Bonhams’ annual wine and spirits auction calendar kicks off 2022 with a bang this month, as its next whisky sale will see a 50-year-old Highland Park go for an estimated quarter of a million dollars.
The auction, set for Jan. 21st in Hong Kong, features 470 lots and spotlights a series of rare Scotch whiskies, led by an exclusive charity lot of a Highland Park 50 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, donated by Edrington Hong Kong in support of the environmental cause Green Power.
Released in 2020, this is the third 50-year-old created in the Orkney-based distillery’s 223-year history, with only 274 bottles ever produced.
This was number ‘1’ and was produced using a traditional solera system – best known as a method of maturing Sherry – in which the contents were selected from nine refill casks, originally laid down in 1968, and married together in 2008.
It was then re-racked into a handful of the first-fill sherry seasoned oak casks. After a further 12 years of maturation, one of these limited casks was blended with a small quantity of the whisky from the last 50 Year Old released by the distillery.
Signed by Highland Park Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion, the bottle comes in a hand-made wooden box, crafted from walnut by Scottish Master Craftsman John Galvin. The whisky is encased in an embossed glass bottle featuring a design inspired by the Norse heritage of Orkney – the home to the distillery – which dates back more than 1,200 years.
The sale proceeds will benefit Green Power, a Hong-Kong-based NGO dedicated to addressing diverse environment issues in a local context.
Bonhams’ director of wine and spirits in Asia, Daniel Lam, said in a prepared statement their newly-added January sale is a response to a robust and growing market. “Demand for whiskies, not only Japanese but also Scotch, remains strong and wide, and our January sale offers a wide selection of collectors’ favorites – all with attractive estimates.”
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Further Scotch whisky highlights of the sale include:
- Macallan Lalique Steam Train-1937-36 year old. Estimate: HK$520,000 – 600,000. Over the years, this edition has developed a unique character defined by a vibrancy of flavor on the palate. It celebrates the mystique of the 1930s – a golden age of rail travel – as well as the dedication and craftsmanship of the people at the distillery who created this rich single malt whisky.
- Macallan Fine & Rare-1946-56 year old. Estimate: HK$ HK$380,000 – 450,000.
- Macallan Fine & Rare-1937-37 year old. Estimate: HK$380,000 – 450,000. The second oldest whisky from Macallan’s Fine & Rare Series, with a palate of citrus fruits and spices balanced with peat smoke, dried fruits and aged wood.
- Macallan Millennium-1949-50 year old Decanter. Estimate: HK$320,000 – 400,000.
- Macallan Fine & Rare-1940-35 year old. Estimate: HK$300,000 – 400,000.
For more information on this sale or to follow along with the bids, check out https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/27715.
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