Bonhams to auction ghost distillery whiskies
Whiskey Archives: The Lone Star Collection will feature more than 400 lots, including a 25-year-old Old Rip Van Winkle and bottles from distilleries shuttered in the 1980s.
More than half of the lots will be offered without reserve.
The collection has been sourced over the past 40 years by ‘a seasoned and respected former executive at one of the world’s largest spirits distribution operations’, Bonhams said.
Bidding will run from 18 to 30 September.
Included are bottlings from ghost distilleries from the 1980s, including Convalmore and Dallas Dhu, and the now-revived Brora and Port Ellen.
Sean Purce, senior specialist, fine wines and rare spirits at Bonhams, said: “There are collections that preserve history, and then there are those that rescue it – The Lone Star Collection does both.
“It’s an immense privilege to bring a collection that’s level of depth is just as unparalleled as its size and scope to market, as well as to engage with a cellar that reflects decades of thoughtful collecting, including spirits from Scottish distilleries that no longer exist.
“Bottles like these, once destined to fade into obscurity, now have the chance to be rediscovered and appreciated anew.”
Among the highlights is a bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle 25 Years Old, which is estimated to sell for between US$24,000 and US$32,000. Distilled in 1989, the Bourbon is said to come from one of the oldest barrels from the Van Winkle family distillery. It is presented in a handcrafted wooden case with a Glencairn crystal decanter, with the bottle number 283 of 710.
Other notable whiskies include a Bowmore Fino Cask 37 Years Old, 1964; Michter’s Single Barrel 25 Years Old; The Balvenie Vintage Cask 1964; and The Yamazaki Sherry Cask, 2016.
Beyond whisky, the auction will also offer rare rums and brandies.
Earlier this year, Bonhams offered a Macallan Lalique Six Pillars set and the ‘oldest’ whisky bottled in Japan.
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