International bidders have spent £138,000 at auction to snap up rare whiskies from Islay’s famous distilleries.
The most extensive and complete collection from the island went under the hammer as part of Fèis Ìle, the annual festival of music and malt.
More than 100 buyers from 20 countries bid on 268 lots.
The auction featured expressions from island distilleries including Port Ellen, Laphroaig, Bruichladdich and Ardbeg.
The total raised includes £10,000 from bottles donated to the Fèis Ìle committee by distilleries to raise funds for the island community through the Islay Wave Project.
The project focuses on ways to support culture, artists and local youngsters.
£7,000 for one rare whisky
The auction featured part of Pat’s Whisky Collection, the largest private collection of whisky ever to come to auction.
Known only to the world as ‘Pat’, he decided to part with his 9,000 bottle library last year through a series of auctions to share his passion for whisky.
Examples from each of Islay’s eight single-malt producing distilleries were included in the sale by leading auction house Whisky Auctioneer.
Highlights included a Port Ellen 1981 single cask whisky, which sold for £7,000 and an Ardbeg 1976 single sherry cask, which fetched £4,900.
A winning bid of £4,750 was made for an Ardbeg 1975 single oloroso cask and £4,550 was paid for an Ardbeg 1976 single sherry cask.
Two Ardbeg 1975 single fino cask whiskies fetched £4,400 and £4,000, while a Bowmore 25-year-old, bottled to mark the 25th anniversary of Fèis Ìle, was sold for £2,300.
Joe Wilson, head of auction content at Whisky Auctioneer, said: “We’ve seen a huge amount of global interest in these legendary Fèis Ìle bottles and it’s a pleasure to be able to bring them into the hands of new whisky fans, whilst supporting charities and community projects on Islay itself.
“This auction was dedicated to celebrating the most extensive and complete collection of Fèis Ìle festival whiskies that we’ve ever encountered, all collated by one passionate and mysterious whisky lover known only as ‘Pat’ whose ambition is to share his collection with the whisky community.”
Last month Whisky Auctioneer sold more than £160,000 worth of rare whiskies from the ‘lost’ Brora distillery in partnership with Pat’s Whisky Collection.
