SPRINGBANK AND MALT MILL CAUSE A STIR AT ONLINE AUCTION
LONDON, 21st JULY 2022 : The appetite for rare whisky miniatures shows no signs of slowing as 5cl bottles of collector’s favourite Springbank 1919 and the elusive Malt Mill sell for £7,360 and £6,670* respectively at online auction house Whisky.Auction, setting records for these drams.
Malt Mill is the world’s rarest single malt and at £6,670 for a miniature of Malt Mill 10 Year Old, it just became one of the most valuable. Produced at a tiny distillery in the grounds of Lagavulin on Islay, and only produced between 1908 and 1962, this much sought-after spirit is shrouded in a little mystery and a lot of intrigue, for it was never bottled as a single malt, but rather used for blends. The only way to be sure of the authenticity of a bottle of Malt Mill is with almost impossible levels of research into its ownership, origins and provenance; something that the Whisky.Auction team has done plenty of. Each bottle that appears from the depths of the industry, likely samples from an ex-employee or, in reality a bottle acquired by a local pub landlord, is so desired by many around the world for its elusiveness. Find out more from this piece written by whisky expert and historian Nicholas Morgan: https://magazine.whisky.auction/articles/malt-mill-the-rarest-single-malt-whisky/
In the piece he comments “Is this the rarest bottle of whisky in the world? A genuine taste of antiquity? An insight into what whisky tasted like not just fifty years ago, or a hundred years ago, but in the style of the mid nineteenth century that made, as Peter Mackie said in 1908, ‘highland whisky famous.’ A taste of something that only a handful of other people have enjoyed. And something that will never, ever, be repeated. That’s not as common as muck. That’s real rare.”
The purchaser of this valuable Malt Mill miniature however, isn’t sure it’ll be opened for tasting: “It is exciting! I’m not sure I’ll ever drink it though. The description from Serge [Valentin of WhiskyFun.com] et al is good enough for me. Rather I’ll hang onto it for a few years and feel proud to own it.”
Springbank 1919 50 Year Old is a firm collectors favourite, and broke its own record for a miniature this month with a price of £7,360, having achieved £6,440 back in August 2021. This particular bottle is labelled as bottle ‘No. 2’ and features a Certificate of Authenticity, serving as extra proof of its provenance. The Springbank Distillery in Campbeltown, where traditional hands-on production results in a smaller output than most, has built a global reputation for quality whisky much revered by whisky lovers, in particular these rare early releases.
Whisky.Auction director Isabel Graham-Yooll comments “The prices achieved on these two very rare miniatures is exciting but perhaps not unexpected given the rarity of these whiskies. Much of the liquid we see coming to auction in miniatures is simply unavailable in full bottles, having been consumed many years before. Miniatures often outlive their full-size counterparts in ‘souvenir’ style. And sometimes, the liquid is so scarce that only miniatures ever existed.”
© Whisky.Auction Magazine – Source: https://magazine.whisky.auction/articles/malt-mill-the-rarest-single-malt-whisky/
* prices quoted include commission
Notes
Whisky.Auction is an auction website that offers the finest whiskies, spirits and wines from all around the world. Based in London, Whisky.Auction is run by a team of knowledgeable industry experts, including auction director Isabel Graham-Yooll. The platform runs a monthly auction for full spirits and memorabilia with all lots being received, checked and catalogued by the team, as well as a popular quarterly miniatures auction.