Largest Private Whiskey Collection Goes Under The Hammer With Luxury Headliners

Thursday, 26 June 2025 at 15:01Bonhams

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He who saves, has something. A collector has spent 25 years building an enormous collection, which is now going to be auctioned off all at once. One of the 'most complete whisky collections in the world' is going under the hammer.

Auction house Bonhams has the honor of selling this whisky collection from an American collector. The Encyclopedic Whisky Collection, as Bonhams calls it, is divided into 52 lots.

FAQ

What is the Encyclopedic Whisky Collection?
A collection of rare and old whiskies, collected by one individual.
Where is it being sold?
It will be actioned off at Bonhams.
Is it only Scotch?
No, the whiskies are from all over the world.

Full sets of rare whiskies acutioned at one spot

Among the highlights is a full set of The Macallan Lalique Collection. This rare set is incomplete in many places, with one of the few complete collections housed in the Grande Whisky Museum in Singapore. Interestingly, Bonhams is auctioning these bottles individually rather than as a set.

Another rare Scottish set included is The Balvenie DCS Compendium Chapters 1 to 5. This whisky series honors malt master David Stewart through various themed editions. The fact that the entire set is going under the hammer at one auction is a first.

Besides these sets, individual bottles are also up for sale. Whisky enthusiasts can bid on the second and last editions of Bowmore Black Bowmore. Other notable bottles from Scotland include a Glenfiddich 50 Year Old and The Macallan Cask 888.

What is the Encyclopedic Whisky Collection?

It is unclear why the collector is selling his extensive range of whiskies. However, it is clear that there are many rare bottles included.

The collection contains a wide variety of whiskies from diverse backgrounds. Bonhams describes it not only as a complete collection but also as ‘a complete history of the finest whiskies from Scotland, as well as the best American and Japanese whiskies.’

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Whisky gems from other countries

Other countries are also well represented in the collection. How about a very rare Yamazaki 25th Anniversary 1984 whisky? Or one of the Karuizawa Aika Geisha Bourbon Cask whiskies included in the set? These come from before the old Karuizawa distillery closed down.

Bourbon lovers can also join in the bidding. There are Pappy Van Winkle bottles, which usually fetch huge sums. In this auction, a 23-year-old and a 25-year-old bourbon will be sold.

How to participate in the whisky auction?

The auction starts today at 1:00 PM US time. From then on, bids can be placed via the Bonhams website. The collection is expected to bring in at least several hundred thousand.