Rare Malts Resounding Success

With over 100 different bottlings released, ‘The Rare Malts Selection’ is one of the most coveted series of whiskies ever released. At McTear’s we have a number from this fantastic range in the Rare & Fine Whisky auction.

The series was conceived in 1995 when what is now Diageo bottled numerous primarily limited closed distillery bottlings at cask strength. The spirits dating back as early as the late 1960’s are some of the most desirable spirits in the world of whisky.

One of the more sought after expressions which is available to bid on is the Glenury Royal 1970 aged 28 years (lot 1259). As with any closed distillery there is a certain aura around this bottling, particularly as the land where Glenury Royal distillery was situated was sold for housing, resulting in this being a distillery never be re-born or recreated. This rarity is expected to sell for £600-£700.

Alongside the Glenury Royal bottling, there are also Rare Malts from Teaninich, Royal Lochnagar, Inchgower and Glen Ord amongst others featuring.

The Rare Malts Selection in 2003 morphed into what we now recognise as the Diageo’s annual ‘Special Releases’, which are some of the oldest and most desirable stocks of whisky released each autumn. Up until the 2017 Special Releases, Brora and Port Ellen had been the focal point of this range each year.

In October 2017 Diageo announced plans to revive the Brora and Port Ellen distilleries. Following this announcement Brora and Port Ellen were removed as regulars of the ‘Special Releases’. It is believed they were removed from the ‘Special Releases’ line-up to save stock for the re-opening of the distilleries.

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Graeme Maxwell

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.