We’re currently in the midst of a dramatic increase in the popularity of Japanese whiskey in the United States — and that applies just as much to distilleries’ history as it does to their current expressions. For connoisseurs seeking out especially rare bottles, there’s a relatively singular bottle heading to auction soon: one of approximately 12 extant bottles of a particular Yamazaki whiskey.
An article at Robb Report has more details on the whiskey, which is slated to be sold as part of the Bonhams Fine & Rare Wines and Whisky auction on May 20 in Hong Kong. At the heart of the auction is a bottle of Yamazaki 50-Year-Old First Release, which was rare when it was first released in 2005 and has only become more so since then.
It’s one of two rare bottles of Yamazaki whiskey being sold as part of the event. The other is a bottle of Yamazaki 55-Year-Old, which comes with a 50ml sample. The 50-Year-Old First Release is estimated to sell for between HK$3,500,000 and 4,500,000 ($446,000 to $573,000), while the 55-Year-Old is estimated to sell for HK$4,000,000 and 5,000,000 ($510,000 to $637,000).
“The first edition of Yamazaki 50-Year-Old is always eagerly sought after by collectors,” said Christopher Pong, the Head of Sale at Bonhams Wine and Whisky Department, via a statement. “I am expecting a lot of interest.” These are but two of the rare bottles being sold as part of the May auction, which looks to be an epic attraction for whiskey collectors.
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