Irish eyes deserve to be smiling with pride when it comes to the quality of their whiskey.
Flavoursome artisan examples have earned an admirable reputation worldwide – and the Dingle distillery leads the way.
Ahead of Irish national holiday St Patrick’s Day on March 17, Hansons is celebrating the consignment of ‘unbelievably rare’ Dingle whiskey, and that’s whiskey spelt with an ‘e’ as aficionados will know. Scotch whisky goes without the ‘e’, Irish with an ‘e’.
Hansons’ March 27 Wine & Spirits sale will offer various Dingle releases including its ‘fantastic’ Cask 2 bottling – the first release of whiskey from the distillery. It is one of only 252 bottles which were made available to the founding fathers of the distillery, estimate £2,000-£2,500.
This triple-distilled single malt was matured for three years in a single ex-Bourbon barrel. It comes in a wooden presentation box complete with two Dingle Distillery Glencairn glasses.
The Dingle Whiskey Distillery began production in a tin shed in Dingle, County Kerry, in 2012. It was the brainchild of Oliver Hughes, Liam LaHart and Peter Mosley. Oliver. It has grown to be a highly respected maker, renowned for flavoursome, well-crafted spirit. Its aims is to be the ultimate Irish whiskey.
Stuart Palmer, wines and spirits valuer at Hansons Auctioneers, said: “We are extremely grateful to the vendor for entrusting us with these fantastic whiskies, particularly the unbelievably rare Dingle Cask 2. This represents a benchmark for not only the distillery but the Irish Whiskey industry.
“Ireland’s Kilbeggan distillery, which closed in 1954, had gone on to reopen under new owners but the release of Dingle Cask 2 in 2015 marked the arrival of the first new Irish whiskey for more than 25 years.
“Dingle are pioneers when it comes to artisan whiskey. They have paved the way for others. After a decline to just two active distilleries in the mid-70s, there has been a resurgence. By the end of 2022 there were 42 Irish distilleries. Dingle and its Cask 2 are at the heart of this positive story.”
Crate of old whisky worth thousands!
The March 27 auction also includes nine vintage bottles of whisky, dating from the 1960s to 80s, which arrived at Hansons in a crate with a modest hope that they might achieve £200.
They included 1970s bottles of Haig Dimple, Hine Antique, Delamain and Chivas Regal plus 1980s offerings from Stewarts, Glenfiddich and Laphroaig. However, the star of the show was a bottle of The Macallan 1964, won at a golf society event years ago. The vendor was thrilled to discover his forgotten prize could add a nought to the £200 he’d hoped to make.
Stuart said: “I gave the gentleman a call to see if he knew anything about the whisky and whether he realised he’d actually got a really good bottle. He thought his Haig Dimple Scotch whisky might be worth a little and told me he would be delighted with £200 for all the bottles.
“I sprang the good news. He could set his sights much higher. The Macallan 1964, which had been stuck at the back of a cupboard for years, had an auction estimate of £2,000-£2,500. It is destined to spark strong bidding. Vintage Macallan whisky is highly sought after.
“The early 1980s bottle of Laphroaig 10 is another good find. Laphroaig distillery is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery named after an area of land at the head of Loch Laphroaig on the island of Islay. It should comfortably exceed the vendor’s original £200 expectation.
“It’s finds like these, languishing in drinks cabinets and cupboards for decades, that I love to uncover. They are highly desirable among collectors and investors alike and deliver tremendous results for clients.
“In the 1970s and 80s bottles like this were accessible and inexpensive. It was supermarket shelf stuff. The Laphroaig probably cost £20-£30 in the 1980s. Examples have been known to fetch £500 to £700 at auction. People just don’t realise what they’ve got. Drinks get tucked away in cupboards for decades and are forgotten about it.
“So, if you have any vintage spirits gathering dust at home do bring them in for assessment. It is wonderful to tell someone that a few old bottles which they thought might achieve £200 could gain them £2,000.”
The whiskies will be offered in Hansons’ March 27 Wine & Spirits Auction. Catalogue due live March 20 at www.hansonslive.co.uk.
Entries invited
Entries are invited for the April Wine & Spirits sales. To discuss a potential consignment, email Stuart Palmer: [email protected]
