Whisky Focus - The Distillers One Of One Charity Auction Raises £2.25 Million

The Distillers' Charity successfully hosted its second biennial One of One Auction in collaboration with Sotheby's at the prestigious Hopetoun House near Edinburgh on Thursday, October 5th. Featuring an exquisite collection of exceptionally rare Scotch whiskies, this auction of 39 lots witnessed spirited bidding both in the room and online. The event was graced by approximately 200 guests from around the world, resulting in a remarkable total of £2,248,750 / $2,715,815, surpassing the initial pre-sale estimate by more than double.

The hammer proceeds from yesterday's auction amounted to £1.8 million, and these funds will primarily be directed towards supporting The Distillers' Charity's Youth Action Fund. This initiative is dedicated to transforming the lives of young people in Scotland aged 16 to 25 by nurturing their knowledge, confidence, resilience, and skillset.

The Youth Action Fund, established by The Distillers' Charity with the collaboration of Inspiring Scotland, serves as a conduit for distributing proceeds from the One of One Auctions. It has assembled a panel of complementary charity partners, each equipped with expertise and experience in fostering sustainable employability outcomes for disadvantaged young individuals. Yesterday's outstanding outcome underscores the success of the first two Distillers One of One Auctions, raising a combined total of £4.2 million for charitable endeavours.

Jonathan Driver from The Distillers One of One, added: "We’re overwhelmed to see that our second One of One Auction has been another resounding success, galvanizing whisky brands old and new, all in the name of philanthropy. To have raised such an exceptional sum for Scotland’s disadvantaged youth this year is very special to us, and we cannot wait to hear about further inspiring stories on how these funds will be used in practice.

"We’re also delighted to announce that the next One of One Auction will be back in 2025, continuing the momentum of creativity, philanthropy and celebration that we’ve built. We look forward to welcoming back our partners, including auctioneers Sotheby’s, and we’re proud to make a long-term commitment to funding and securing a future for young people in Scotland that benefit from the funds raised. The Distillers’ Charity would like to thank all who donated to, and bid on, the One of One Auction 2023, and we look forward to seeing them again in 2025."

Sotheby’s Global Head of Whisky, Jonny Fowle, said: "In 2021, the inaugural Distillers One of One sale broke the mould for whisky charity auctions not just through the creativity of the donations but also through the value generated for The Distillers’ Charity. For 2023, the participating distilleries really went above and beyond to stretch the bounds of their generosity and creativity. This galvanising feeling of partnership, community and conviviality built a resulting auction that was greater than the sum of its parts and the results have once again exceeded anything that we thought was possible before this project began. We would like to thank all of the donors who have worked so generously to make this auction a success and look forward to its development into 2025."

During the auction, a total of nineteen auction records were set, encompassing brands such as Brora (Lot 5), Glenglassaugh (Lot 6), Glenmorangie (Lot 7), Macduff (Lot 10), Old Pulteney (Lot 11), The Glenturret (Lot 13), Bladnoch (Lot 15), Holyrood (Lot 18), Littlemill (Lot 20), Bowmore (Lot 22), Kilchoman (Lot 25), That Boutique-y Whisky Company (Lot 26), Glen Scotia (Lot 27), House of Hazelwood (Lot 29), Glen Moray (Lot 30), The Glen Grant (Lot 32), The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (Lot 33), Gordon & MacPhail (Lot 34), and The Last Drop (Lot 38).

The highlight of the auction was the remarkable Bowmore STAC 55 Years Old, the oldest whisky ever released by the distillery. It fetched an impressive £562,500 / $679,331, surpassing the estimated value of £300,000-500,000. An intense bidding war ensued as collectors eagerly vied for this prized single malt, housed in a groundbreaking magnum-sized, 1.5-liter hand-blown glass container.

A new auction record was achieved with the sale of Brora Iris 50 Year Old 1972, the oldest Brora single malt ever bottled. It was presented in a 1.5-liter decanter and suspended within a one-of-a-kind handcrafted stone sculpture, fetching £400,000 / $483,080, exceeding the estimated range of £200,000-400,000. Online bidding had already broken Brora's previous auction record before the sale, and multiple bids on the day established the highest price for a bottle of whisky from the Brora distillery.

From the Glen Grant Distillery, The Visionary, an exceptional one-of-a-kind creation presented in a unique hand-blown battuto-cut magnum decanter and one of the oldest whiskies from the distillery, sold for £212,500 / $256,636, doubling its high estimate of £50,000-90,000 and setting a record for a bottle of The Glen Grant at auction.

The Glenturret also achieved an auction record with The Glenturret Enduring Spirit, a set of four Lalique crystal decanters, each containing liquid celebrating a century of The Glenturret's existence, housed in a handmade, Method Studio trunk. It tripled its estimated value, selling for £125,000 / $150,962, exceeding the range of £40,000-80,000.

The Gordon & MacPhail Recollection Showcase, featuring five uniquely engraved Glencairn decanters, each containing an extremely rare 70cl single malt from a long-lost or silent distillery, fetched £93,750 / $113,222, surpassing the estimated range of £80,000-160,000.

Old Pulteney Bow Wave 45 Year Old, the oldest expression ever released from Old Pulteney Distillery, sold for £68,750 / $83,029, more than doubling its pre-sale high estimate of £20,000-30,000.

The Only Drop, from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, saw spirited bidding, resulting in a final sale price of £18,750 / $22,644, exceeding the estimated range of £5,000-10,000. This one-of-a-kind bottle featured a unique design with a sculptural representation of water ripples and a droplet portal revealing the precious whisky within.

Other notable results included:

• "Christmas at Hazelwood," presented by House of Hazelwood, an Advent Calendar-inspired miniature house containing a 50ml measure of every House of Hazelwood whisky released to date behind 24 numbered advent doors, alongside a full bottle of a unique 51 Year Old sherry cask matured blended Scotch Whisky. It sold for £47,500 / $57,366, more than three times its pre-sale low estimate of £14,000-24,000, establishing an auction record for House of Hazelwood.
   
• AGA by KANDOBLANC, featuring a duo of rare Scotch whiskies distilled in 1979 and bottled in 2023, ignited competitive bidding, selling for £45,000 / $54,346, marking an auction debut for the newly launched whisky brand.
   
• An extraordinary 49 Year Old Glen Scotia, taken from the distillery's oldest remaining cask reserves and encased in a bespoke wooden case, fetched £33,750 / $40,760, surpassing the estimated range of £10,000-15,000.
   
• The Last Drop Blending Experience, offering the winning bidder an opportunity to create their own unique aged, blended Scotch Whisky, sold for an impressive £60,000 / $72,462, exceeding the estimated range of £14,000-24,000.
   
• Glenglassaugh Coalescence of the Coast 55 Year Old, the oldest Glenglassaugh whisky ever released by the Highland distillery, meticulously curated by Master Blender Rachel Barrie, it achieved a remarkable feat by fetching a record-breaking price for a Glenglassaugh whisky, £37,500, exceeding the estimated range of £15,000-24,000.

The Distillers One of One extended its heartfelt gratitude to donors, attendees, bidders, and sponsors, including Partner Programme Sponsor - Beamish International; Programme Sponsors - Glencairn Crystal, McLaren Packaging, and Simpsons Malt; and Auction Sponsors - Bentley Motors Edinburgh and Forsyths.
 

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