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The oldest bottle of whisky in the world?
Rare Victorian Glenavon Scotch will sell at Bonhams
A bottle of whisky that could be the oldest in existence is to be sold at Bonhams on 29 November. The bottle’s label reads ‘GLENAVON *** Special Liqueur Whisky Bottled by the Distillers,’ yet Glenavon ceased operating in the 1850s. If the whisky was indeed ‘bottled by the distillers,’ it will be one of the oldest bottles of whisky ever to come to auction. It is expected to fetch between £5,000 – 10,000 at Bonhams’ Sale of Fine Wine, Port & Spirits at 101 New Bond Street, London, on 29 November 2006.
It has been in the family of a lady in Ireland for generations, and this is believed to be the first time in its history it has been offered at auction.
Glenavon Distillery was situated at Ballindalloch, where the River Avon meets the River Spey, although its precise location is not known. It was recorded as operating in 1851 and licensed to John G. Smith in 1852. John Gordon Smith was the son of George Smith, founder of the nearby Glenlivet Distillery, and he joined his father in the business in 1846, helping him to establish a small distillery at Delnabo in 1849.
Charles MacLean, Bonhams’ consultant and a world authority on whisky has been researching the bottle’s origin. “It has been suggested that Delnabo and Glenavon may have been one and the same,” he explains. “What is certain is that the Smiths closed Delnabo in 1858, and in the following year they consolidated all their distilleries (including Glenavon/ Delnabo) at Minmore, the site of the present Glenlivet Distillery. Since the label reads ‘Glenavon’ and ‘Bottled by the Distillers,’ it implies that it was bottled before the move to Minmore. Yet even if it had been bottled by the Smiths after the closure of Glenavon, authentic bottles of Scotch from the 1870s are extremely rare. John Smith died in 1901, so we know it was bottled before then.”
The bottle itself is an unusual size, slightly smaller than the familiar 75cl, and is made from olive-green glass. The liquid inside appears to be pale gold, and the level is surprisingly high for such an old bottle, almost to the neck.
Prior to the sale on 29th November, Charlie MacLean will be conducting a tutored tasting for Bonhams in London entitled 'The same as it ever was?' examining how Scotch Whisky has changed over time. This will be held at 6.30pm on 15th November at 101 New Bond Street. Charlie is acknowledged as one of the leading experts on Scotch Whisky in the world and places are strictly limited.
Tickets cost £40 and can be booked by calling 0870 027 3622, or emailing rebecca.russell@bonhams.com . The bottle of Glenavon will be on display at the event.
Further information and images: Frances Godden on 020 7468 8331 or press@bonhams.com
Notes to 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 is the third largest and fastest growing auction house in the world with a global network of offices and regional representatives providing sales advice and valuation services in 20 countries. It offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further 10 throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Boston in the USA; and Switzerland, Monaco, and Australia. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of more than 40 Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com . For other press releases, go to www.bonhams.com/press .
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