Bonhams Edinburgh smash the Whisky World Record

A rare and exclusive bottle of 55 Year Old Glenfiddich commemorating and celebrating the 110th birthday of Janet Sheed Roberts, the granddaughter of William Grant – founder of the Glenfiddich distillery – and the oldest person in Scotland sold for a world record £46,850 at Bonhams Whisky auction in Edinburgh yesterday.  The previous world record for a bottle of single malt at auction was £29,700.

The cask was filled on New Year’s Eve 1955 and over the past 55 years so much of the liquid has evaporated or soaked into the barrel that there is only enough whisky left to fill 15 bottles. Eleven of these – one to celebrate each decade of Janet Sheed Roberts’ life – will be sold at auctions round the world over the coming 12 months to raise money for charity.

The proceeds of the bottle auctioned yesterday will go to support Water Aid.

Bonhams Head of Whisky, Martin Green, said, “It’s a great privilege to have sold a bottle with such a distinguished pedigree and for such a good cause. We area all delighted.”

In total the sale raised £215,000 and 93% the lots were sold.