From Speyside to Japan, our May instalment of whiskies to watch spans some of the finest whisky-producing regions in the world. There are also a number of items being auctioned for charity – read on to find out more.
One of this month’s top picks from Isabell Graham-Yooll, Whisky.Auction’s director, is a bottle of Karuizawa Five Decades donated by David Croll and Marcin Miller of the Kyoto Distillery, which is raising funds for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal. Karuizawa, Japan’s smallest whisky distillery, was founded in 1955 and closed for good in 2000.
Isabel explains the history of this special dram: “The Japanese single malt was made with whiskies distilled between 1960 and 2000, almost the entire lifespan of Japan's most lamented lost distillery, and the whiskies were married in an ex-Karuizawa cask before bottling. This intricately engraved bottle was released in 2015 exclusively for Isetan department store and is presented in a lockable presentation box.” The auction ends on the 11th May – click here for more information.
Bowmore Trilogy
The Bowmore distillery underwent an extensive upgrade in late 1963 and these bottlings, sold through Whisky.Auction, come from the first distillation following the conversion. The Trilogy series was released in three instalments, starting 12 years after the 'Final Edition' of Black Bowmore was released in 1995. The set comprises the 42 year-old Black Bowmore released in 2007, the 43 year-old White Bowmore released in 2008, and is completed with the 44 year-old Gold Bowmore released in 2009. The auction ends on the 11th May – click here for more information.
Phil and Simon Thompson of Dornoch Distillery have partnered with Whisky Auctioneer to offer their support to India’s urgent Covid-19 relief efforts, as the country records 20 million coronavirus cases and saw a single-day death toll of 3,780 on Wednesday 5th May.
The brothers have donated 11 unique and highly limited bottles as bonus entries to Whisky Auctioneer’s April Auction, with all proceeds going directly to two Covid-19 relief programs in India. The brothers commented: “We hope that with the generous support of the global whisky community, the funds raised from the auction can make a small but meaningful difference to help the most vulnerable communities.”
Only the second whisky ever released from the distillery, and never previously available, these 2017 Dornoch single malt bottles are 10 of only 12 produced, making this auction an extraordinary chance for whisky lovers to get their hands on such a limited release from Dornoch distillery – and support a vitally important cause in the process. The auction ends on the 10th May – click here for more information.
This is another form Whisky.Auction, and according to Isabel, “when it comes to sherried Speyside whisky, it doesn't get much better than this.” This is a full collection of The Macallan Gran Reserva, distilled in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, and matured fully in Spanish oak sherry casks before being bottled in the 1990s to early 2000s.
As with all Macallan whiskies, these are both highly collectible and highly regarded as a prime example of what exceptional oak casks and peerless spirit can achieve. The auction ends on the 11th May – click here for more information.
Karuizawa Five Decades 1960-2000
One of this month’s top picks from Isabell Graham-Yooll, Whisky.Auction’s director, is a bottle of Karuizawa Five Decades donated by David Croll and Marcin Miller of the Kyoto Distillery, which is raising funds for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal. Karuizawa, Japan’s smallest whisky distillery, was founded in 1955 and closed for good in 2000.
Isabel explains the history of this special dram: “The Japanese single malt was made with whiskies distilled between 1960 and 2000, almost the entire lifespan of Japan's most lamented lost distillery, and the whiskies were married in an ex-Karuizawa cask before bottling. This intricately engraved bottle was released in 2015 exclusively for Isetan department store and is presented in a lockable presentation box.” The auction ends on the 11th May – click here for more information.
Bowmore Trilogy
The Bowmore distillery underwent an extensive upgrade in late 1963 and these bottlings, sold through Whisky.Auction, come from the first distillation following the conversion. The Trilogy series was released in three instalments, starting 12 years after the 'Final Edition' of Black Bowmore was released in 1995. The set comprises the 42 year-old Black Bowmore released in 2007, the 43 year-old White Bowmore released in 2008, and is completed with the 44 year-old Gold Bowmore released in 2009. The auction ends on the 11th May – click here for more information.
Dornoch Distillery
Phil and Simon Thompson of Dornoch Distillery have partnered with Whisky Auctioneer to offer their support to India’s urgent Covid-19 relief efforts, as the country records 20 million coronavirus cases and saw a single-day death toll of 3,780 on Wednesday 5th May.
The brothers have donated 11 unique and highly limited bottles as bonus entries to Whisky Auctioneer’s April Auction, with all proceeds going directly to two Covid-19 relief programs in India. The brothers commented: “We hope that with the generous support of the global whisky community, the funds raised from the auction can make a small but meaningful difference to help the most vulnerable communities.”
Only the second whisky ever released from the distillery, and never previously available, these 2017 Dornoch single malt bottles are 10 of only 12 produced, making this auction an extraordinary chance for whisky lovers to get their hands on such a limited release from Dornoch distillery – and support a vitally important cause in the process. The auction ends on the 10th May – click here for more information.
Macallan Gran Reserva
This is another form Whisky.Auction, and according to Isabel, “when it comes to sherried Speyside whisky, it doesn't get much better than this.” This is a full collection of The Macallan Gran Reserva, distilled in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, and matured fully in Spanish oak sherry casks before being bottled in the 1990s to early 2000s.
As with all Macallan whiskies, these are both highly collectible and highly regarded as a prime example of what exceptional oak casks and peerless spirit can achieve. The auction ends on the 11th May – click here for more information.
