A whisky buff who travelled the world in pursuit of bottles has made history after selling his personal collection – the largest in the world to come to auction.
Working with Perth-based Whisky Auctioneer, the collector known only as “Pat” sold his collection of 9070 bottles for a total of £3,360,000.
Pat’s Whisk(e)y Collection took over 12 months to auction off across a series of specially curated monthly spotlight auctions and dedicated sales.
Dubbed the most complete picture of whisky brought to market, it featured in excess of 5000 Scotch single malts, 1000 blended whiskies, 600 American whiskeys and hundreds of often overlooked grain whiskies and independent bottlings.
Pat spent over 15 years collecting, after buying his first bottles – the Douglas Laing Old and Rare Platinum Selection – around 2005 on the recommendation of a work colleague.
Initially a whisky novice, his determination to explore and taste every area of whisky soon outstripped his ability to open the bottles he was acquiring and so began his collection.
He sold them through Whisky Auctioneer, which describes itself as “the world’s leading online platform for buying and selling whisky and spirits at auction”.
Highlights included a Brora 1972 Rare Malts 22 Year Old that reached a hammer price of £20,500; a Glenfarclas 1952 Family Cask #1712 that fetched £18,000; and a Highland Park 50 Year Old 2018 Release that sold for £15,000.
The collection also included Japanese Karuizawa 35 Year Old Bourbon Cask #8518 / Emerald Geisha that made £9200. One sale also got £26,134,90 for Teenage Cancer Trust.
Iain McClune, Founder of Whisky Auctioneer, said Pat’s collection had been one of the company’s biggest success stories, likely never to be replicated on the secondary market.
He added: “Pat’s Whisk(e)y Collection was historic, a once in a lifetime chance for whisky lovers old and new to bid on some of the most diverse bottles on the secondary market.
“The variety of whiskies on offer was unique, with whiskies accessible at every price point, hopefully inspiring the next generation of collectors.
“It’s highly unlikely we’ll ever see a collection as large and diverse as this one, meaning this auction will go down in whisky history, setting a precedent for future collectors.”
Pat, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Building a whisky collection was never actually my original goal – I simply wanted to try everything and there were so many releases, distilleries and countries to explore.
“When I reached over 2000 bottles, I decided to create a collection that represented the full picture of whisky.
“And for me, that meant everything from non-age statements, blends and world whiskies to the rarest examples – a true showcase of all sides of such a varied spirit. Selling the collection was a deeply emotional process for me since it has been such a huge part of my life.
“I feel this incredible journey has culminated in a fitting finale with these bottles entered back into the market so other people can enjoy them, perhaps with some added knowledge gained alongside.
“My journey with whisky is not over.”
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