On December 7, Bonhams auctioneer Martin Green will sell three unique lots featuring a very rate bottle from an extraordinary 1979 cask.
There are just three bottles available of this whisky, which spent 42 years maturing in Glenfiddich’s historic Warehouse 8. The resulting expression is sublimely balanced, with rich fruit notes sitting alongside vanilla oak, ripe pear and woody spice.
The whisky is sold in a handblown crystal decanter from Baccarat. Each lot will also include a a VIP experience at a renowned Goodwood motorsport event: Goodwood Members’ Meeting, the Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival, as well as a photograph taken and signed by renowned Formula 1 photographer Rainer Schlegelmilch, each also signed by motor racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart OBE.
Sir Jackie founded the charity, which conducts research into a prevention or cure for dementia.
“This very special run of just three bottles is one of the many ideas that has come from close collaboration between Goodwood and Glenfiddich,” said Claudia Falcone, global brand director for Glenfiddich. “It draws on a shared history and Scotch whisky’s emergence as a collectable asset-class to create a lasting legacy for the important research undertaken by Race Against Dementia.
“We are delighted to contribute to Bonhams’ whisky sale and continue to provide a contemporary twist to connections first established over 200 years ago.”
Bonhams has provided a low estimate of £6,500 for each lot.
Green said: “We’re really delighted to partner with Glenfiddich and Goodwood to sell these lots at auction. The uniqueness of each bottle is definitely going to be the selling point.
“This is not the first time that Bonhams has partnered with Glenfiddich for a charitable sale. Back in 2011, the great-granddaughter of the founder William Grant, when she was about to become 110 years old, we offered a very special Glenfiddich 55 Year Old. The market was very excited and it attracted a lot of interest and raised quite a lot of money.
“This project is equally exciting. There will be a huge draw here for collectors. It’s a whisky that will never be available on the open market. It’s completely unique. It reflects the appetite of people who want to buy whisky for drinking, or as a collector’s item.
“That will pull people in to look at these lots. We will see what happens on December 7, but the sheer beauty and exclusivity of what can only be described as a luxury product will be magnificent on the day.
“The pairing of the VIP experiences with each of these decanters, and the signed photographs, will add another dimension to the whole package and to what people are prepared to pay. All in all, it will be a very interesting experience for the buyer.
“The luxury market for whisky at the moment is very, very buoyant. We get interest in the sales worldwide, from all different nationalities, and as an international organisation able to ship something anywhere in the world, it really does open up the market.
“On the day of the sale, people can register and physically attend. There is also the option to log onto the Bonhams website and bid live online. There are also the traditional methods of leaving written bids prior to the auction take place, or registering and bidding by telephone, which a lot of people still like to do.
“The main thing is that we get the best price we possibly can for this wonderful charity, which has touched many families, including my own.
“We hope to get a lot of people registering for the sale. Glenfiddich has always performed very well at auction, particularly the exclusive products. Collectors are always looking out for something they can’t find anywhere else, and we really do expect that these will fit the bill.”
The Duke of Richmond, owner of Goodwood, added: “I am thrilled this exciting collaboration has brought together the Goodwood Estate and Glenfiddich to create three exquisite bottles of whisky, raising money for our incredible Festival of Speed charity.
“Thank you to our estate partner Bonhams, for hosting these very special lots within their auction. We look forward to welcoming the successful bidders to our headline motorsport events next year.”
