A rare collection of 1964 Black Bowmore single-malt whisky has sold for $563,000. The exceptionally rare collection was the headline lot of Sotheby’s Hong Kong Rare Whisky & Moutai sale.
A beautiful bespoke cabinet constructed from pieces of the distillery is also included in the lot, so the winning bidder will be sure to have a suitable home for one of the rarest collections in the world.
Distilled in 1964 and aged in oak casks previously used to mature sweet Oloroso sherry, the single malt whisky is recognized for its combination of tropical fruit and peat.
The first edition was released 29 years later in 1993, with two more editions following over the next two years. The third release was supposed to be the last, but in 2007 a 42-year-old edition was released, followed by one last batch of 159 bottles in 2016. To give you an idea of the regard the single-malt is held in, a bottle from the final cask sold for over $75,000 in the fall of 2019, beating its pre-auction high estimate by 50 percent.
Accompanying the whisky in the sale, the archive cabinet is an equally stunning collectable. Built by furniture designer John Galvin, the bespoke wooden case features special hand-blown glass pillars for each bottle, as well as brass coasters, six hand blown glasses and a water pitcher. It also includes several elements from the Bowmore distillery, like a 1924 original brass spirit safe and washback wood.
The live auction started at noon Monday Hong Kong Time (or midnight Sunday in New York).
The winning bidder will get the complete set of 1964 Black Bowmore single-malt whisky, the archival case and a private tour of the distillery by manager David Turner. In the end, the Scotch sold for US$563,000 at the Sotheby’s sale, setting a new record for the Scotch brand at auction.
Proceeds from the sale will be donated to a nonprofit based in the village of Bowmore that is focused on housing and job creation, according to the Barrons. This means the winning bidder won’t just get to enjoy some exceedingly rare whisky, they’ll also be helping the community it comes from.
Back in November, Sotheby’s announced the entire Black Bowmore Whisky collection would be auctioned off in a bespoke ‘Archive Cabinet’ by Sotheby’s in Spring 2021.
In February, Sotheby’s auctioned off a bottle Black Bowmore DB5 1964 during its first two-day spirits sale, which was expected to sell for $200,000.