A rare 30 year old bottle of second edition Black Bowmore single malt whisky has been bought for a record £11,900 in an online auction held by Perth-based Whisky Auctioneer.
Bought by an investor from the USA, the new record for this legendary bottle of rare whisky exceeds the previous mark of £9,500 set in 2017, according to records from rare whisky analysts Rare Whisky 101.
The record-breaking bottle is the second of the three Oloroso cask 1964 Bowmores released in the mid-1990s. As one of 2000 bottles, it originally retailed on the high street for around £80. Over the last 20 years, it has achieved almost mythical status among whisky fans the world over. It is not known how many bottles are left in circulation.
The bottle was one of over 4,500 bottles being auctioned off in December by Whisky Auctioneer, securing a total of more than £1.2 million. Other notable sales included:
· Clynelish 1973 Single Cask 41 Year Old / Wealth Solutions – £6,100
· Port Ellen 1981 Feis Ile 2008 – £4,600
· Macallan Private Eye – £3,700
· Laphroaig 1980 27 Year Old – £3,000
The world record price achieved for the Black Bowmore Second Edition reflects the ongoing boom in the secondary market for rare whisky, with an increasing number of collectors, connoisseurs and investors participating in the market through online auctions. Over the past year alone, Whisky Auctioneer has seen a 36% rise in the number of users.
Unlike the traditional auction houses, online auctioneers are able to offer a catalogue of bottles to their global database of buyers, frequently breaking records as more and more users participate in these easy to use and exciting auctions. Whisky Auctioneer has simplified the process by which people from across the world can buy and sell whisky reaching a global audience of more than fifty countries, underlining rare whisky’s growing global appeal, and the ability of online auction houses to open up those markets to rare whisky trading.
Sean McGlone, director, Whisky Auctioneer, said: “We were expecting some high bids for this incredible whisky, we hoped it would exceed expectations and break all previous records. It just goes to show how iconic this expression has become among whisky collectors and aficionados the world over. As more consumers discover the joys of rare and vintage whisky, it’s difficult to see how demand won’t continue to increase pushing up prices for those brands and bottles which are most coveted.
“Fortunately at Whisky Auctioneer we are continuing to attract some of the very best collections for sale worldwide. Having moved the world’s largest private collection of rare Japanese Karuizawa whisky last year for a record breaking amount, and setting records for icons such as this 30 year old Black Bowmore, we are developing a reputation as one of the very best whisky auctioneers available for both buyers and sellers. We’ll do our bit to help growing the market by continuing to improve our service to make it easy as possible for whisky collectors to trade.”
For more information about Whisky Auctioneer, please visit whiskyauctioneer.com.
