Diageo und Sotheby’s kündigen heute die Versteigerung zwei sehr seltener Fässer aus den Brennereien Brora und Port Ellen an. Die Fässer wurden aus dem Programm Casks of Distinction von Diageo handverlesen.
Das Fass mit der Nummer 1145 aus der geschlossenen Destillerie Port Ellen wurde am 15. Februar 1979 befüllt. Der darin enthaltende Single Malt weist noch einen Alkoholgehalt von 52,9 % Vol. auf, der Inhalt des Fasses könnte ungefähr 102 Flaschen befüllen. Geschätztes Auktionsergebnis: £700,000 to £1,200,000 (820.000 bis 1.400.000 €).
In der ebenfalls geschlossenen Brennerei Brora wurde das Fass Nummer 480 am 25. März 1982 befüllt. Der momentane Alkoholgehalt des Single Malts in diesem Cask wird mit 52,9 % Vol. angegeben. Es könnten ca. 145 Flaschen befüllt werden, das geschätzte Auktionsergebnis entspricht dem des Port Ellen Fasses.
Die erfolgreichen Bietern haben zusätzlich die Möglichkeit, das jeweilige Fass noch weitere fünf Jahre reifen zu lassen. Bei dieser Entscheidung kann zusammen mit den Experten von Diageo getroffen werden. Des weiteren werden der Fotograf Trey Ratcliff und der Industriekünstler Ini Archibong Kunstwerke schaffen, welche die Destillerien und ihren Whisky widerspiegeln.
Die Fässer werden in einer Partnerschaft von Diageo mit Sotheby’s im Rahmen der „Jubilee Season“ von Sotheby’s am Dienstag, den 14. Juni 2022 in London versteigert. Diageo wird 5 % des Zuschlagspreises beider Fässer an Care International spenden, um deren Arbeit in der Ukraine zu unterstützen.
Alles weitere rund um die Auktion, den beiden Fässern sowie zu Ini Archibong und Trey Ratcliff und ihren Kunstwerken finden Sie in der englischsprachigen Pressemitteilung, die wir heute erhielten:
| Presseartikel | Für den Inhalt ist das Unternehmen verantwortlich |
DIAGEO OFFERS FIRST OF ITS KIND AUCTION OF ULTRA-RARE CASKS OF DISTINCTION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOTHEBY’S
Two casks from dwindling ghost stocks are up for sale in collaboration with celebrated artists; photographer Trey Ratcliff for Brora Distillery and designer Ini Archibong for Port Ellen Distillery
10:00 Tuesday 31st May 2022, London: Today, Diageo and Sotheby’s announce the opening of a sale of two of the rarest and most valuable casks of Single Malt Scotch Whisky in existence, sourced directly from the dwindling original ‘ghost’ stocks of the iconic distilleries Brora and Port Ellen. Each cask comes with the opportunity to collaborate on a commission with an internationally acclaimed artist, creating one-off pieces that reflect the distilleries and their whisky. Offered as part of the celebrations for the Platinum Jubilee Season due to their relevance to British craft and heritage with Sotheby’s, the auction runs until the 14th June 2022.
The casks have been hand-picked from Diageo’s prestigious VIP programme Casks of Distinction. This offers exclusive access to purchase individual casks of rare and exceptional Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Diageo’s unrivalled stocks, with only a very small number of fully mature casks selected each year from the choice of millions of resting in Scotland and an even tinier number selected from the fabled Brora and Port Ellen distilleries.
Jonny Fowle, Head of Whisky at Sotheby’s said, “This partnership between Sotheby’s’ and Diageo showcases an unrivalled offering of rare whisky casks at auction. On trying the 1982 Brora I was astounded by its quality – the rich cooked fruit flavours elevating its signature lightly peated character. The Port Ellen is a masterclass in 1970s Islay smoke with significant cask influence, which, especially when from a closed distillery, is precisely the style that the world’s top whisky collectors seek out.”
Located on the western edge of the Isle of Islay, or the “Queen of the Hebrides”, Port Ellen is a priceless jewel in Diageo’s crown; glistening and glittering, with thousands of miles of ocean and sunlight stretching out in front of it every day. Gaining legendary status during its closed years, this cask is the most precious cask in existence from Port Ellen’s dwindling stocks of ghost casks. With its door shuttered in 1983, the current plan is for the distillery to start making whisky again in 2023.
The Port Ellen 1979 will be auctioned with a one-off artefact, crafted following the sale, in collaboration with the designer and artist Ini Archibong. Ini Archibong will create a unique piece of art capturing the light of Port Ellen and its spirit in coloured glass. The one-off sculpture will be a physical expression of the “Dram and the Water” – representing both the precious nature of the liquid inside the cask and the distillery’s most precious resource. Crafted from Murano Glass and finished in the colours of Islay, the unique sculptural piece will be presented to the cask owner in Port Ellen once the distillery has reopened. Ini will also develop and create a bespoke colour gradient that will be used to design a set of labels for the bottles drawn from the cask.
Speaking about the artwork, Archibong said
“This art piece represents the precious nature of the liquid inside the cask. Unified and juxtaposed with our most precious resource – water – they represent the heart and soul of Islay and her people. Like a precious magic gem precariously holding a finite resource that offers endless memories; this piece is a reminder to its owner of the moment that they captured Islay in a cask, and her spirit reflected on the surface of coloured glass. This artefact is a unique piece. There is only one.”
Nestled in the Highlands on the North East coast of Scotland, Brora became renowned for the exceptional quality and character of whisky maturing in its shuttered warehouses. Now 202-years-old, Brora distillery was reawakened in May 2021 following a meticulous three-year restoration. Whilst the distillery has reopened, there is limited whisky that remains from before its closure, with this cask being the oldest in existence for sale from Brora.
The Brora 1982 cask will be offered alongside a stunning print by New Zealand based photographer Trey Ratcliff. Renowned for his mesmerising photography capturing the beauty of distant landscapes, the master photographer will travel to Scotland for the very first time, accompanied by the new cask owner. Together they will capture images that bring to life the landscape that helped shape this whisky. The cask owner’s selected photograph will become a large format edition print, as well as being used to create a set of bespoke labels for the bottles to be drawn from the cask.
Speaking on the collaboration, Trey said
“My photographs capture moments in time and give those who view them an opportunity to reflect and transport to another place in the world. I’ve dedicated my life to capturing the beauty that exists at the very edge of the world, places where the sky meets the sea, Brora is one such place. I have been longing to travel to Scotland and take in its beautiful landscapes and to do this for the first time, accompanied by someone who appreciates an exceptional whisky like this, will be an epic adventure.”
James Mackay, Head of Rare and Exceptional Spirits at Diageo said
“With the help of two highly accomplished contemporary artists, we are thrilled to offer these casks for sale by Sotheby’s as true works of art”
The successful bidder of the auction for these ultra-rare casks will have the option to work together with Diageo’s experts to further age their Scotch for up to five years. It’s a unique opportunity to play a role in the final part of these two unprecedented whiskies’ stories.
The casks are being auctioned in partnership with Sotheby’s as part of their ‘Jubilee Season’ due to their relevance to British craft and heritage on Tuesday 14th June 2022 in London, United Kingdom. Diageo will donate 5% of the hammer price from both casks to Care International to support their work in Ukraine.
For more information on the sale please visit: www.sothebys.com/PortEllenBroraCasks
About Port Ellen 1979 Cask of Distinction:
Distillery: Port Ellen
Cask No: 1145
Filled on: 15th February 1979
Est. ABV: 52.9%
Est Bottles: 102
Estimated Value: £700,000 to £1,200,000
About Brora 1982 Cask of Distinction:
Distillery: Brora
Cask No: 480
Filled on: 25th March 1982
Est. ABV: 52.8%
Est. Bottles: 145
Estimated Value: £700,000 to £1,200,000
About Diageo
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Buchanan’s and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO).
About Care International
Care International has been a long-term charity partner of Diageo, with 2022 marking the seventh year of working together. Founded in 1945, to send „CARE Packages“ to people recovering from war, CARE is a leading humanitarian and development organisation fighting global poverty and providing lifesaving assistance in emergencies. The Ukraine crisis poses huge protection risks, especially for women and children displaced both within Ukraine and into neighbouring countries. CARE is responding in Poland, Romania, Georgia and Ukraine through existing partners, and is also scaling their response in Moldova and Slovakia through well-established NGOs who know and understand the context and needs in these locations.
To learn more, visit www.careinternational.org.uk.
