A 48-year-old bottle of the Glenlivet emerged as the star lot at Bonhams' Whisky sale in Edinburgh, yesterday (October 12).

The whisky was originally distilled in May 19, 1883, by George and John Gordon Smith at the Glenlivet distillery.

It was later bottled in December 1931, in the same green two-piece moulded bottle inside which it sold on Wednesday.

The 48-year-old bottle of the Glenlivet

But it wasn't the bottle's slightly discoloured label that collectors were interested in, but rather the whisky within - which also boasts remarkable provenance.

According to Bonhams, this 48-year-old was originally the property of Captain William Smith Grant.

Captain Smith Grant was the great grandson of Colonel George Smith who founded The Glenlivet Distillery. The bottle has remained within the family ever since.

That the bottle is filled to the top should suggest that the its previous owners have enjoyed this dreamy dram over the years.

Needless to say, this bottle's remarkable provenance and the quality of the drink within saw it take an impressive £18,750 or $29,376 (including Buyer's Premium) at Bonhams.

The result was nicely in excess of the bottle's lower £15,000 estimate.

So far, 2011 has proven to be a good year for whisky collectors.

 Major stories include that of the Chinese buyer who placed a record-breaking $200,000 deposit on a bottle of Dalmore whisky in the duty-free at Singapore airport.

Elsewhere, earlier this year, a 71-year-old single malt Generations Glenlivet whisky sold for £15,000.

Proceeds from the latter sale went towards the British Red Cross Japan Appeal for victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.