collection ever sold at auction, any private wine collection ever sold at auction, the most valuable bottle of wine ever sold at auction and the most valuable bottle of spirits ever sold at auction, in addition to the highest ever total for a charity wine auction.

In addition to auction, Sotheby’s Wine launched a retail business in 2010. With a retail store located in Sotheby’s New York headquarters and e-commerce at www.sothebyswine.com, Sotheby’s Wine offers a carefully curated selection of wines from the world’s most prestigious producers and important regions. Expertly assembled by our experienced specialists, the selection is built upon lasting relationships with winemakers from across the globe, with bottles that are ready for immediate consumption, in addition to investment-worthy wines from highly sought-after vintages. A second retail location opened in Sotheby’s Hong Kong galleries in 2014.

Our April Auction ENDS SOON!

Place your bids until Sunday 30th April 2023.

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 – 40 Year Old (2005 Edition)

Suntory – The Owner’s Cask Bottlings

Dalmore – 45 Year Old (2018 Release)

Hanyu – Ichiro’s Malt Nine of Clubs (1991) Single Cask #401

Glenmorangie – 34 Year Old (1978) Pride (1 Litre)

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.

EXCLUSIVE PEATED SINGLE MALTS
HAND-PICKED BY THE EXPERTS

As part of our 50th anniversary special bottlings, we’ve released a selection of peated single malts from across Scotland and beyond, available exclusively at The Whisky Exchange. Peat has an incredible variety of flavours to discover, from the beach bonfires of Ardbeg and Islay, through the combination of sherry and peat, to exciting flavours in whiskies from from unexpected sources.

SHOP NOW

Kornog 2016 6 Year Old
Peated Refill Pedro Ximénez

£99.95

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Millstone Peated 2017
5 Year Old Oloroso Sherry

£59.95

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Orkney 2006
16 Year Old Sherry Cask

£135

SHOP NOW

Islay 1991
30 Year Old

£475

SHOP NOW

Our range includes a 30-year-old from a mystery Islay distillery bottled by Signatory Vintage, with gentle sweet smoke, baked apples and chocolate limes on the palate, along with a 2016-vintage Kornog French single malt selected by our co-founder for its pronounced fruitiness and old-fashioned peat character reminiscent of peated Chichibu. Explore our full selection of smoky drams you won’t find anywhere else.

HIGHLAND PARK DISTILLERY
27 Year Old 1995 Connoisseurs Choice UK Exclusive (2022)
Cask #1488

1995 vintage single cask for the Connoisseurs Choice series. Just 222 bottles.

Buy Highland Park 27yo»

Highland Park 27 Year Old 1995 vintage Orcadian single malt Scotch whisky. Single cask refill American hogshead #1488 bottled December 20222 for the United Kingdom market by Gordon & MacPhail for the Connoisseurs Choice series. 222 bottles. Citrus aromas give way to butterscotch and apple. Poached pear flavours complement tropical fruit and vanilla fudge. A medium bodied finish with lingering pineapple and soft smoke.

Highland Park Distillery is the most northerly malt whisky distillery in Scotland and thus the closest Scottish distillery to the Arctic Circle. Highland Park was established on the periphery of Kirkwall in the Mainland of Orkney in 1825-26 by Robert Borwick, a merchant and straw plaiter in Kirkwall, and John Robertson who owned the land previously known as Rosebank but by 1825 known as Highland Park. Whisky had been distilled illicitly in the vicinity of the Parks of Rosebank by Magnus Eunson least as far back as 1798. Highland Park 12 Year Old, 18 Year Old and 21 Year Old are popular releases.

A smoothly complex dried fruits expression

A blend of fine single malts has been filled into hand-selected ex-Madeira wine casks to marry with the oak for a rich, warm finish. Each cask is imbued with character from years of holding Madeira wine under the intense sun of Portugal’s renowned wine-producing island.

Rich with the flavours dried fruits, soft vanilla and warm wood spice, these special barrels contribute beautiful characteristics to our blended malt Scotch.

Shop UK      Shop EU

Nose Aromas of sun-baked peaches, dried apricot and succulent nectarines

 Palate Orange oil, sumptuous rich vanilla and caramelised sugar

 Finish Complex spices, toasted saffron and crystalised ginger

 ABV 46%

 Chill filtration Non-chill filtered

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 487: Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tries a belter from Taiwain. Kavalan has won numerous awards with their Solist single cask releases. Whether it’s an ex-bourbon cask, sherry cask, vinho barrique or port cask, they all perform very well indeed. Mark got hold of one such release from 2021, bottled at a whopping 58.6% ABV, drawn from a sherry cask.

https://youtu.be/VM6okizMbWQ

Edrington Announces Majority Shareholding in Wyoming Whiskey

Edrington, the ultra-premium spirits producer has announced that it has become the majority shareholder in Wyoming Whiskey.

Building on the 35% stake that Edrington took in the brand in 2018, and the success of the partnership, the Glasgow-headquartered business has increased its shareholding to 80% in a deal with Wyoming Whiskey’s founding shareholders, led by Kate Mead, Brad Mead and David DeFazio.

Wyoming Whiskey was born and bred on the Mead family ranch in Kirby, WY. It will continue to be made in Kirby and this deepening of the relationship sees Edrington welcoming the 37 employees working in Wyoming into the wider Edrington business.

Since joining the Edrington portfolio in 2018, Wyoming Whiskey has been part of the company’s Partnership Brands business unit, which has collaborated with colleagues in the US to build its reputation as a unique ultra-premium+ American Whiskey. During that time, the brand has grown volume and value in the US faster than the ultra-premium American Whiskey category, making it an excellent fit for Edrington’s strategy and values.

Jane Graham, Director of Partnership Brands, said: “With a compelling brand story, natural ultra-premium credentials stemming from its origins, and its inherent scarcity, Wyoming Whiskey is a great fit for Edrington’s ultra-premium strategy. Our majority shareholding gives Edrington the opportunity to get closer than ever to every aspect of Wyoming Whiskey and increase investment behind the brand.”

Founding shareholder Brad Mead said: “Our partnership with Edrington over the past five years has been extraordinarily productive. Edrington’s track record of creating iconic ultra-premium whiskeys and building authentic brands makes the company the perfect partner going forward. We’re excited about the future of Wyoming Whiskey and our continued association with Edrington.”

Suzy Smith, MD of Estate Brands at Edrington said she was delighted to be welcoming Wyoming Whiskey into her portfolio, alongside Highland Park and The Glenrothes Single Malt Scotch Whiskies.

Suzy commented: “After five years of growth and success as part of our Partnership Brands team, we are excited at the potential of Wyoming Whiskey and believe it will contribute to Edrington’s strategic vision and become a prestige American Whiskey brand under our stewardship. Wyoming Whiskey is a unique American Whiskey thanks to its craft and quality, born and bred on the Mead family ranch in Kirby, Wyoming.

Edrington CEO Scott McCroskie said that taking a majority shareholding in Wyoming Whiskey was a logical step for both Edrington and the brand, commenting: “The ultra-premium American Whiskey category is going through a period of rapid growth. This is an exciting opportunity to apply Edrington’s skills in crafting exceptional ultra-premium spirit brands to continue Wyoming Whiskey’s premiumisation journey.”

ENDS

About Wyoming Whiskey

Wyoming Whiskey is ‘Made of Wyoming’. At its distillery in Kirby, WY, we distil the finest corn, wheat, barley, rye and water from the Big Horn Basin to craft a spirit that carries with it the character of the region, and also of the Mead family, who first came to the state as ranchers in 1890.  In the past decade, Wyoming Whiskey has earned recognition for its high-quality bourbon and rye whiskeys, including its Small Batch and Outryder expressions, as well as a range of sought-after limited editions, most notably the 10 Year Anniversary Edition and the National Parks series.

About Edrington

Edrington’s vision is to give more by crafting exceptional ultra-premium spirit brands. The Macallan is our central focus, supported by Highland Park and The Glenrothes in the fast-growing single malt category and Naked Malt in the blended malt category. Our portfolio is completed with Brugal premium rum from the Dominican Republic, The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky, and Wyoming Whiskey and Noble Oak in the American Whiskey category. Edrington also has a strategic partnership with No.3 London Dry Gin.

Edrington is headquartered in Scotland and employs over 3,000 people in its wholly owned and joint venture companies, with over half employed outside the UK. We own our route to market in 16 countries and distribute our brands to more than 100 countries around the world through joint ventures and third-party agreements.

Edrington’s principal shareholder is The Robertson Trust, which has donated £322 million to charitable causes in Scotland since 1961. Our business is underpinned by the Edrington values of giving, respect, integrity and excellence.

Buffalo Trace Distillery Announces Peated Bourbon

As Its Latest Experimental Collection Bottling

The world’s most award-winning distillery releases an innovative Kentucky straight bourbon made with smoked peated malt

FRANKFORT, KY (April 26, 2023) — Buffalo Trace Distillery is thrilled to release Buffalo Trace Experimental Peated Bourbon, an innovative Kentucky straight bourbon made with smoked peated malt, as the latest innovation from their ongoing Experimental Collection.

As the world’s most award-winning distillery, Buffalo Trace Distillery is deeply committed to honoring traditional production techniques while embracing change and pushing the limits of innovation in American whiskey. The Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection, which debuted in 2006 and is celebrating the Peated Bourbon as its 26^th release, is another prime example of their commitment to innovation. Each expression in the Collection offers characteristics and a taste profile uniquely its own caused by experimental changes in the mash bill, types of wood, barrel treatment and more. Since not every experiment is deemed worthy of bottling, these whiskeys are released periodically and sold on a limited basis.

“The Experimental Collection is not about breaking the rules of bourbon; in fact, 95% of our experiments stay within the confines of traditional methods of making whiskey. We conduct this research to better understand the variables that affect our final flavor profiles,” says Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace’s Master Distiller. “We were eager to experiment with peat to see how the grain influenced our mashbill from a recipe perspective. We anticipated it providing the perfect hint of smoke, just enough to compliment the sweet and spicy notes from the rye, and I’m happy to report our hypothesis was correct.”

This latest outcome from the Experimental Collection has proven successful, resulting in a one-of-a-kind Kentucky straight bourbon subbing smoked peated malt as a flavoring grain for traditional barley, which lends just a hint of smoke to the revered rye bourbon mashbill. The experimental distillate aged for nearly ten years in new charred white oak casks, undergoing regular spot checks by Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley and his team before bottling at 90 proof. The nose is smoky and nutty, with hints of leather, mahogany and cacao beans; the influence of the peated malt provides a palate of light smoke, brown butter and a sweet toffee finish.

While common in Scotch and other global whisky categories, peated malt is an ingredient rarely found in American whiskey production. Wheatley hypothesized that if the peat character shined through distillation as they anticipated, the smokey flavor would add an extra complexity to Buffalo Trace’s traditional rye bourbon mashbill, resulting in a spirit appealing to connoisseurs that appreciate a traditional – yet completely unique – sipping whiskey.

Buffalo Trace Experimental Peated Bourbon will be rolling out in limited quantities to its distributor network who in turn will ship to select retailers and restaurants across the United States as of May 2023. Due to the limited nature of these releases, all expressions from the Experimental Collection are packaged in 375ml bottles and available in extremely limited quantities. Suggested retail pricing is $46.99; state taxes will vary per market. More information on the Experimental Collection series can be found 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 is 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 2^nd 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. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com.

Our April auction is now LIVE!

We are thrilled to present yet another excellent assortment of whiskies available in our April auction! Whether it’s to expand your collection or to find that perfect drinking dram, be sure to check out our LIVE auction and secure your perfect bottle!

Auction closes from 8pm (BST) Tuesday 2nd May

www.speysidewhiskyauctions.co.uk

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TOMATIN DISTILLERY 20 Year Old 2001 Single Cask UK Exclusive Cask #34872

A rare and official distillery bottling form the Highland distillery located just south of the City of Inverness. Selected exclusively for UK retailers. This single PX sherry butt yielded just 358 bottles at cask strength 57.4%.

Tomatin 20 Years

United Kingdom Market Exclusive.
2001 vintage single Pedro Ximenez Sherry Butt #34872

Shop – Tomatin 20 Years 2001 – £399.95 / us$412* / €375*

Tomatin 20 Year Old 2001 vintage Highland single malt Scotch whisky. Single Pedro Ximenez Sherry butt #34872 bottled August 2022 for the United Kingdom market. 658 numbered bottles.

Nose – Rich with an intensely sweet opening bringing notes of maple syrup, candied walnuts, prunes and rum soaked sultanas. PX, despite being the sweetest wine in the world, has a way of presenting intriguing bitter aromas like dark chocolate, treacle, espresso and leather. With time, more dried fruit emerges with hints of dried apricot and raisins along with a touch of cinnamon.

Taste – An incredible mouthfeel, almost chewy, the sweetness spreads with notes of cherry and plum liqueurs followed by golden syrup and Jamaican ginger cake. All of the bitter aromas from the nose make an appearance but always under a sweet guise.

Finish – This is a bold whisky throughout and the mix of dark sweetness, bitter notes and spice lingers for quite some time.

Tomatin Distillery was established in 1897 and operated with two stills until 1956 after which there were frequent and numerous additions culminating in 23 stills in 1986 making Tomatin the largest distillery in Scotland at that time. However, eleven were subsequently closed and it is currently equipped with twelve but operating with eight. Tomatin Distillery is a Highland distillery situated close to the Cairngorms National Park and, sitting at an altitude of 315m, it is the third highest distillery in Scotland. The official range includes Tomatin 12 Year Old, 18 Year Old and the peated Cu Bocan range.