Macallan 62 and Mortlach 70 lead Bonhams sale

Headline items at the Bonhams whisky sale in Edinburgh on 1 October 2014 will be a bottle each of two rare luxury bottlings: The Macallan 62 Year Old in Lalique decanter; and Gordon & MacPhail Generations Mortlach 70 Year Old.

Bonhams estimates for the lots stand at £20,000 to £30,000 each.

The Macallan 62 Year Old decanter is numbered 200 of a limited edition of 400, and is one of the fifth release in the Edrington-owned distiller’s ‘six pillars’ series, which commemorates the key elements upon which the success of The Macallan is founded, such as its stills, casks, aromas, colours and flavours.

The previous four releases in the series were respectively 50, 55, 57 and 60 Year Old bottlings, each in a decanter especially designed by Lalique’s Marc Larminaux.

The fifth release is known as The Spiritual Home, with the three frosted surfaces of the decanter representing the sandstone walls of the Easter Elchies House in the grounds of The Macallan’s Speyside estate in Scotland. The moulded front panel of the decanter incorporates the initials JEG, in memory of Captain John Grant, who was responsible for the construction of the manor house in 1700.

The decanter of The Macallan 62 Year Old in Lalique in the Bonhams sale in October comes in a fitted wooden presentation case with a crystal stopper and is in its original cardboard packaging.

Bottled at 53.1% abv, the whisky was distilled on 10 November 1950, and is said to be rich cherry in colour, with flavours of rich dried fruits and viscous layers of sweet ginger, figs, cigar leaf and polished, complex oak.

Part of the Gordon & MacPhail Generations range, the bottle of Mortlach 70 Year Old presented for sale at Bonhams in October is bottle number 53 of 54, of cask number 2656, which was filled on 15 October 1938 by John Urquhart, the grandfather of the company's current joint managing directors Michael and David, and bottled at 46.1% abv on 15 October 2008.

The visually arresting teardrop-shaped decanter was hand-blown in crystal by Glencairn, from the original concept by the Edinburgh-based Navyblue Design company. With its sterling silver stopper and cradle, it is presented in its fitted Brazilian Rosewood presentation case, accompanied by an alternative glass stopper and original outer packaging.

The shape of the decanter is said to represent the “last drop” of whisky coming out of the barrel, while the overall contemporary look of the container is designed as a play on the theme of Generations.

Said to have the colour of sun-bleached polished mahogany, the Mortlach 70 Year Old was described by leading whisky commentator Charles MacLean as: “A delicate, fresh, vital, fruity whisky, but with unusual attributes of waxiness and smokiness – uncommon today, more usual before the 1960s.”

Bonhams whisky specialist Martin Green says: “We are fortunate to have two such rare and sought-after whiskies to lead the sale, and I expect this will generate strong interest from collectors.”

16 September 2014 - David Longfield