The June public sale market bought off to a powerful begin, with a bottle of Yamazaki 55 12 months previous promoting on the highest hammer value of the 12 months, because of a $200,000 bid at Bonhams Skinner, Massachusetts. Yamazaki’s worth has fared effectively within the present market; the final bottle of this Japanese whisky to promote at a U.S. public sale home made $210,200 a 12 months in the past. Final 12 months, the three highest hammer costs had been all Japanese single malts, and two of them had been Yamazaki 55 12 months previous.
Sotheby’s offered vintage spirits this month, the prized assortment of Mark Wade, co-founder of the Classic Whiskey Society. A lot of the historic bourbon and ryes achieved hammer costs within the vary of some hundred to some thousand {dollars}, and plenty of exceeded their estimates. Three classic bottles made $10,000 a bit; Outdated Stagg Particular Reserve 24 12 months previous, 4 Roses 1917 16 12 months previous, and Outdated McBrayer 1917 17 12 months previous. These had been eclipsed by the $24,000 bid for a comparatively fashionable bottle of LeNell’s Pink Hook Rye Barrel No. 3 at Sotheby’s, whereas Unicorn Public sale’s Father’s Day Epic Rye sale included 9 bottles of bourbon and rye that every offered for greater than $10,000, together with among the most collectible Willett expressions ever launched. Macallan The Pink Assortment had a profitable month in Could, but it surely seems the market has develop into oversupplied: a bottle of Macallan The Pink Assortment 78 12 months previous went unsold at Sotheby’s, New York, with one other bottle going unsold at Zachy’s public sale in New York the next day.
Demand for Pappy Van Winkle at public sale has outstripped provide for a few years; simply take a look at the $35,000 bid for a dozen bottles of Pappy Van Winkle Household Reserve 23 12 months previous at Sotheby’s, New York not too long ago. Nonetheless, not all bottles of Pappy are promoting at public sale nowadays: Practically 130 Van Winkle bottles had been up on the market at two latest U.S. auctions, and 20% of them had been left on the block. Sotheby’s, New York had unsold bottles of the 2021 Launch and 2023 Launch of Pappy Van Winkle 20 12 months previous, three bottles of Van Winkle Household Reserve Rye 13 12 months previous, and 12 bottles of Van Winkle Particular Reserve 12 12 months previous Lot ‘B,’ whereas Bonhams Skinner was left with a number of unsold bottles of Outdated Rip Van Winkle 10 12 months previous and Pappy Van Winkle 15 12 months previous. If Pappy demand at public sale falls as a consequence of excessive asking costs, it may have an effect on the eagerness of flippers trying to purchase and resell the 2025 Pappy releases after they arrive later within the 12 months.
Unicorn Auctions – Could 2025 No Reserves IV
Public sale ended June 2nd
Whisky Auctioneer Could 2025 Public sale
Public sale ended June 9th 
Sotheby’s, New York – Whiskey & Whisky, That includes a Classic Whisky Assortment
Public sale ended June 12th
Lot of the Week: Oban’s Sudden Stardom
Sure common truths should be acknowledged about whisky gathering in 2025. Flipping, with the only want of constructing three or 4 instances the retail value, is basically over. Bottles that provoke competitors at public sale so fiercely that costs are pushed sky excessive is now a uncommon incidence. Diageo Particular Releases used to promote out on their day of launch, whereas now, the bottles are nonetheless obtainable when the subsequent 12 months’s set is launched. However there are exceptions. Oban 1969 32 12 months previous, launched in 2002, was one in all 6,000 bottles and was the distillery’s first look within the Diageo Particular Releases sequence. The bottle at Sotheby’s lacked its authentic presentation tube and was estimated at $1,000–$1,500, however offered for $6,000—4 instances its excessive estimate, making it the fifth-highest priced bottle of scotch in your entire sale. That Oban offered for excess of the Diageo Particular Releases of Brora and Port Ellen within the sale, and greater than practically all the classic bourbon and ryes. That lot was adopted by the Oban 21 12 months previous from the Diageo Particular Releases 2013, which carried an estimate of $200–$300, however then offered for a hammer value of $1,800—six instances its excessive estimate. Whereas the Oban 1969 32 12 months previous was launched over 20 years in the past, it was produced in good portions, so this outcome at Sotheby’s suggests it might be price including one to your assortment should you handle to trace down a bottle.
Lot: Oban 1969 32 12 months previous
Offered at: Sotheby’s, New York, June 12th 2025
Hammer Worth: $6,000
Upcoming Auctions:
June 22nd, Whisky Hammer: June 2025. A debut public sale look for Johnnie Walker Vault X Olivier Rousteing Couture Expression Winter, and there’s a bottle of Glenlivet 55 12 months previous The Everlasting Assortment on the block.
June 26th, Bonhams Skinner, Massachusetts: The Encyclopedic Whisky Assortment. Half one is a dwell public sale of among the rarest bottles from Glenfiddich, Balvenie, and Macallan.
June 27th, Sotheby’s, Singapore: Tremendous and Uncommon Whisky. This sale is dominated by uncommon Macallan, Glenfiddich, Balvenie, and small quantities of cognac, rum, and tequila.
June 30th, Bonhams Skinner, Massachusetts: The Encyclopedic Whisky Assortment No Reserve On-line Version. Half two of this sale is price trying out, as there aren’t any reserves, and the whole lot should go. If high quality scotch whisky is your factor, there might be some good offers up for grabs.
