YAMAZAKI’S ONE-OFF SPECIAL BLEND JUNSHIN DEBUTS AT AUCTION IN BONHAMS NOVEMBER SALE
Yamazaki Junshin
One of the only 200 bottles of Yamazaki Junshin privately released this year will lead Bonhams Fine and Rare Wine & Whisky sale in Hong Kong on 18 November 2022. The Junshin, which means “pure” and “true” in Japanese, is marketed as Yamazaki’s special one-off blend and presented as a gift to pay tribute to globally-renowned master blender Richard Paterson, for his long years of dedication to Japanese whisky. It was only available to Suntory’s VIP clients but is now going to the rostrum with an estimate of HK$250,000-320,000.
Formulated by Fukuyo Shinju, Suntory’s Chief Blender, the Junshin takes its tasters down the memory lane of the distillery’s 100 years of whisky making. This whisky blends Mizunara malt, Spanish oak malt, and smoky malt aged for more than 20 years with super-long aged malt matured for more than 50 years in Japanese Mizunara casks:
Yamazaki Single Malt oldest Mizunara 1960/62 year-old, 1961/61 year-old and 1964/58 year-old.
Yamazaki Single Malt Mizunara 1999/23 year-old
Yamazaki Single Malt Spanish Oak 2001/21 year-old
Yamazaki Single Malt American Oak Puncheon Peated 2000/22 year-old
The label, made with the traditional Echizen washi paper, features the word Junshin by famous calligrapher Takeda Souun. This also marks the very first time calligraphy has appeared on the label of a Yamazaki bottle. The terms “pure” and “true” were chosen to describe the whisky-makers’ pure intent for their craft.
Diego Lanza, Bonhams Senior Whisky Specialist, commented: “Presented as a splendid gift not meant for the secondary market, the Yamazaki Junshin comprises the rarest and oldest – up to 62 years old – vintages ever produced by the Yamazaki distillery, which is something usually only found in their best products, such as the Yamazaki 50-year-old and 55-year-old. It is fair to say that the Yamazaki Junshin is as rare as these trophy bottles. We therefore expect a lot of interest from global collectors, not only because this will be the very first time it is offered to the public, but also ahead of Yamazaki’s 100th anniversary next year.”
Other whisky highlights include:
An incredible selection of more than 140 bottles of Karuizawa whisky led by: a complete 10 bottle-set of Karuizawa “Samurai” series (estimate: HK$850,000-1,000,000, imaged left); a single-owner whisky collection featuring a complete 36-bottle set of Karuizawa “36 Views of Mount Fuji” (estimate: HK$1,300,000-1,700,000); five rare bottles of Karuizawa 1965-over-50-year-old “Streams of Time” (estimate: HK$420,000-750,000); and a Karuizawa 1968 50-year-old “Aqua of Life” (estimate: HK$380,000-480,000).
The Scotch whisky section is highlighted by The Macallan 55-Year-Old in Lalique (estimate: HK$700,000-800,000, imaged right), The Macallan 1951-Cask #1541/1542 (estimate: HK$250,000-300,000), and a Bowmore 1965 52 year old (estimate: HK$240,000-300,000).
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and collectables, motor cars and a luxury division, including jewellery, watches, wine and whisky. The main salerooms are in London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Hong Kong, with auctions also held in Knightsbridge, Edinburgh, and Sydney. With a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 22 countries, Bonhams offers advice and valuation services in 53 specialist areas. For a full list of forthcoming auctions, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com
Fine and Rare Whisky 18 November 2022 Bonhams Hong Kong, 20/F, One Pacific Place, Admiralty