The 158th Auction

Welcome one and all to our now live 158th auction!  In this Olympic year you better believe we have some gold medal worthy drams for you to snap up this month, though as with the games themselves there is sure to be fierce competition to snap them up, culminating in a sprint finish next Sunday night.  To give you a head start we have picked out some great bottles from the selection this month, so without further ado here we go.

The first featured outstanding release is the final whisky in Islay's oldest distillery's recent collection, the Bowmore 1969 50 Year Old Vaults Series. Matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels and hogsheads, Bowmore claims it has an undefinable taste which boasts ‘an enigma of flavours’.  These are presumably the very same flavours that have shaped the brand’s legacy and helped grow Bowmore into the global powerhouse of a distillery that it is today.  A formidable and imposing release from one of the world's best distilleries.

Next up is a special expression from an iconic Japanese distillery. The Karuizawa Kurage Collection is a masterpiece blending Japanese art and iconic whisky. Two meticulously crafted single malts showcase Karuizawa’s distinguished expressions which are artfully adorned with stunning designs featuring Japanese sea nettle and white kanji.  Released by Japanese whisky specialists Dekanta each bottle is one of only 40 released, making this a very rare collection indeed from one of the most collectible of Japanese malts.

And now for a special bottling of one of Scotland's most celebrated and iconic blends, this is the Chivas Royal Salute 40 Year Old Baccarat Decanter.  With its higher and more complex malt content setting it apart from other blends, Chivas Royal Salute as anyone who has tasted it can attest to is one of the better blends out there featuring the finest aged Speyside malts, including Strathisla, at the heart of the blend.  Just 500 of these glamorous decanters were created to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's 40 years on the throne. This special blend contains whiskies which are at least 40 years old.

Finally, we have a classic vintage Speyside, this is the Macallan Fine & Rare 1937 37 Year Old 75cl.  Launched in 2002, Macallan’s flagship Fine & Rare range showcases nearly eight decades of the distillery’s history. Comprised of expressions bottled using some of their oldest stocks, as well as rare Gordon & MacPhail releases that were bought back from private collectors and rebottled, the series represents the Holy Grail for many whisky enthusiasts, with examples frequently setting records at auction.

Have no fear if these crackers are outside your price range because we also have a wide range of high-quality drams available across the price spectrum, so now is the time to delve into this month's offerings and start building that watchlist.  Best of luck to everyone in the auction, and as always………..don’t lose your bottle.