The very first bottle of our single malt, bottle #1 of the Lakes Genesis whisky, has secured a world record for the most expensive bottle of whisky sold through auction for a new distillery.
The first bottle sold on Tuesday 10th July for a record-breaking £7,900. All 99 bottles were successfully sold through the auction at www.whiskyauctioneer.com, at a landmark average price of £900 per bottle. Bottle number #1 at £7,900 surpassed a previous whisky world record of £7,100 in auction from a new Scottish distillery held earlier this year.
Genesis, as you may have read or seen for yourself at the distillery, was presented in a bespoke rosewood presentation case with each bottle individually numbered and handsigned by Dhavall, our whiskymaker. The exclusive bottling paid homage to our humble beginnings and intends to give a glimpse into our future and what can be achieved at the distillery.
The auction ended just after 12.30 on the 10th July after the final bid was received for the full 99 lots available at the auction and was marked by an event at the distillery, celebrating what we’d achieved to date and with a lively countdown to the end of the auction.
Nigel Mills, Chief Executive of the distillery, said, “Genesis signifies an important milestone in our history – the auction was fascinating and exceeded all our expectations. We are proud to not only have produced a wonderful malt whisky but to have seen such a demand for the first bottles.”
Dhavall commented, “We don’t just bottle our whisky because it is three years old; instead, I look at each cask to assess them individually until I find the right flavour profile. We have reached a peak for some casks and that is why we released such a limited number now.
“It’s an amazing feeling that people are finally recognising whisky as art. People have a lot of faith in what we are doing and it’s amazing to see the prices reflecting that.”
Paul Currie, our Founder and Chief Operating Officer, said: “This is historic moment demonstrates that the Lakes single malt whisky is a credible alternative to whiskies from the world’s established distilleries.”
The whisky was first matured in Oloroso hogsheads giving it a vibrant character full of dried ginger and wood-spice. After the initial period of maturation, the whisky was finished in casks made-up of American and European oak to add a layer of dried fruit and vanilla. Finally, these two components were married together in Orange wine casks from the Andalucía region of Spain, giving it a spicy and chocolate-orange character.
