1972 Brora sold for £14,500 at Bonhams in HK

The oldest official bottle of Brora whisky, distilled in 1972, has been sold at Bonham’s ‘Fine & Rare Wine, Cognac and Whisky’ auction in Hong Kong for £14,500 last week.

The single bottle, which has spent 44 years ageing in an ex-sherry butt in Scotland, was purchased by an unnamed buyer on 19 May.

Richard Walker, global head of Malts at Diageo, said: “The 1972 Brora is an exquisite single malt with unparalleled history and heritage. It represents the pinnacle of Diageo’s single malt Scotch whisky reserves and appeals to epicureans, collectors and investors alike.

“Over the last few years we’ve seen a rapid growth of interest in rare and collectable whiskies. High-end whisky collection is undoubtedly a growing trend and as such we’ve seen an increase in the auction market for this kind of rare bottling.”

Bottled at a very high proof, the 44-year-old Brora expression is a rare survivor from a golden age after the Brora Distillery closed in 1983, never to reopen.

Martin Green, Bonhams Whisky Specialist in Edinburgh, added: “This was a very special bottle of whisky – a true one-off – and I am not surprised that it was contested so fiercely nor that it sold for such an impressive price.”

The 1972 Brora bottle was taken from a single cask that is a part of Diageo’s ‘Casks of Distinction’. As part of this programme, Diageo gives selected private clients the chance to purchase single casks that have extraordinary quality and character. As each cask is entirely unique, patrons become the sole owners of some of the rarest whiskies ever to be released from Diageo’s extensive collection.