Bonhams to offer rare whisky by iconic bottler Silvano Samaroli

Bonhams will stage a Fine & Rare Wine and Whisky auction in Hong Kong next month, estimated to achieve HK$28 million in total to mark its “10 years of leadership in whisky auction”, the auctioneer announced.

The Japanese ‘Ghost Series’

The sale on 17 May will feature a total of 450 lots of whisky and 350 lots of wine.

Headlining the Scotch whisky session are 25 lots from the late Italian bottler Silvano Samaroli – by far the largest offering in the Asia market and are understood to be in such scarcity in Asia that finding as few as five bottles on any one occasion would be a huge challenge for any whisky enthusiast.

Bonhams’ sale in May will present a total of 15 lots of Samaroli whisky distilled in the 1960s and 1970s, marking this sale as an exclusive opportunity to collect sought-after Samaroli expressions.

Headlining the Japanese whisky section is the ‘Ghost Series’ by Stefan Van Eycken, chief editor and owner of internationally-renowned whisky blog ‘Nonjatta’. 

Daniel Lam, Bonhams’ Director of Wine & Spirits, Asia, commented: “Since 2009, Bonhams has been Asia’s very first international auction house to introduce and commit to the whisky category, and we have been a market leader in this field since. The past decade has seen a strong and steady growth in the auction sale of whisky, with 2018 being an exceptional record year for Bonhams.

“As the global whisky community continues to be younger and more diverse, we are presenting an ever-eclectic selection of Scotch and Japanese whiskies in our May sale. From the rare and sought-after Scotch whisky from the late legendary bottler Silvano Samaroli, to the recently popular whisky casks, and further on to a set of “Ghost Series” Japanese whisky, our sale offers a lot to capture the diversifying market appetite.”