Bottles of Laphroaig Whisky Signed by King Charles III Fall ‘Just Shy’ of Bidding Price, Fail to Sell
Two Laphroaig 15 Year scotch whisky bottles signed by the King Charles III failed to sell at auction yesterday. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
The bidding closed Wednesday on two bottles of Laphroaig 15 Year that were signed by King Charles III at McTear’s Auction House. According to McTear’s whisky specialist, Ewan Thompson, they were expected to sell for somewhere between $3,500 and $7,500.
The bidding fell “just shy” of the minimum price, Thompson told Whiskey Raiders, and the bottles have yet to sell.
“These are extremely rare bottles, with no records of any of the other signed examples coming into auction,” Thompson said, according to Scottish Field.
The whiskies were bottled in 2000 after a special cask was presented to the former Prince of Wales in honor of his 50th birthday. The cask was then donated to Erskine Hospital Appeal, Scotland’s largest veteran charity.
Of the 270 bottles from that cask, Scottish Field reported that just 14 were signed by the monarch, adding to their value.
The anonymous Scottish vendor who purchased the bottles and put them up for auction was on track to reach a significant profit, as the two bottles host special labels created specifically for the limited-edition range, called Craggs and Barrels.
“The Laphroaig 15 year old is a fabulous whisky in its own right however, there is no doubt the signatures elevate the lot to a different level.” Thompson concluded.
Laphroaig is one of King Charles’ favorite whisky distilleries, according to the Daily Record. The Islay producer holds over 200 years of history after being established in 1815, and its claim to fame stems from its single malt Scotches. The Monarch told the distillery manager that Laphroaig makes, “the finest whisky in the world” and visited the distillery to celebrate his 60th birthday in 2008.
The bottles remain available for now.
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