Highlighting
• The Red Collection by The Macallan
• The Reach 81 Year Old by The Macallan
• The Hibiki 40 Year Old by Suntory

Hong Kong – Some of the world's rarest whiskies, including The Red Collection and The Reach 81 Year Old by The Macallan, as well as The Hibiki 40 Year Old by Suntory, are being offered at Bonhams' Hong Kong online sale of Connoisseur's Treasures: Rare Whisky and Spirits from today until 30 November 2024. This 170-lot sale celebrates the opening of Bonhams' new Asia Headquarters at Six Pacific Place in Hong Kong and is part of Bonhams' exciting series of global spirits sales this season, which includes iconic online sales in France such as The Ultimate Japanese Whisky: Hanyu Ichiro's Malt Complete Card Series (12 – 29 November) and 200 Years of Cognac History: The Unique Delamain Bicentenary Dame-Jeanne Finest & Rarest Spirits (19 November – 6 December).

Terrence Tang, Bonhams' Head of Wine & Spirits, Asia, commented: "It is exceedingly rare to find not just one, but several high age-statement whiskies in a single sale. Our global network enables us to source the exceptional and rarest offerings from around the world for our discerning clients. With the recent reduction in liquor taxes, Hong Kong will further strengthen its position as a premier spirits trading hub, and Bonhams is well-positioned to capitalise on these opportunities to better serve our clients."

The pinnacle of The Macallan's portfolio, The Red Collection features a curated selection of ongoing aged expressions and high-aged guest releases. This is the first time The Red Collection has been offered at Bonhams as a seven-bottle set, which includes highly aged rare Scottish single malts: The Red Collection 40, 50, 60, 71, 74, 77 and 78 Year Old. Among them, the 60 Year Old is the rarest and highly sought-after bottle in the series. Estimated at HK$5,000,000-7,500,000, this set comprises some of The Macallan's oldest releases and stands among the oldest age-statement whiskies ever auctioned.

Inspired by the significance of the colour red throughout the brand's history, The Red Collection captures The Macallan's respect for tradition and craftsmanship. The colour red holds deep meaning for the brand, stemming from the founder's name, Alexander Reid. The surname Reid means "the red one," a name he was given due to his fiery red hair.

Billed as the second oldest release by The Macallan, The Reach, 81 Year Old was distilled in 1940 during a period of hardship and before The Macallan was forced to close its doors for the first time in its history. The whisky was drawn from a single sherry-seasoned oak cask to give an austere and complex taste, paired with subtle smokiness from the peat invariably used during this period. The luminous and deep auburn liquid is presented in a mouth-blown glass decanter, supported by three bronze hands, crafted by Scottish sculptor Saskia Robinson. Each hand symbolises a significant figure participated in the release: Master Whisky Maker Kirsteen Campbell, former Macallan chairman Allan Shiach and the distillery workers of 1940 who crafted the spirit in challenging times. The lot carries an estimate of HK$1,300,000-1,800,000.

The Hibiki 40 Year Old is the oldest blended whisky Suntory has yet produced. The acclaimed Japanese producer, which celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, released only 400 bottles of this limited-edition whisky on a global basis. This lot carries an estimate of HK$340,000-500,000 at Bonhams' November sale.

Hibiki 40 Year Old is an exquisitely subdued blend of top-quality Japanese Whiskies from Suntory's three renowned distilleries—Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita—each matured for over 40 years and meticulously blended by Suntory's Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo to create a full orchestra of flavours and aromas. The liquid used to make the blend was aged in a mixture of casks, including barrels made from Mizunara Japanese oak, Spanish oak and American oak. In Shinji Fukuyo's own words, the blend has "a sense of subduedness, like that of an old temple, and a wabi-sabi patina due to the long ageing process."

The quintessentially Japanese spirit of omotenashi - to wholeheartedly and thoughtfully welcome the guest – runs through the details of the packaging. The Hibiki 40 Year Old is completed with washi label on box crafted by washi artist Eriko Horiki, while the 30-faceted bottle adorned with traditional Japanese maki-e was crafted by Kagami Crystal, the same prestigious glassware maker and supplier to the Japanese imperial family.