The captivating Caol Ila Manager’s Dram

21/05/2018     Whisky

The Manager’s Dram series is instantly recognisable to any whisky collector or enthusiast, and in the McTear’s Rare and Collectable Whisky sale, we have two bottles of the most sought-after bottling from the range, the Caol Ila 15 years old.

The series began back in the 1980s when the Scottish Malt Distillers/United Distillers distillery managers would pick a cask from their stocks which they believed to be the best. These casks would then be tasted blind, and a winner selected. The early releases were not publicly available so are very much sought after by collectors. The series still continues today, with Diageo as the parent company releasing an outstanding whisky each year.

The 1990 bottling was the Caol Ila 15 years old, which with its rich, dark colour from the sherry casks and its classic Caol Ila smokiness, the liquid is sure to be sensational. The rarity and the quality of the spirit in Lots 1235 and 1270 keep driving the value up, as these bottles are expected to sell for in excess of £2,000.

Other notable Manager’s Drams bottlings up for auction include the Glen Elgin 15 years old (lot 1260) from 1988 estimated to sell for £800 – £1000, and the Oban 200th Anniversary aged 16 years (lot 1245) with an estimate of £400 – £500.

McTear’s sells more whisky than any other traditional auction house in the dedicated whisky auctions that take place monthly, run concurrently live online on a platform that attracts six million visitors annually from over 120 countries worldwide.

Written by Graeme Maxwell

What's it worth?

Find out what your items are worth by completing our short valuation form - it's free!

Get started

Get the McTear's News!

Sign up for our free newsletters - we'll never pass your details on to third parties. 

Get in touch

Upload images if relevant to your enquiry Add file
Select fileChange Remove