A personal whisky collection of 9000 bottles made history after it sold over 23 auctions for the sum of £3,360,000 (AUS$6,345,000).
The private collector known only as Pat bought his first whiskies on the recommendation of a colleague. He soon developed an insatiable desire to explore and experience whisky, but his determination was quickly overtaken by his ability to open all his acquisitions.
Almost twenty years later, his collection became the most extensive private collection ever to come to auction.
Leading specialist auction house Whisky Auctioneer took twelve months to sell the whiskies over a series of curated monthly spotlight auctions and dedicated sales. The collection featured over 5000 Single Malt Scotches, more than 1000 blended whiskies, over 600 American whiskies and hundreds of grain and independent bottlings.
Whisky Auctioneer says the collection will likely never be replicated on the secondary market.
Founder of Whisky Auctioneer, Iain McClune, says, “Pat’s Whisk(e)y Collection was historic, a once in a lifetime chance for whisky lovers, old and new, to bid on some of the most diverse bottles on the secondary market. The variety of whiskies on offer was unique, with whiskies accessible at every price point, hopefully inspiring the next generation of collectors.
“It’s highly unlikely we’ll ever see a collection as large and diverse as this one, meaning this auction will go down in whisky history, setting a precedent for future collectors.”
The collection’s owner said building a whisky collection was never his original goal. “I simply wanted to try everything, and there were so many releases, distilleries and countries to explore. When I reached over 2,000 bottles, I decided to create a collection that represented the full picture of whisky, and for me, that meant everything from non-age statements, blends and world whiskies to the rarest examples – a true showcase of all sides of such a varied spirit,” says Pat.
“Selling the collection was a deeply emotional process for me since it has been such a huge part of my life. I feel this incredible journey has culminated in a fitting finale with these bottles entered back into the market so other people can enjoy them, perhaps with some added knowledge gained alongside.
“My journey with whisky is not over, but I hope my approach will inspire whisky lovers and future collectors to be diverse and eclectic when constructing their own collections. Anyone can collect whisky, and good whisky can be discovered anywhere and at any price.”
