‘Most successful’ year ever for Bonhams whisky sales

Auctioneer Bonhams has declared 2017 its “most successful year ever” for whisky with sales in excess of £900,000.

Based in Edinburgh and with an office in Hong Kong, the whisky department holds eight sales a year in total and this year realised £919,000 amid ever-growing demand for rare malts.

Bonhams Whisky specialist in Edinburgh, Martin Green said, “2017 has been a bumper year for Bonhams whisky sales in Scotland. Since we started selling whisky at auction in 2008, the market has grown steadily year on year, but 2017 has been exceptional. We are undoubtedly benefitting from the global interest in collecting whiskies which is now very much an international pursuit.

“We have regular bidders from all over the world, including China, Hong Kong, Singapore Japan and Taiwan, all the countries of mainland Europe, north and south America as well, of course, as Scotland and the rest of the UK.”

Scotch whisky, especially The Macallan, dominated the top lots in both Edinburgh and Hong Kong.

In Edinburgh the most expensive lot was a bottle of Dalmore 50-year-old 1926 which sold for £26,250 this month; while other top lots included a trilogy of Bowmore 1946 (Bowmore 42-year-old; Gold Bowmore 44-year-old and White Bowmore 44-year-old) for £25,000; The Macallan Millennium 50-year-old 1949 which realised £21,250 and The Macallan Select Reserve 25-year-old 1946 (£15,625).

Hong Kong meanwhile the demand for whisky and the prices that can be achieved were especially evident.

A bottle of the Macallan 50-year-old 1928 made £57,000 (HK$588,000) and a five bottle collection of the Macallan 50-year-old in Lalique decanters made £377,000 (HK$3.7 million).