Bonhams has made a strong claim on the rare and collectible whisky market, and their specialist Martin Green regularly handles bottles of decades-old Springbank, Dalmore and Macallan which would enchant any lover of the spirit.
Recently however, Green was contacted by the owner of a bottle which stood out even by these standards: a bottle of Glenfiddich distilled in 1937. One of just 61 ever produced by the distillery, it is the first to appear at auction.
Green, commented, "It isn't very often that such a rare bottle comes along and it's a privilege to be handling it. As soon as I recognised the significance of the bottle I got in touch with the distillery to let them know that we were including it in the auction."
Libby Lafferty of Glenfiddich was delighted.
"We were very excited when we heard that the 1937 was going into the sale and immediately invited Martin Green from Bonhams to bring the bottle back to its home distillery to photograph for our archives. It really is that special." she exclaimed.
 A very rare bottle of Glenfiddich Scotch whisky from 1937 |
Matured for 64 years, the single malt is one of the oldest ever released onto the market. Bonhams records tasting notes claiming the bouquet is of "newly dug peat, burnt leather, old books, leather and oak".
The palate is "smooth and silky" and "wraps around the tongue, with sweet flavours reminiscent of treacle toffee, creme brulee and toasted almonds". The 70cl bottle is estimated at £15,000-20,000 in the Edinburgh sale.
Other exceptional highlights from the sale include crystal decanters of The Macallan 50 year old and The Dalmore Candela 50 year old (the latter described as "the essence of perfection" by master distiller Richard Paterson) are expected to sell for up to £7,000 each.
A selection of Springbanks from the Willard S Folsom collection is also making a reappearance, with the seller presumably hoping they were a good investment.
The auction takes place on June 16. Watch this space for the results.
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