South East Asia and Oceania

Indonesia
Singapore
Close

Bonhams Hong Kong Presents 30-Year-Old Macallan Cask

August 02, 2021
Share

For many whisky aficionados, owning a cask of whisky was once perhaps the pinnacle of their collecting journey. But as the market matures and collectors explore wider possibilities, whisky casks are now accepted by many even at the early stage of forming their collection. Old casks, especially from prestigious distilleries, are extremely rare, but a prime "all-rounder" example – a 30-year-old Macallan 1991 whisky cask – is appearing at Bonhams Fine and Rare Whisky sale in Hong Kong on 20 August.

 

 

48168115956_ff215a1729_b.jpg
A cask of Macallan-1991-#21429-18/029/1
Distilled 12th December 1991 at the Macallan Distillers Limited, Craigellachie.
Estimate: HK$3,200,000-4,000,000

 

Distilled by Macallan in December 1991, the cask was re-racked in 2017 with sherry. Sherry is the preferred choice of wood to give whisky a unique impact of clove, resin, dried fruit and tannin – a sweet palate which most drinkers will find approachable. Its high alcohol content at around 51.5% ABV makes it a highly desirable choice for both long-term collecting and for eventually yielding around 202 bottles for enjoyment. The cask carries an estimate of HK$3,200,000-4,000,000, which translates into a competitive per-bottle price at about HK$14,800.

 

48168115956_ff215a1729_b.jpg

 

Daniel Lam, Bonhams Director of Wine and Spirits, Asia, commented: "Whisky casks hitting 30 years old or above are exceedingly rare in the current market. This 1991 Macallan cask on offer in our August sale is an all-rounder of its class: it comes from a prestigious distillery, is casked in top-notch wood, a high alcohol content, and an attractive estimate. We expect a lot of interest as the market now matures towards collecting casks."

 

Bonhams currently holds the world auction record for a whisky cask. A rare 30-year whisky sherry hogshead cask from Macallan Distillery achieved HK$4,464,000/ US$572,000 at Bonhams Fine and Rare Wine and Whisky sale on 15 November 2019.

 

 

A NIPPON WHISKY COLLECTION – ONLINE-ONLY SALE

 

After a 100% "white-glove" achievement in March, the online-only sale of A Nippon Whisky Collection returns from 26 July to 2 August on Bonhams.com. Around 50 lots strong, the sale spotlights a range of fresh-to-market whiskies from the very early years of the eight most internationally-sought-after Japanese distilleries, namely Karuizawa, Hanyu, Yamazaki, Hakushu, Yamazakura, Miyagikyo, Yoichi and Saburomaru. Highlights include:

 

48168115956_ff215a1729_b.jpg
 山崎 Yamazaki-Noblesse Oblige-25 year old. Est. HK$60,000-80,000
48168115956_ff215a1729_b.jpg
山崎 Yamazaki-1984-20th Anniversary of WakuWaku. Est. HK$38,000-50,000

 

48168115956_ff215a1729_b.jpg
余市 Yoichi-1976-15 year old-#126121. Est. HK$20,000-26,000

 

48168115956_ff215a1729_b.jpg
Ichiro's Malt Pulse・Moment-律動・刹那. Est. HK$30,000-40,000

 

 

 

 

Follow our RegistryE social media to get our latest updates:

 

Instagram: registrye

www.instagram.com/registrye

Facebook: RegistryE

www.facebook.com/registryE