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Bonhams to Sell the Largest Single-Owner Collection of Whisky to Ever Appear at Auction
http://www.bonhams.com/whisky
The Willard S Folsom Collection of Old and Rare Single Malt Whiskies will go under the hammer at Bonhams Edinburgh
Following the great success of the whisky section of Bonhams annual Scottish Sale on 19th August, bidders will raise their glasses once more, as an impressive single-owner collection of over 3,000 bottles will go under the hammer later this year. The first section of the superb collection of the Late Willard Folsom will be offered for sale on 18th November at Bonhams Edinburgh, with the remaining stock sold in New York and Hong Kong in early 2010 (dates to be announced).
The recent 19th August whisky section in the Scottish Sale was a triumph, with 97% sold by lot and 91% by value. International buyers competed vigorously for the rare high quality whiskies on offer, many of which wildly exceeded their estimates. It is anticipated that the Willard S Folsom Collection, the largest and most varied collection to ever appear at auction, will cause an even greater stir worldwide.
Amassed over an 18-year period, the collection features wide ranges of Ardbeg, Bowmore, Dalmore, Glenfiddich, Laphroaig, Springbank, Kinclaith, Killyloch, Ben Wyvis, Glen Grant, Glenmorangie, The Glenlivet, Strathmill, Mortlach and The Macallan. The collection also includes commemorative and celebration malts and many other distilleries are well represented.
Martin Green, Bonhams Whisky Specialist comments: "In over 20 years of conducting whisky auctions, this is the most exciting collection I have ever handled. Many of the bottles included in the collection will never be released again or repeated by the Whisky Industry and so the sale of the collection provides the opportunity to buy many collectables of the future."
Willard S Folsom was the son of Barbara and Willard W. Folsom. He was married to, and had two children with, his wife Roxie Folsom. During the course of his lifetime Folsom was a sports fan, football handicapper, race car driver, master of finance, scuba diver, skydiver, salsa dancer, and whisky enthusiast. Willard began his 18-year love affair with Single Malt Whisky in 1988, while reading an article in USA Today listing the best bars in the United States for Single Malt. One of the bars listed was only 10 minutes from his home and, upon reading the article, took his wife for their first Single Malt Scotch tasting.
Willard would spend the next 18 years reading everything ever written about Scotch, highlighting every paragraph of interest and keeping copious notes in the margins. He scoured the liquor stores of the Bay Area until he had everything in his collection that could be found, before widening the search. Willard established relationships within the Scotch community from San Francisco to Dufftown and toured the Highlands, the Lowlands, Speyside, Islay, and Orkney. He purchased whisky from all over the UK and shipped it to a hotel in London, where the Scottish hotel manager would keep his whisky under lock and key until he came to pick it up.
To many of his friends, Willard was a sage, a shaman, or a soothsayer for whisky. He brought his wife and son with him to the UK on many of his trips, not to show the world to them but to have them carry suitcases full of whisky! Willard believed that it would be in the interest of his collection to have one of every bottle-- and if one of every bottle was good, then two of every bottle was twice as good!
Willard's ideas and opinions on Single Malt Scotch are well known and often-repeated. One of his most memorable was his novel philosophy on life: "Some say the glass is half empty, others say it's half full. I say, pour the water out and put some Scotch in that glass."
Other entries for the 18th November Whisky sale at Bonhams Edinburgh are now invited.
Catalogues are published on our website (www.bonhams.com) and may be ordered (£10) on 01666 502200 or subscriptions@bonhams.com
Enquiries on +44 (0) 131 225 2266
For more information please contact Rosie Kempson or Francesca Tarrant at The Communication Group on 0207 630 1411 or email rkempson@thecommunicationgroup.co.uk/ftarrant@thecommunicationgroup.co.uk/
For any US enquiries please contact Christin Wingo on 001 415 503 3236 or email christin.wingo@bonhams.com.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America and in August 2003, Goodmans, a leading Australian fine art and antiques auctioneer with salerooms in Sydney, joined the Bonhams Group of Companies. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further seven throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Boston in the USA; and Switzerland, France, Monaco, Australia, Hong Kong and Dubai. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 57 specialist areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com. (January 2008)
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