Every two years, some of the biggest names in whisky converge at a historic estate in South Queensberry, Scotland. Hopetoun House is the location of The Distillers One of One auction, an event in which rare bottles of Scotch are auctioned off with the proceeds going to improve the lives of young people in need across Scotland. The two previous editions raised $5.25 million; this year’s installment added another $3.9 million to that ledger.
Rare whisky sold off for a good cause is reason enough to take notice, but the specifics of how that money was raised are worth zeroing in on. Each of the three top sellers sold for significantly more than what was estimated before bidding commenced; all told, the sales set no fewer than 30 new records. While 39 lots were sold off in total, the five bottles that sold for the highest amounts brought in $2.2 million.
The top mark was set by the Glenlivet SPIRA 60 Year Old 1965, which sold for $871,358 — or more than 10 times the low estimate. This amount was a new record for Glenlivet sales at auction. While it’s safe to say that the prospect of this landmark whisky alone drew the attention of deep-pocketed Scotch enthusiasts, it’s also worth mentioning that the bottle that contained it — the work of Glasstorm’s Brodie Nairn — is an absolutely fantastic piece of design.
This bottle from The Glenlivet wasn’t the only bottle that set a new auction record for its distillery. The Glen Grant Eternal 77 Year Old 1948, which sold for $536,220, was a record for the distillery; it also represented both the oldest bottle released by The Glen Grant and the oldest bottle sold at this week’s auction. Placing third in the bidding was another case of a distillery placing its oldest whisky up for sale: Port Ellen Prism 46 Year Old 1978, which sold for just over $500,000.
Distillers One of One Is the Most Exciting Whisky Event of 2023
You won’t find these whiskies anywhere but at this charity auction“The third Distillers One of One charity whisky sale has once again surpassed all expectations, delivering an exceptional result that truly reflects the passion and innovation at the heart of the Scotch Whisky community,” said Sotheby’s Global Head of Spirits Jonny Fowle in a statement. “Our deepest thanks to every bidder who participated and to the distillers who contributed their rare and imaginative creations to this unique auction.”
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