The Distillers One of One: 8 Rare Whiskies You’ll Only Ever See Once
Every two years, Scotland’s finest whisky makers unite in the name of charity. The Distillers One of One is a whisky auction like no other. As the name implies, every bottle going under the hammer is unique — a singular creation. Each highly valuable liquid is donated free of charge, with many representing the oldest whiskies ever released by their respective brands.
The world’s leading charity auction for rare and old Scotch whiskies, this biannual event attracts immense anticipation. Some of the industry’s biggest names compete for the top hammer prices, with 36 distilleries and brands taking part this year. Impressively, 100% of proceeds go to charity.
Since launching in 2021, The Distillers One of One has raised an extraordinary £4.3 million (US$5.25 million) for the Youth Action Fund — an organisation providing long-term opportunities for disadvantaged young people across Scotland.
Each bottle is a highlight and a piece of whisky heritage in its own right. Here are eight of the most remarkable bottlings you can bid for. Scotch whisky doesn’t get any more exclusive than this.
Glendronach Arias In Time
Estimated hammer price: £60,000–£100,000
The revered Highland distillery Glendronach presents Arias In Time, a unique four-bottle collection that charts its liquid history across the decades.
It features whiskies from the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s carefully selected by Master Blender Dr Rachel Barrie from ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximénez sherry casks.
The set is accompanied by a bespoke bronze sculpture created using the ancient lost-wax casting technique.
The Glen Grant Eternal
Estimated hammer price: £120,000–£150,000
The oldest whisky at this year’s auction comes from The Glen Grant. Drawn from a single ex-sherry European oak butt distilled in 1948, this 77-year-old Speyside single malt has matured in that same cask for nearly eight decades.
Housed in a handblown crystal decanter shaped like a seed pod, Eternal pays homage to the distillery’s famed Victorian Garden of Splendours, which still flourishes today with original specimens brought back from expeditions to Asia, South America and Africa.
The Glenlivet SPIRA
Estimated hammer price: £60,000–£110,000
The Glenlivet may be one of the world’s best-selling single malts, but it has never released anything as old as SPIRA. Distilled and filled into a single hogshead in 1965, this 60-year-old whisky has rested undisturbed ever since.
The name derives from the Latin for ‘spiral’, and the handcrafted curved decanter reflects the swirling vapours rising within the stills — a fitting tribute to Speyside history.
Kandoblanc Dragon In Clouds
Estimated hammer price: £50,000–£100,000
Kandoblanc, a bespoke bottling house founded by whisky expert Dhavall Gandhi, marries traditional craftsmanship with exquisite whisky. Dragon In Clouds is a one-off creation that unites heritage art forms with a 60-year-old single malt.
The Murano glass decanter, made using ancient Venetian techniques, holds a refined, enduring whisky chosen for its symbolic connection to the dragon — a creature revered for strength and longevity.
Laphroaig Capsule
Estimated hammer price: £40,000–£80,000
One of the most visually arresting releases of the auction, Laphroaig Capsule is a 40-year-old peated single malt from Islay’s legendary distillery. The whisky is encased in a striking green crystal ‘capsule’ decanter, handblown and topped with a platinum-plated cap.
The liquid within is a marriage of two rare 1980s distillations — one matured in ex-Oloroso sherry casks, the other in ex-bourbon — brought together in an American oak hogshead in 2022.
A single bottle has been drawn exclusively for the auction.
Old Pulteney Polaris
Estimated hammer price: £26,000–£40,000
Polaris is the oldest release ever from Old Pulteney. Matured for 47 years, it began life in American oak ex-bourbon casks before a seven-year finish in a first-fill Spanish oak ex-sherry butt.
Inspired by its remote northern setting, the distillery collaborated with a local glass studio to create the hand-blown decanter. The outer casket is made from nearby Caithness slate and finished with copper salvaged from an old still.
Port Ellen Prism
Estimated hammer price: £150,000–£300,000
The legendary Port Ellen distillery on Islay reopened in March 2024 after more than 40 years of silence. Now celebrating its 200th anniversary, it marks the occasion with Prism — the oldest single malt ever released from the distillery.
Distilled in 1978, just before closure, and bottled as a 46-year-old, this extraordinary 1.5-litre decanter is encased within a glass sculpture created by acclaimed artist Wilfried Grootens.
Expect one of the auction’s top hammer prices.
Royal Brackla 54 Years Old
Estimated hammer price: £13,000–£25,000
Royal Brackla was the first Scottish distillery to receive a Royal Warrant, and this one-of-a-kind 54-year-old bottling honours that heritage.
Drawn from a single refill ex-bourbon hogshead (Cask #2665), filled on 24 March 1970 and hand-selected by Malt Master Stephanie Macleod, it’s presented in a handcrafted crystal carafe from La Cristallerie Royale de Saint-Louis and an elegant wooden casket.
A regal dram in every sense.
