Rare bottle of whisky sells for £18,750 at auction

An exceptionally rare bottle of The Glenlivet, distilled in 1883 and bottled in 1931 by George and John Gordon Smith, has been sold for £18,750 by Bonhams at its whisky sale in Edinburgh.

The bottle had an impeccable pedigree, and was originally owned by Captain William Smith Grant, the great grandson of Colonel George Smith, the founder of The Glenlivet Distillery, and had been in the family ever since. It was considered a much sought-after collectors item and, as had been expected, attracted a large number of enthusiastic bidders.

The sale also included a bottle of The Macallan 50-year-old, distilled in 1928 and bottled in 1983.

Number 50 of a limited edition of just 500, it sold for £16,875 – almost £4000 more than the upper estimate. These two bottles helped to make the sale a huge success, and the auction house said that, in total, the sale had made £175,000.

Bonhams whisky specialist Martin Green commented: “In all, 90 per cent of the lots on offer found buyers which suggests the whisky market is still in good health.”