Yamazaki 50-year-old to lead Japanese whisky sale at Bonhams

A bottle of Yamazaki 50-year-old is to headline a sale of Japanese whisky at Bonhams Hong Kong on August 15 with a $19,351-24,511 estimate.

Aged in Mizunara Oak barrels, the libation has a reddish hue. One of only 150 bottles, it is described as possessing a deep and elegant taste and is the rarest whisky ever produced in Japan.

Yamazaki whisky Bonhams
Yamazaki 50-year-old is the rarest Japanese whisky on the market

The Yamazaki distillery was founded on the outskirts of Kyoto in 1923, making it the oldest in the country.

A bottle of Karuizawa 1965 21-year-old will provide another highlight, with a valuation of $10,965-14,836.

The distillery (one of the smallest in Japan) was founded in 1955 and produces its highly sought after whisky in the mountains above Tokyo.

The lot was bottled during the 1980s under Ocean Co and comes presented in a handmade wooden case.

A set of four Hanyu Ichiro whiskies from the 52-bottle playing card series is valued at $11,610-15,481.

The scotch was produced between 1991 and 2000 at the now defunct Hanyu distillery and is among the last stock remaining following its closure at the start of the millennium.

In recent years Ichiro Akuto, grandson of Hanyu's founder, has opened a new facility on the island of Honshu and is once more producing whisky.

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