Bonhams boasts impressive Japanese whisky sales

Sales of rare Japanese whisky took London-based auction house Bonhams by storm in 2014, while demand for The Macallan also continued.

Bonhams reported strong sales of Japanese whisky in 2014, including Karuizawa

Having just released details of its Scotch whisky sales for 2014, Bonhams reported two Hong Kong sales that raised a total of HK$21,200,000 (£1,750,000),while a further four purchases in Edinburgh generated £925,000.

The buyers were equally split between the UK and South East Asia at 27.5%, and the US at 22.5%.

“But in terms of the top lots they didn’t go to Asia, they actually went to America,” said Martin Green, Bonhams’ resident whisky specialist.

He continued to explain that Karuizawa whiskies are particularly popular at the moment, and in August last year, Bonhams hosted the largest ever auction of Japanese whiskey in Hong Kong featuring a decanter of the highly sought-after Karuizawa 1965 21 year old.

Notably, The Macallan came out on top with a 25% share of value, and Bonhams’ claiming higher sales of the Speyside single malt than its competitors.

“The top-end products we’ve had coming up for sale from Macallan have performed very well – it’s still one of the most sought-after brands,” said Green.

Last year, a record-breaking amount of collectible Scotch whisky bottles were sold at auction in the UK, and according to recent figures the market grew 69%.