Following the success of the first Fine Spirits Auction sale, a partnership between iDealwine and La Maison du Whisky, we are stocked and ready for a second. Once again, this is a selection of that will inspire admiration from spirit lovers across the world. Whisky from prestigious Scottish and Japanese distilleries, deep cognacs and rum are all waiting for your precious bids!
Noughties-style peaty whisky
Peaty malts take pride of place in this auction, turning the limelight on the little Isle of Islay. Whisky from here is sometimes sought for its medicinal properties! What we have on offer is a unique bunch of 21st century bottles crafted by distilleries with long, ancestral histories.
Initially, Port Ellen closed its doors at the beginning of the 1980s, but it found a new lease of life in 2001 with the launch of its ‘Diageo Special Release’ range. In all, there are 17 signature bottles in this range, and three of them are up for auction.
If you’re on the hunt for something original, take a look at the spirits made by Ardbeg. Limited editions like the Supernova, Adbog, Galileo, Kelpie, Auriverdes, and Perpetuum bottles were distilled at the turn of the millennium under the guidance of the Mac Donald family, then of the LVMH group.
Another unusual profile can be seen with Octomore, which distilled at Bruichladdich and reveals itself as the archetypal single malt from the 2000s. Small-scale and experimental, the pride of this producer is in the attention paid to each element of raw material, including the water, barley, and peat.
Japan’s long-standing appeal
As many a connoisseur will know, whisky isn’t only a Scottish speciality. Japan has a rich history of crafting this most prestigious of spirits and continues to delight a global audience. In this auction, it’s the 1980s that are particularly well represented with limited editions, anniversary bottles and single cask versions. Karuizawa, Yoichi, Kawasaki, and Miyagiko are just a few of the names that are bound to bring about some fierce bidding wars.
Bottles for the collectors
At the very heart of this auction selection are some truly rare bottles. To point out some of the best finds (we’d hate for you to miss them!), we have: a 1960 Macallan, a 1979 Karuizawa, a 1978 Highland Park, and a 1980 Laphroaig.
There are also plenty of merchant-bottled spirits that you mustn’t neglect. The 1968 Strathisla G&M Private Bottling, the 1969 Springbank bottled by Signatory Vintage, and the 1961 Pluscarden by Silver Seal are all worth your curiosity.
Rum, cognac, and calvados
Let’s leave the world of whisky for a moment and have a look at some fine rum and cognac. From the former category, there are bottles from the Caroni distillery, and an 1888 Frapin cuvée from the latter. Calvados shines via the savoir-faire of the brilliant family Maison Drouhin, with three vintages – 1967, 1968, and 1970 – that were bottled at the dawn of the 1990s.
