A bottle of Bowmore single malt whisky that was first distilled in 1957 will highlight Bonhams on October 10 with a record estimate.
 The bottle is the first of only 12 bottles ever produced |
The Edinburgh sale will see the bottle sell with a £100,000-120,000 ($162,000-195,000) estimate, which is the highest ever seen for a single bottle. Should it reach this, it will become the most valuable whisky ever sold at auction.
The current record stands with a 55-year-old bottle of Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve Glenfiddich, which was sold at a US auction for $94,000 (£59,350) in March 2012. The whisky market has continued to grow this year, with the top 250 bottles up 1.7% in value in the first quarter alone.
The bottle in the present auction comes from the Bowmore distillery in Islay, Scotland, and is its oldest ever offering at age 54. It is also the oldest Islay single malt ever released from any producer on the island. Bottled in 2011, the whisky has been aged in the best quality oak barrels for over half a century and matured in Bowmore's No 1 Vaults.
Number one of just 12 bottles ever produced, the whisky is contained within a hand blown, platinum encrusted decanter with an engraved platinum collar and seal. The lot will be accompanied by two hand blown glasses and a similar water jug, enclosed in a wooden presentation box.
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