A collection of over 200 bottles of rare malt whisky formed the centrepiece of Brightwells’ recent auction of Fine Wine, Port, Champagne and Whisky which took place on Wednesday 6th September.
The collection had been assembled since the 1970s by a gentleman from Shropshire and included a large number of whiskies from closed distilleries and many limited editions.
The top price on the day was paid for a single bottle of Mortlach 1942 50 year old. This exceptional whisky, one of only a few remaining in the world, achieved £2,800. Another ‘rare beast’ – a Killyloch 1967 went under the hammer at £1,950.
Competition between bidders was intense and many lots from the collection sold well over reserve. The saleroom had a lively atmosphere with collectors and specialist retailers competing with online and telephone bidders. Another highlight was a group of 11 rare bottlings from The Macallan distillery which achieved a total of £4,610.
Brightwells’ Head of Wine Sales said that the vendor had mixed feelings about selling the collection. ‘He was very pleased with the prices achieved but I could see that it was a bit of a wrench to part with a collection that spans 40 years. Although his wife is already making plans for the room where the whiskies were stored!’
In all over 650 lots were offered. Classic French, Italian and Spanish wines all proved popular, as did a selection of top-end Australian reds.
Highlights from the French Wine section included 6 bottles of Chateau Latour 1995 which sold at £1,950, a single bottle of Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1982 (£540) and a bottle of Chateau d’Yquem 1947 (£900). An excellent selection of Vintage Ports included 12 bottles of Dow’s 1977 selling at £660 and 9 bottles of Taylor’s 1992 achieving £850.
Brightwells’ next sale of Wine, Port, Champagne and Whisky will take place on 6th December. For information about buying or selling wine at auction please contact Paddy Shave on 07974 929487 or [email protected]