Fine Spirits Auction, France’s leading online spirits auctioneer, has announced that a rare cask of Port Ellen whisky, distilled in 1979, will go under the hammer with bidding opening at €1 million.

Port Ellen 1979 – Cask of Distinction – No. 1145 (51.4% ABV), which previously sold at auction in 2022 for £875,000, is a single cask, single malt Scotch whisky, distilled on February 15th 1979 and matured in a refill American oak hogshead cask.

Presented in partnership with Diageo, the cask is currently maturing at Royal Lochnagar Distillery in the Scottish Highlands. The buyer will have the option to continue maturing the whisky there until February 16th 2029, when it reaches 50 years of age.

The auction lot includes comprehensive logistics support, storage, and bottling as part of the official Port Ellen Cask of Distinction range.

Commenting on the news, Etienne de La Morsanglière, Director of Fine & Rare Spirits at La Maison du Whisky, said: “Opportunities to showcase a Port Ellen cask of this provenance and age are extremely rare. This Cask of Distinction boasts an impeccably documented history and now carries an added privilege: its future owner will be granted a special dispensation permitting the whisky to continue maturing until its 50th birthday. We’re delighted to present this cask to international collectors via Fine Spirits Auction.”

Bidding for Port Ellen 1979 – Cask of Distinction – No. 1145, is now live on the Fine Spirits Auction website until October 2nd.