A whisky so rare that even the angels have barely had their share will be auctioned off this week.
The Private Collection Glenlivet 1943 is one of the most sought after single malts ever bottled.
The spirit, which has an auction estimate of between £30-40,000, was made at the height of the World War II when just a handful of distilleries were producing whisky.
For the next 70 years the whisky was carefully matured, first at the Glenlivet distillery and then at Gordon and MacPhail’s warehouses in Elgin.
The bottle will go under the hammer at McTear’s Auctioneers in Glasgow on Friday.
The auctioneer’s whisky expert Graeme Maxwell, said: “We have seen some exceptional bottles come through the doors at McTear’s over the years but there is no doubt this sits as one of the most magnificent whiskies we have had the privilege to auction.
“The Private Collection Glenlivet 1943 is revered amongst whisky connoisseurs and we expect the bottle to attract considerable interest in the lead in to our Rare and Collectable Whisky Auction on Friday August 17.”
The story of the whisky began on January 14, 1943 when a sherry cask made of European oak was filled with spirit by Gordon and MacPhail’s senior partner, John Urquhart.
In 2013, following a careful 70-year maturation process, Stephen Rankin, a current director and great grandson to Mr Urquhart, started the long-awaited task of releasing the spirit from cask 121 into 42 specially-created, hand-blown decanters.
Mr Maxwell added: “The creation of this stunning single malt has been a true family affair, with generations of the Urquhart family ensuring that the finished product takes its rightful place as one of the finest single malt whiskies on the planet.”
The 235 lot sale will feature rare examples of Macallan, Springbank, Dalmore, Bowmore and Highland Park, among others.
