The cask yielding 202 bottles sells for HK$4,464,000

The highest per-bottle price (HK$22,099) for any whisky cask at auction

Bonhams Fine and Rare Whisky Sale

- Sell-through rate: 88%

- Sale total: HK$24.5million, eclipsing the pre-sale high estimate

- Karuizawa and Yamazaki whiskies 100% sold

Bonhams Hong Kong whisky sale year-to-date total (incl. wine):

HK$80.5milion - surpassing the same period in 2019 (HK$67million)

Commenting on the result, Daniel Lam, Bonhams Director of Wine and Spirits, Asia, said: “In terms of both buying and selling, 2021 has been a strong and resilient market for whisky. Our year-to-date total has surpassed that for the same period before Covid in 2019. Cask collecting is fast growing as a trend and one which has become a Bonhams speciality. In 2019, we set a world record when we sold a Macallan 1989 cask for a per-bottle price of HK$17,103.

The cask in this sale has achieved a per-bottle price of HK$22,099 – and a new world record - a very strong increase in just two years. Meanwhile, Japanese whisky continues to be a hotly-contested field, with Yamazaki and Karuizawa lots 100% sold in our sale. The announcement that the final editions of Karuizawa whisky will be released later this year has fuelled demand.”

Whisky casks hitting 30 years old or above are exceedingly rare in the current market. Distilled by Macallan in December 1991, this 1991 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.