Bonhams is Auctioning Off World's Most Expensive & Rare Japanese Whiskey Collection
54 bottles from the esteemed closed distillery of Hanyu.
Whiskey connoisseurs will be glad to know that up for auction right now at Bonhams is the world’s most expensive and rare collection of Japanese whiskey.
The world-renowned Hanyu Ichiro’s Full Card Series will be available at the upcoming Fine & Rare Wine and Whisky auction in Hong Kong later this summer. The series consists of 54 bottles of Scotch-style malt whiskey, each representing a gaming card, from the acclaimed distillery of Hanyu, which closed its doors almost 20 years ago in 2000. Ichiro Akuto, grandson of Isouji Akuto — a 19th generation descendant of sake brewers and whiskey producers who founded the distillery in 1941 — preserved 400 premium whiskey casks before the distiller shut down, and bottled each one for release between 2005 to 2014.
Bonhams’ Asia Director of Wine & Spirits Daniel Lam says about the collection: “Four years since the Hanyu Ichiro’s Full Card Series set the world auction record at Bonhams, the current market demand is at its strongest for Japanese Whisky. It is believed that no more than four sets of Full Card Series exist in the world. Over the years, moreover, many bottles have either been consumed or strictly kept in private, making it harder than ever to assemble a complete – and with such trusted provenance – series.”
This Hanyu Ichiro’s Full Card Series is estimated to go for $4,500,000-$6,000,000 HKD, or roughly $576,158-$768,210 USD. The auction will take place at Bonhams in Hong Kong on August 16. Head over to Bonhams’ auction page to learn more.
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