Bidding begins on lost distillery collection from Speyside

The legacy of one of Speyside’s most elusive lost distilleries, Caperdonich, will live on as bidding has begun on one of the largest collections of Caperdonich to ever come to auction.

The auction is now live on whiskyauctioneer.com, and will end from 7pm on Monday 9 November.

Over 70 rare bottles from this lost distillery feature in Whisky Auctioneer’s current auction, 63 of which are from a single owner’s private collection. Highlights from the sale include independent bottlings from Jack Wieber and Prestonfield House, over 40 expressions aged for over 35 years and a unique private cask blend of which only five bottles were ever produced

All lost distillery histories are laced with sadness and intrigue when they depart the whisky world, but the Caperdonich story is one of Speyside’s most eventful tales.

The distillery was the first of the ‘extension’ distilleries built next to the original Glen Grant plant when demand began to rise back in 1897. Then named ‘Glen Grant Number 2’, the distillery changed its name to Caperdonich in 1967, meaning ‘secret well’, after its water source. After several acquisitions, the distillery was closed for good in the early 2000s.

Demolished in 2011, the Caperdonich distillery will never distil again and it is this scarcity that has led to expressions from Scotland’s lost distilleries becoming some of the most highly prized and sought-after possessions for collectors in recent years.

Joe Wilson, head of auction content at Whisky Auctioneer, said: ‘The history of Caperdonich is truly captivating and these bottles are rare sightings on the secondary market.

‘A collection of this significance from a distillery as elusive as Caperdonich in a single auction is an exciting discovery and offers a unique opportunity for our global audience of whisky enthusiasts, and in particular, collectors of whisky from Scotland’s lost distilleries.

‘Independent bottlings like these offer a fascinating insight into the secrets of a Speyside distillery that otherwise could so easily have only been a footnote in the story of Glen Grant distillery. Over recent months, we have witnessed an increase in the demand for liquid from Caperdonich and so we are sure that these bottles will attract a huge appeal.’

This single malt collection is not the only ‘lost’ distillery highlight of the online whisky sale, which also welcomes sought-after bottlings from ghosts of the whisky world including Glenugie, Dallas Dhu, Port Ellen and Rosebank. Other stand-out bottles in the sale include incredible aged and limited edition expressions from The Macallan, including the newly-launched Red Collection and the stunning 72 Year Old Lalique Genesis Decanter.

The auction also welcomes another presentation from Pat’s Whisk(e)y Collection, the largest private whisky collection to come to auction, with a spotlight on over 130 whiskies from The GlenDronach distillery.

To find out more and to register to take part in upcoming auctions visit www.whiskyauctioneer.com

TAGS

FOLLOW US