Whisky investors have a chance to snap up casks worth up to £1.2 million each from two “ghost” distilleries.
Drink giant Diaego has described them as “two of the rarest and most valuable casks of whisky in existence”.
The “incredibly rare” whiskies – each more than 40 years old – are from the Brora and Port Ellen distilleries, and will be sold at auction on June 14.
Photographer Trey Ratcliff and industrial artist Ini Archibong, will create one-off pieces that reflect the two distilleries and their whisky.
Each cask comes with the chance to collaborate on a commission with an internationally acclaimed artist, creating one-off pieces that reflect the two distilleries and their whisky.
The sale process got under way on May 31 and is being run by Diageo and auction house Sotheby’s as part of their Platinum Jubilee activities highlighting UK craft and heritage.
Diageo will donate 5% of the hammer price from both casks to humanitarian agency Care International to support its work in Ukraine.
The whiskies were hand-picked from Diageo’s “casks of distinction” programme, offering buyers the chance to invest in “rare and exceptional” single malts from its stocks.
Whoever buys the valuable liquid assets will be offered the option to work alongside Diageo’s whisky experts to further age their Scotch for up to five years.
Jonny Fowle, head of whisky at Sotheby’s, said: “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 the world’s top whisky collectors seek out.”
Brora Distillery first opened in 1820 and was brought out of mothballs in May 2021 following a three-year restoration.
While the distillery has reopened, there is very little whisky that remains from before its closure. The 1982 cask now being auctioned is the oldest in existence.
It is being offered alongside a print by Mr Ratcliff, who is renowned for his work capturing the beauty of distant landscapes.
The buyer’s photograph will become a large format edition print, as well as being used to create bespoke labels for an estimated 145 bottles to be drawn from the cask.
“My photographs capture moments in time and give those who view them an opportunity to reflect and transport to another place in the world,” Mr Ratcliff said.
He added: “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.”
According to Diageo and Sotheby’s, the Port Ellen cask is the most precious in existence from the Islay distillery.
Port Ellen has been shut since 1983 but there are plans to resume whisky-making at the site in 2023.
A cask of the distillery’s 1979 whisky will be auctioned with a one-off artefact, crafted following the sale.
Mr Archibong aims to create a unique piece of art capturing the light of Port Ellen and its spirit in coloured glass.
It will be presented to the cask owner in Port Ellen once the distillery has reopened.
Mr Archibong will also create a colour gradient that will be used to design labels for an estimated 102 bottles to be drawn from the cask.
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”.
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