Bonhams Hong Kong Will Auction One of 12 Dalmore 62 Year Old Bottles

Bonhams Hong Kong said it will offer a bottle of The Dalmore 62 Year Old, known as The Ardross Estate, at a live auction on Nov. 21, in what the auction house described as the whisky’s first public sale in Asia. The bottle is estimated at HK$2.8 million to HK$3.8 million and will lead a sale of high-end collectible whisky in Wan Chai.

The auction house said the release is one of only 12 bottles known to have been produced worldwide. First introduced in 2002, The Dalmore 62 Year Old has long been treated as one of the most sought-after bottles in the top tier of Scotch whisky collecting because of its age, rarity and limited production.

Bonhams said the whisky was created by former master blender Richard Paterson from four historic stocks distilled between 1868 and 1939. The spirits were married in selected Matusalem Oloroso sherry casks, and the youngest component had been matured for 62 years. The house said each bottle in the set of 12 was given a different name linked to the distillery’s history, people or landmarks, and each was signed by Paterson.

The bottle coming to Hong Kong takes its name from The Ardross Estate, the historic property associated with The Dalmore distillery in the Scottish Highlands overlooking the Cromarty Firth. Bonhams said that detail adds to its appeal for collectors, since each version of The Dalmore 62 Year Old is presented as a distinct object rather than part of a uniform bottling run.

The Nov. 21 sale will be held at Bonhams Hong Kong at Six Pacific Place, 50 Queen’s Road East. The house said the event will focus on rare Scotch and Japanese whiskies, with several other headline lots expected to draw international buyers.

Among the top Japanese entries is a bottle of Yamazaki 50 Year Old, 2007 edition, estimated at HK$1.8 million to HK$2.8 million. Bonhams is also offering a 250-milliliter bottle of Karuizawa 47 Year Old Cask No. 5627, distilled in 1960 and estimated at HK$600,000 to HK$900,000. A bottle of Yamazaki 35 Year Old carries an estimate of HK$400,000 to HK$550,000.

Bonhams said the Karuizawa lot was drawn from what it described as the oldest known surviving vintage spirit from the closed Japanese distillery and was bottled by former chief blender Osami Uchibori. That background is likely to add interest in a market where discontinued Japanese distilleries continue to command strong prices.

The auction house is also staging an online sale from Nov. 18 to Dec. 3 focused on rare spirits. Lots in that sale include Black Bowmore 50 Year Old Final Cask, 1964, estimated at HK$240,000 to HK$340,000; Hibiki 35 Year Old in a cylindrical Kutani-style bottle decorated with peonies and butterflies, estimated at HK$180,000 to HK$260,000; and Karuizawa 50 Year Old Cask No. 5132, distilled in 1963, estimated at HK$160,000 to HK$220,000.

Amayès Aouli, Bonhams’ global head of wines and spirits, said in a statement that the house sees continued demand for trophy bottles at the top of the whisky market. He noted that Bonhams set two world records for Japanese whisky in May with sales of Yamazaki 50 Year Old Club Natsume and Karuizawa 52 Year Old 1960 Single Cask No. 5627 Treasure Ship, and said the house expects similar attention for The Dalmore 62 Year Old.

Terrence Tang, Bonhams’ head of wines and spirits for Asia, said Asian collectors remain an important force in the market for top Scotch whisky. He said bringing The Dalmore 62 Year Old to Hong Kong gives regional buyers a rare chance to compete publicly for one of the category’s most famous bottles.