November Auction Hightlights 2018

Black Bowmore 1964 1st Edition

If there’s ever a whisky worthy of the word ‘legendary’, it has to be the Black Bowmore. And if you’re ever going to splash out and buy one, I would certainly look no further than this example. Sadly, the Black Bowmore’s are usually notorious victims to the ‘Angel’s Share’ and particularly the first editions; which many have been officially re-sealed over the years due to their wax seals. But not this one.

This particular bottle has been in the pipeline for some time now and on our recent trip to Scotland, we managed to secure it for our November sale. It has been in the sellers’ possession for many years where it has been stored and cared for perfectly. It’s almost impossible to find these in such pristine condition with such a well preserved filling level these days.

Ardbeg 1965 + Matching Miniature Museum Edition

The only official vintage Ardbeg distilled in the 1960s. A vatting of two casks from 1965 left at the distillery when LVMH took over. Casks 3678 and 3679 made up a yield of a mere 261 bottles at just short of 40 years old.

Old, official Ardbeg’ seem to be a thing of the past these days. There’s hardly any hitting the market; to put things into perspective, we’ve sold less than a handful this year. Which is rather scary! Where are they? Are they stuck in collections? Or are they being consumed? Who knows; but one thing is for sure, their supply is very thin indeed. This is a great opportunity to secure yourself one of the most desirable Ardbge’s ever released.

Port Ellen 1979 1st Release

Here’s another distillery bottling we’re seeing less and less of on the market –  we’ve had our fair share of these over the years, but the last time the First Release appeared in one of our auctions was back in February 2017. This displays how scares these official Port Ellen’s are becoming and if you think about the recognition this distillery holds, as well as its history, it’s bewildering where these stand in the current market. It’s not only a historic bottling, but the liquid itself stands up to its status.

Casks Held In Bond

This month we have three casks that are currently maturing in bond, in Scotland. Up first is a 1990 Macallan; It is an excellent cask, and at times unusual in a good way, example of Macallan. One which feels ready now and would probably not benefit from too much further ageing. The strength and flavours are all evenly matched and well integrated. A good, very tasty whole that outweighs the sum of its parts. Read full tasting notes »

Then we have two 2005 Tullibardine’s: Cask 186 is a fascinating cask. Unlike most other contemporary Tullibardine’s. This one shows real individuality, great texture and a beguiling fruitiness. Could easily be bottled now or left to age for at least another decade quite comfortably. A very fun style of whisky that should make for a great conversation stoker. Read full tasting notes »

While cask 267 is an excellent, clean and richly flavoured sherry cask which has served this Tullibardine well. Would continue to mature well for at least another decade. Read full tasting notes »

All the best from all of us here at Whisky Online Auctions.