FSA GOES FULL TILT
Our first auction after the summer break was over in the blink of an eye, running as part of Whisky Live Paris, held from 24 to 26 September 2022 at La Villette. Of the 700 lots up for auction, roughly 20 were donated by leading players in the whisky and rum industries to support the actions of the GoodPlanet Foundation, which two on-the-ground projects to preserve biodiversity in Senegal’s Saloum Delta, and develop agroforestry and restore biodiversity in the Tarn, France. The combination of GoodPlanet’s just cause and these incredible bottlings set the bids alight and new heights were reached for both hammer prices and the number of bids received per lot. This synergy slightly eclipsed the classic auction already under way, much to the delight of some bidders, who were able to snag some great deals.
CHARITY AUCTION: FSA & THE GOODPLANET FOUNDATION
Blanton’s, Buffalo Trace distillery, Calvados Christian Drouin, Celtic Whisky Distillerie, Chichibu distillery, Edrington France, Elixir Distillers, Gordon & MacPhail, Hampden Distillery, Hombo Shuzo, La Maison du Whisky, Maison Ferrand, Maison Vallein Tercinier, Neisson, Renegade, Velier and Warenghem all lent their support to our first charity auction, which successfully exceeded our goal of €125,000 and raised a total of just over €128,000.
From 24 to 30 September, bids were placed non-stop, with record acceleration in the last hour of the event. The results were indisputable. Half of the lots exceeded their low estimates, some by a significant margin. Of particular note were Kornog 2016 Oloroso Double Maturation (5 litres) and Mars Hombo Shuzo 150th Anniversary - Komagatake & Tsunuki (lot of three bottles), which doubled and sometimes tripled their high estimates.
Bottles whose labels were designed in partnership with artists were particularly popular with whisky and art collectors, especially the series of four Chichibu developed in collaboration with painter Aki Kuroda, and the Artist #12 Strathisla Legendary Distilleries range from photographer Mathéo Modol. These collections attracted 94 and 45 bids respectively.
Finally, the brightest stars of our first charity auction were Caroni, The Macallan, Karuizawa and Neisson. Between them, their four lots represented almost 60% of the funds raised, and were responsible for a third of all bids.
ALL-GO IN SEPTEMBER
Running alongside September’s rich post-summer programme of spirits-related events, a classic version of Fine Spirits Auction was also held. This event saw renewed balance between the standard spirits categories of whisk(e)y, rum, cognac, Armagnac and Calvados, as well as the introduction of a new category: mezcal.
The popularity of non-whisk(e)y and rum categories grows with every auction. Representing over 10% of all lots up for auction, almost all bottles found a buyer. Attracting over 10% of all bids, they fetch average hammer prices 37% above their low estimates. This results not only from the appeal of the products themselves but also from pragmatic reserve prices that help encourage bidding.
Rum: Flying the French flag
French traditional rum and rhum agricole were on a roll once again, with this edition offering a superb selection of what the category does best. As in previous auctions, results for the category were high. Representing more than 60% of lots available, French-style rums came close to rivalling a number of Demerara expressions from renowned bottler Velier. This puts certain vintages from La Favorite, Rhums JM and Domaine de Courcelles in a position to challenge the established leaders.
The segment is still in its development phase, however, and remains fragile. Care should therefore be taken to avoid excessive reserve prices, which can often discourage bidding.
More humble results were also seen for 1990s bottlings of rum from Bacardi, Havana Club, Appleton, Pampero and El Dorado, which thus far seem not to have found their audience. The same trend is also seen outside France. Indeed, it seems to be the same in almost all markets. There are several possible explanations for this phenomenon, including a lack of familiarity with rums from this period and generational disparities.
What about whisky?
With two vintages from 1971 and 1975 rarely seen at auction making an appearance in this edition, Karuizawa confirmed the potential of its bottles from this decade, with prices settling at just over €12,000 per bottle, allowing a glimpse of the strong potential still open to the vintages 1978 and 1979. It’s still not clear where the slight drop in prices for 1980s bottlings will lead.
Other mixed results include those for The Macallan, where various lots, despite their high quality, failed to fetch their full value—making a few very happy bidders along the way.
The Macallan 1973, for example, averaged €1,850 per bottle, which represents a 25% drop since July 2022. For the same period, The Macallan 1985 dropped by 10% and The Macallan 25 Year Old 1975 Anniversary by 15%. Only the 1974 Anniversary edition increased by 13%.
Finally, a special mention goes to the official edition of Bowmore 1965 22 Year Old, The Prestonfield - Morrison Bowmore and its Sherry Cask No. 47, which fetched €6,300.
USA, Pappy wins the vote
American whiskey seems to be suffering the same ills as rum, with an apparent lack of interest in pre-2000 bottlings and brands. Only Van Winkle, the Antique Collection and Willett found favour with bidders.
