ARTS & COLLECTIBLES

THE GLOBETROTTER AND HIS WHISKY COLLECTION

A man who we simply know as Pat has traveled the world in pursuit of good whisky and has made history after selling his collection - the largest in the world to come to auction with over 9,000 bottles and 23 auctions with Whisky Auctioneer - the curtain has closed bringing in a total of $4.5M.

KIRK ELLIS

The collector, known only as Pat, bought his first whiskies based on the recommendation of a colleague. His determination to explore and taste every area of whisky soon outstripped his ability to open the bottles he was acquiring, and so began his collection. Almost twenty years later, Pat’s Whisk(e)y Collection became the most extensive private collection ever auctioned.

Unprecedented on the secondary market, Pat’s Whisk(e)y Collection took over 12 months to auction off across a series of specially curated monthly spotlight auctions and dedicated sales. Pat’s Whisky Collection featured over 5,000 Scotch single malts, more than 1,000 blended whiskies, over 600 American whiskies, and hundreds of often-overlooked grain whiskies and independent bottlings most complete picture of whisky ever brought to market.

Pat from Pat’s Whisk(e)y Collection and Joe Wilson, Whisky Auctioneer

Pat’s Whisky Collection was sold via Whisky Auctioneer, the world’s leading online platform for buying and selling whisky and spirits at auction. A collection like no other, it has been one of the company’s biggest success stories and will likely never be replicated on the secondary market.

“Pat’s Whisky Collection was historic, a once in a lifetime chance for whisky lovers old and new to bid on some of the most diverse bottles on the secondary market,” explains Iain McClune, Founder of Whisky Auctioneer. “The variety of whiskies on offer was unique, with whiskies accessible at every price point, hopefully inspiring the next generation of collectors. It’s highly unlikely we’ll ever see a collection as large and diverse as this one, meaning this auction will go down in whisky history, setting a precedent for future collectors.”

“Building a whisky collection was never actually my original goal - I simply wanted to try everything, and there were so many releases, distilleries, and countries to explore,” elaborates the collector, Pat. “When I reached over 2,000 bottles, I decided to create a collection that represented the full picture of whisky, and for me, that meant everything from non-age statements, blends, and world whiskies to the rarest examples - a true showcase of all sides of such a varied spirit.

Compass Box Hedonism

Manager’s Dram Series from Diageo’s Distilleries

Summit of Collectibility Panel in Sky Bar, Edinburgh.

From Left: Matt Hastings, Douglas Cook, Pauline Vicard, Pat,

Joe Wilson, Alice Lascelles

Selling the collection was a deeply emotional process for me since it has been such a huge part of my life. I feel this incredible journey has culminated in a fitting finale with these bottles entered back into the market so other people can enjoy them, perhaps with some added knowledge gained alongside. My journey with whisky is not over, but I hope my approach will inspire whisky lovers and future collectors to be diverse and eclectic when constructing their own collections. Anyone can collect whisky, and good whisky can be discovered anywhere and at any price.”

This last auction completed twenty-three stellar auctions, nine of which were curated exclusively from Pat’s Whisky collection. Highlights from these curated auctions include: The Heart & Soul: Bourbon & American Whiskey Auction (total hammer price: £376,183.00), A Journey of Discovery: The European Bottler’s Auction (total hammer price: £302,456.00), A Connoisseur’s Choice: Gordon & MacPhail Auction: (total hammer price: £246,209.00), and Pat’s Whisky: The Grand Finale (total hammer price: £758,223).