What better excuse for going all out than the end-of-year auction?
More than 900 lots will go under the hammer in this edition, including 121 unique lots of rum from Italian independent bottler Velier available for the first time exclusively at Fine Spirits Auction. Outstanding whiskies from all around the world are also up for sale, as well as some highly prized French spirits, including a number of very respectable Chartreuses.
Unique releases from Velier
Velier unveils two very original projects in this auction:
Magnum Gift Set Series 1:
To close this first Magnum series and before embarking on the second, La Maison du Whisky and Velier have created four unique Magnum gift sets containing the four first bottlings from the range, Hampden 5 Year Old, Foursquare 16 Year Old, Saint James 15 Year Old and Mount Gay 14 Year Old, accompanied by a signed print from Elliot Erwitt.
The numbered edition 1/4 is up for auction in this edition of Fine Spirits Auction.
Tiger Shark Single Bottles:
Luca Gargano has kept aside a number of unlabelled bottles of the Tiger Shark blend for a personal project he has been preparing for a long time, Single bottles.
These numbered bottles feature photos taken by Luca during his many travels. They tell the story of his experiences and encounters, offering a natural and un-staged perspective. This project plunges collectors into the world of rum as seen by Velier, from its raw materials, to ageing and distillation. Rum’s legendary locations are also showcased, including Haiti, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. These Single Bottles represent over 20 years’ worth of travels across the globe.
Tiger Shark is a complex blend produced entirely with pot still rums from several distilleries in the former British West Indies aged exclusively in a tropical climate and bottled at Navy Strength (57.18% ABV).
Note that these two projects will be on display at the 1802 bar during the auction.
They are not the only remarkable lots up for auction from Velier, however.
From Demerara, two Diamond bottlings are available, a 1999 bottling and a superb 1981 bottling, as well as an Enmore 1995 already familiar to most enthusiasts, and finally a blend of Diamond and Port Mourant. With the exception of Diamond, these distilleries now no longer exist. Port Mourant closed in 1955 and Enmore in 1994, but their stills are today housed at Diamond, where the distillery styles continue to be produced.
Caroni also has star billing, with some 20 bottles from the distillery under the hammer, including the very sought-after Caroni 19 Year Old 1991 Full Proof.
Pillars of Scotland
Macallan makes a particularly notable appearance this month with several vintages of the Anniversary Malt 25 Year Old, 1963, 1964, 1972, 1974 and 1975, as well as some even more exclusive French and Italian imports, 1050, 1956, 1957 and 1958, all with good fill levels testifying to their excellent storage conditions.
Islay also has some great bottlings, including Ardbeg 25 Year Old Lord of the Isles and several 1974 vintages, a rare edition of Port Ellen bottled for the maltings’ 25th anniversary, and the extraordinary Laphroaig 1974, easily one of the distillery’s finest ever bottlings. Something to satisfy the needs of the most discerning peat lovers!
Highlights from Japan
Japan once again takes a prominent position at FSA with some stunning single cask Karuizawa Vintage Labels (1975, 1977, 1981) and a number of other editions, including Noh, Multi Vintage and Asama.
Nikka is well-represented, with three single cask Yoichi vintages (1986, 1987 and 1988), the 20 year old edition and a rare lot of Taketsuru featuring the 17, 21 and 25 year old editions.
After excellent results at the last auction, Yamazaki is back even stronger, notably offering the complete Tsuriwake 2022 collection.
This range compares and contrasts the merits of maturations in puncheon barrels, Mizunara casks (Japanese oak) and Spanish oak casks. The series also includes a peated version showcasing another facet of Japan’s first distillery, founded in 1923.
Treasures from France
This edition also presents some incredible testaments to French history. These include two cognacs from the 19th century, the Delamain 1897 and the AE d’Or 18183.
Various Chartreuses bottled in the 1950s and 1960s are also available, as well as a special Marseille edition bottled in 2021, making its first ever appearance at FSA. The latter was created in tribute to the distillery founded by the Carthusian monks in Marseilles in 1921 on their return to France and before they were able to return to the monastery from which they had been driven out in 1903.
A wide range of rhum agricole vintages are also up for sale (1966, 1969, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1984, etc.) from estates such as Courcelles, La Favorite, J.M., Neisson, Trois Rivières and Bally.
