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Whisky.Auction raises over £350k for ocean charities
Online auctioneer Whisky.Auction has raised more than £350,000 (US$446,437) for ocean charities through a sale that included a 50-year-old bottle of Karuizawa Japanese whisky.
This 50-year-old bottle of Karuizawa Japanese whisky was the highest-selling spirit in the auction
Held from 18-27 November, the auction of rare rum and whisky bottlings – 21 in total, donated from various spirits companies – almost doubled its original target of £200,000 (US$260,843).
Donated by The Whisky Exchange, the 50-year-old Japanese single malt from closed distillery Karuizawa was one of only two bottles created, and achieved the highest selling price of the lot – £115,115 (US$146,833).
Sukhinder Singh, co-founder of The Whisky Exchange, said: “I’m thrilled that the Karuizawa has raised so much for a good cause, but it really was just the icing on a very large cake.
“This was an exquisite line up of bottles, the likes of which will never be seen again in one auction and there will be some pleased collectors out there whose passion and generosity is going to really help a group of charities fight a very big fight.”
The second highest-selling spirit was a bottle of The Macallan 50 Years Old Millennium Decanter, donated by brand owner Edrington, which sold for £37,375 (US$47,699).
Furthermore, the auction saw a bottle of 22-year-old Michter’s Bourbon – the only one of its kind – achieve the highest price ever paid for a Michter’s bottle: £13,340 (US$17,019).
All the money raised from the auction, including the 15% buyer’s commission, will be donated to chosen charities working to combat the impact of single-use plastic waste on the world’s oceans.
“This auction has been a huge success thanks to the tremendous generosity of the 21 distilleries and bottlers who donated such exceptional bottles,” said Isabel Graham-Yooll, auction director for Whisky.Auction.
“We’ve all seen the impact that single-use plastic is having on our oceans and I am sure every donor will be delighted to hear just how much has been raised for the charities battling the issue.”