The prices some whiskies sell for at auction are simply staggering. Nc’nean and Whisky Auctioneer recently achieved an almost unbelievable £41,004 for a single bottle of Ainnir and in doing so, helped to raise £92,500 for charity.
Some of you reading the above might be thinking to yourselves, “that must be a miss-type!”, incredibly, it’s not. This rather special whisky is proving to be astonishingly popular. In just 36 hours, Nc’nean had sold out of Ainnir and has followed this up with obliterating the auction world record for a first bottle from a new distillery.
Ten bottles of Ainnir were up for auction; these were numbers 1 to 10. It was bottle #1 that achieved the new world record price and in doing so, quadrupled the previous record. That’s not a bad start for a new distillery, is it?
The liquid, made exclusively from organic Scottish barley, attracted significant attention globally with over 852 bids from 13 countries. In addition to the £84,004 raised through the auction, a contribution of £8,560 was added to the result by the host, Whisky Auctioneer.
The online whisky auction specialist donated the 10% buyers’ commission plus fees from registrations during the course of the four-day auction to the grand total raised.
Annabel Thomas, the founder of Nc’nean, said: “We could not be happier with the success of this auction. I’m really proud that Nc’nean has been able to give something back to support charities and the hospitality industry that has been particularly hard hit recently.
“Proceeds will go to Trees for Life, The Drinks Trust, The Ben, The Scottish Farm Land Trust and Morvern Community Trust – local, sustainability and hospitality industry organisations that are close to our heart and deserve our support.
Our maiden bottling has now completely sold out. Watch this space for the next chapter in the Nc’nean story; we have some exciting announcements ahead.”
Iain McClune, the founder of Whisky Auctioneer, commented: “This is a fantastic result. The significant interest shown by our global community of whisky lovers and connoisseurs comes as no surprise, the first release from a forward-thinking and exciting young distillery is an enticing prospect, as the generous bidding and record-breaking price for bottle #1 attests.
We are incredibly proud to have hosted this auction and to contribute to the funds raised for Nc’nean’s chosen charities. We hope that these donations will make a real difference to their important work during such difficult times.”
Ainnir, Nc’nean’s first-ever single malt whisky release is an unpeated, smooth and elegant single malt whisky made exclusively from organic Scottish barley. A marriage of five casks bottled at a natural cask strength (60.3%) and not chill-filtered or coloured. It is made in a distillery powered by 100% renewable energy and is bottled in a 100% recycled glass bottle.
Colin Mackenzie-Blackman, Head of Fundraising and Engagement at Trees for Life, said: “We are delighted that Nc’nean has partnered with us and congratulate them on such a successful auction. This generous contribution will make a real, tangible difference to our mission to rewild the Scottish Highlands, enabling wildlife to flourish and communities to thrive”
To find out more and to register to take part in upcoming auctions please visit www.whiskyauctioneer.com.
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