Auctioneers have unveiled what is believed to be the largest private collection of whisky ever to go on public sale.
More
than 3,900 bottles of primarily single malt Scotch will be sold by
online whisky auction specialists Whisky Auctioneer next year. The "perfect collection" includes very rare bottles from The Macallan, Bowmore and Springbank distilleries.
Its collective value has been estimated at a hammer price of £7m to £8m.
Perth-based Whisky Auctioneer described it as "the most extensive private collection we have seen in terms of the completeness of representation of 20th Century Scottish distilleries".
The collection has been put up for sale by the family of an American businessman who died in 2014.
Colorado-based Richard Gooding, who once owned one of the largest soft-drink distributors in the US, spent more than 20 years amassing his collection.
The eclectic mix of whiskies includes bottlings from some of Scotland's lost distilleries, such as Stromness and Dallas Dhu.
It also features some of the most sought-after bottles in the world, including The Macallan 1926 60-year-old Valerio Adami label and The Macallan 1926 60-year-old Fine and Rare.
In October a bottle of The Macallan 1926 sold for nearly £1.5m, including buyer's premium.
Other stars of the auction include a Springbank 1919 50-year-old (estimated hammer price: £180,000-£220,000) and The Macallan 50-year-old Lalique Six Pillars Collection (£90,000-£100,000)
Until recently, the collection was housed in what Mr Gooding called his "pub" - a dedicated room in his Colorado family home that was specially designed to showcase his whiskies.
The Gooding auction will go live on Whisky Auctioneer from 7-17 February and from 10-20 April 2020.
