After a year away, the Distillers One of One is back.
The world’s leading charity auction for rare and old Scotch whiskies returns on October 10. This will be the third edition. Since launching in 2021, Distillers One of One has raised a staggering £4.3 million (US$5.25 million) for charity and supporting the Youth Action Fund, which provides long-term opportunities to disadvantaged young people across Scotland. With the auction on the horizon, some distillers have revealed details of their special bottlings for the event. As the name suggests, each is a single, unique and stand-alone bottle. This makes them very rare and desirable to whisky collectors around the globe. The auction will take place in partnership with Sotherby’s at Hopetoun House near Edinburgh. There will be 36 Scotch whisky distilleries and brands taking part with 100% of the hammer price going to charity. All whiskies are donated free of charge by the brands. Here is a sneak peak of some highlight bottlings announced to date.
Glendronach | Arias in Time
This one-of-a-kind collection from the esteemed Highland distillery of Glendronach charts its history from the 1960s to 1990s. Four bottlings have been drawn from four different ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks by Dr. Rachel Barrie, the Master Blender at Glendronach. The four take you on a journey through time. The presentation features a bespoke bronze sculpture by renowned Milan-based artist Osanna Visconti, who created it by hand and using the lost wax casting technique. Estimated hammer price | £60-100k
The Glen Grant | Eternal 77 Years Old
This very rare Scotch whisky from The Glen Grant is the oldest in this year’s auction. Bottled at 43% ABV and drawn from a single ex-sherry European oak butt that was distilled and filled in 1948, this masterpiece captures a rich fruity character shaped over nearly eight decades. Eternal is presented in a handblown crystal decanter that represents a seed pod. This is a direct reference to the Speyside distillery’s Garden of Splendours, which was planted during the Victorian era and remains today. Estimated hammer price | £120-150k
Laphroaig | Capsule 40 Years Old
An old Islay single malt from a different era. Capsule features two pockets of stock that were distilled and filled to ex-Oloroso sherry and ex-bourbon hogsheads in 1980 and 1981. These rare stocks were married in a single American oak hogshead in 2022 and a single bottle drawn from the cask to create Capsule. The packaging is extraordinary and visually stunning. It features a hand-blown green crystal decanter from Glencairn Crystal, and platinum-plated capsule precision engineered to partner the decanter. Estimated hammer price | £40-80k
Old Pulteney | Polaris 47 Years Old
The oldest ever bottling from the distillery in the far north Highland town of Wick. This luxurious single malt began its journey in American oak ex-bourbon casks for four decades, before a lengthy seven-year secondary maturation in a single first-fill Spanish oak ex-sherry butt. Polaris is presented in a hand-blown blue glass bottle, created by Highland studio Glasstorm, evoking the waves of the North Sea. The outer casket is made using local Caithness slate. Copper from the stills is also woven into the design. Estimated hammer price | £26-40k
Aberlour | The Mouth of the Chattering Burn 53 Years Old
This is the oldest Aberlour ever bottled by the Speyside distillery. The name is inspired by the ancient Gaelic meaning of Aberlour and was distilled and filled to a single cask in 1967. The single malt is presented in a handblown magnum glass decanter, crafted by renowned Swedish master glassblower Micke Johansson in collaboration with master mould-maker Gunnar Englund. This features intricate surface carvings by glass artist Simon Holm. A masterpiece from one of Speyside’s most popular brands. Estimated hammer price | £20-40k
The Glenlivet | SPIRA 60 Years Old
The oldest ever single malt released by The Glenlivet, the famed Speyside distillery and one of the world’s favourite Scotch brands. The whisky is bottled at 60 Years Old and was distilled in 1965. It has matured for six decades in a single hogshead cask. The name means spiral in Latin and refers to the pattern created by rising vapours in the still and waters flowing in the River Livet. To mirror this the rare whisky is presented in a bespoke handcrafted spiralled decanter. A true relic of the Speyside. region Estimated hammer price | £60-110k
Port Ellen | Prism 46 Years Old
The reborn Islay distillery of Port Ellen, which reopened after 40 years, in early 2024 has entered its oldest ever single malt for the auction. The whisky was hand-selected by Aimee Morrison, the Master Blender for Port Ellen. Prism was distilled and filled to cask in 1978 and is bottled at 46 years of age. The whisky is presented in a bespoke 1.5-litre decanter, encased within a glass sculpture by renowned artist Wilfried Grootens. It is expected to be one of the most expensive lots at the auction. Estimated hammer price | £150-300k
Royal Brackla | 54 Years Old
The Highland distillery of Royal Brackla, the first distillery in Scotland to be issued a Royal Warrant, are donating a single cask with over five decades on the clock. The single re-fill ex-bourbon hogshead (Cask #2665) was filled on 24 March 1970. It has been maturing ever since and was handpicked for the auction by Stephanie Macleod, the Malt
