Inside the multimillion pound Distillers One of One auction 2025
Old and rare whisky is often newsworthy, especially when one sells for a lot of money. These one-off bottles, a snapshot in time, don’t come around often which is why the Distillers One of One auction has become a much anticipated event. The auction brings together some of Scotland’s biggest brands, along with independents and liquid from long lost distilleries to raise money for charity. Since the initial auction in 2021, the Distillers One of One has established itself as the largest global charity auction of rare Scotch whisky ever staged and to date has raised over £4m. This has been principally awarded to the Youth Action Fund, which aims to transform young people's lives in Scotland, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to reach their potential and make a positive contribution to their communities. Having attended the first auction at Barnbougle Castle in 2021, I was keen to see how the auction would go this year, with its 39 lots. While every piece was a work of art, the buzz was around the Port Ellen Prism 46 Year Old. The oldest single malt ever released from the Islay distillery, it was held in an ethereal, sea-creature-like sculpture and sold for £375,000. Other art-like lots included the capsule 40 year old Laphroaig, which sold for £125,000; The Glenlivet SPIRA 60 Year Old, the oldest expression to be released from the distillery to-date, presented in a 1.5 litre spiral decanter hand-blown and shaped by Brodie Nairn at Glasstorm and which sold for a whopping £650,000 and the Glen Grant Eternal 77 Year Old which achieved an auction record and sold for £400,000, five times its estimated value. After welcome drinks and a chance to see the lots, the lunch - and auction - kicked off. The atmosphere in the room was often tense but mainly loud and joyful with the audience cheering and clapping as the bids got higher. The auctioneers were hilariously entertaining and, as the final hammer came down, it was unannounced that this year’s auction had raised £2.9m for charity. Grant Gordon OBE, chairman of the Distillers’ Charity said: “What pride for me to see that the Scotch Whisky industry continues to come together to raise incredible amounts in support of young people, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds, helping them achieve their ambitions and strengthen our communities. “Over nearly four years, between January 2022 and the end of September 2025, the Youth Action fund has helped 2619 young people secure employability, meaning a job apprenticeship, training or education leading to work. “We sincerely thank all those involved for their time and talent, whether they are in the industry, sponsors or craftspeople and the buyers for their support and generosity, whose contribution together helps transform the lives of young people in Scotland.”
