Scotch on the blocks: The world’s most expensive whisky auction

Sotheby’s has partnered with spirits giant Diageo to sell what could be the most expensive casks of Scotch whisky ever sold at auction.
The casks in question are two of the rarest single malts in existence, from two of Scotland’s most legendary distilleries; a 1979 Port Ellen, from the island of Islay, and a 1982 Brora from Sutherland. Each cask is expected to sell for between £700,000 and £1.2 million – mind-boggling sums – but considering that last year Sotheby’s sold a pair of used sneakers for £1.4 million, it still sounds like a good deal.
The casks have been specially selected from among Diageo’s exclusive Casks of Distinction. Diageo controls the world’s largest portfolio of Scotch whisky, and of the millions of barrels they have maturing in Scotland, only the most exceptional are accepted as Casks of Distinction. The programme involves more than 4,000 hours of sourcing and sampling every year, and to qualify casks must receive the unanimous approval of all of the company’s master blenders.
Some of the most elusive casks in the collection come from the so-called “ghost distilleries” of Port Ellen and Brora, both of which closed in 1983. Following their closure, appreciation for their whiskies grew immensely, but after almost four decades very little stock remains. By 2017, enthusiasm for the distilleries’ output led Diageo to invest £35 million in reviving them. After a three-year restoration, Brora re-opened last year, and Port Ellen is scheduled to return to production in 2023. However, whiskies must have matured for at least 21 years before they are eligible for consideration as Casks of Distinction, so it will be a long time before consumers have even the possibility of buying casks of similar quality to those currently available at auction.
The Port Ellen cask is refill American white oak, filled on 15 February 1979. It currently holds an estimated 102 bottles, at 52.9% ABV. There is pastrami and seaweed on the nose, but the flavour is smoky, peppery, and a little medicinal, with something like menthol becoming more prominent on the tail. Jonny Fowle, Head of Whisky at Sotheby’s says, “The Port Ellen is a masterclass in 1970s Islay smoke with significant cask influence, which, especially when from a closed distillery, is precisely the style that the world’s top whisky collectors seek out.”
The Brora cask is also refill American white oak, filled on 25 March 1982. It currently holds an estimated 145 bottles, at 52.8% ABV. Its aroma is welcoming – apricots and tropical fruit – and on the palate it is sweet and waxy, with a definite taste of barbecued pineapple and salted caramel, which becomes spicier on the finish. Fowle notes that, “On trying the 1982 Brora I was astounded by its quality – the rich cooked fruit flavours elevating its signature lightly peated character.”
The successful bidders will have the option of leaving their casks to mature for up to five more years, working with Diageo’s experts to influence the final character of their whiskies. They will also be able to visit the casks, and access to a range of other activities that will make them the envy of every discerning lover of single malts.
Recently, the Casks of Distinction programme has introduced a new additional benefit, by partnering with artists to make one-off works that celebrate the individual casks, and for this auction they have arranged something particularly special.
Whoever buys the Port Ellen will receive a unique Murano glasswork, crafted by Ini Archibong. The designer and artist will collaborate with the buyer to create a piece that embodies the light and spirit of Port Ellen, and it will be presented to them at the distillery, once it has reopened. Archibong will also design a set of labels for use on the bottles drawn from the cask.
Meanwhile, purchase of the Brora cask will include the ownership of a landscape print from New Zealand-based photographer Trey Ratcliff. The cask owner will have the opportunity to join Ratcliff on his first trip to Scotland, and travel with him as he captures images of the environment that helped to shape the whisky. The cask owner will select one of the photographs, which will be processed as a large format print, as well as being used on the labels when the cask is eventually bottled.
This is Sotheby’s first London whisky auction of 2022, and it coincides with the auction house’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. So if you visit their public gallery in New Bond Street now, not only can you see replicas of the Port Ellen and Brora casks, but also original portraits of England’s queens regnant, and a spectacular collection of tiaras. Appropriately for the occasion, one of the other lots on sale is a two-bottle set of The Macallan whisky, commemorating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Last year, Sotheby’s sold another of Diageo’s Casks of Distinction, a 43-year-old Talisker. It had an estimated value of £350,000 to £500,000, but ultimately sold for £625,000, so speculation is rife as to whether the current auction will meet with similar success.
The “Whisky of Distinction – Port Ellen & Brora: Casks From A Bygone Era” auction closes on 14 June. Diageo will donate 5% of the hammer price from both sales to support Care International’s relief work in Ukraine. For more information visit: www.sothebys.com/PortEllenBroraCasks