‘World’s largest’ private whisky collection going on sale

Whisky Auctioneer has announced it will present “the world’s largest private collection” of whisky ever to go on sale, featuring over 9,000 bottles, in a series of auctions with the first starting today (25 September).

‘Pat’s Whisk(e)y Collection’ was built up over 15 years by a private collector (who has chosen to remain anonymous save only for the name ‘Pat’) and now spans over 9,000 bottles from more than 150 Scotch, bourbon and Japanese distilleries and worth approximately US$5 million.

It includes special and rare releases and sought-after independent bottlings, with the first sale including whiskies from the likes of Karuizawa, Hanyu, Mackmyra, Kavalan Daftmill and bottlings of Bowmore, Port Ellen, Caperdonich and Highland Park (and more) from Duncan Taylor.

As the collection is so large, it has been parcelled up and will be sold off over several auctions running over the next eight months to June 2021. The first part is being offered in an auction that is running online from 25 September to 5 October.

Iain McClune, founder of Whisky Auctioneer, said: “The entire collection has an estimated hammer price of approximately US$5 million, however the focus for starting the project was never on ultra premium priced whiskies. The value of the collection lies in its completeness, with many of the most lauded series from some of the finest distilleries in the world featured here in their entirety.

“The story behind how the collection started is an intriguing one. The collector came from not even enjoying whisky to becoming hooked and he pursued with zealousness this journey to not only collect, but also gain knowledge and experience in the world of whisky.

“The upcoming auctions are a unique opportunity for whisky lovers old and new to start or complete a collection and for me, it is this accessibility that sets Pat’s Whisk(e)y Collection apart from others we have seen. It goes against the grain of whisky only being for experienced connoisseurs, and is a collection for everyone, accessible to all, and most importantly, something to be enjoyed.”

The collection’s owner, Pat, added: “I have always fought against whisky snobbery and wanted to create a collection for drinking and enjoying responsibly. Good whisky can be discovered literally anywhere and come at any price, wherein lies its beauty. The significance of this wide range of whisky styles, from single malts to grain and blends, is that it’s unlikely anybody will ever be able to replicate such a collection on the open market without directly acquiring large private collections. Many bottles included will simply never or at least rarely be available again. I was fortunate to start my collection at the time I did.

“Collecting started off with the Douglas Laing Old and Rare Platinum Selection and grew from there. The collectability of this library is essentially a trinity of the liquid quality, the presentation, artwork and packaging and an interesting or unique concept behind each series.”

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