Brora Iris, donated by Diageo to the Distillers One Of One Charity Auction, has sold for £400,000 / $483,080 (including buyer’s premium), breaking the record for the highest price ever paid for a single bottle from the distillery.
Sold at Hopetoun House, Edinburgh in partnership with Sotheby’s, the stunning work of art represents the eye of a Scottish Wildcat, the emblem of Brora Distillery, and is the oldest whisky ever to be released from the distillery, crafted by distillers at Brora five decades ago. The new owner will also be invited to explore the reawakened distillery with five guests and be guided by distillery host Andrew Flatt through an exquisite tasting experience.
The proceeds raised from the sale of Brora Iris at the auction and the 38 other lots, totalling £1.8 million, will be donated to the Distillers’ Charity, principally to the Youth Action Fund, dedicated to transforming the lives of young people in Scotland.
Commenting on the charity auction, Javier Ferrán, Diageo Chairman, said: “We are honoured to have been a part of the second Distillers’ Charity One-of-One auction and that our Brora Iris sold for £400,000, making a significant contribution to the £1.8million total the auction achieved. We look forward to working with the Distillers’ Charity as they put this contribution to good use supporting communities and young people across Scotland.”
Collaboration
A collaboration by a number of highly skilled artists and craftspeople, the Brora Iris consists of a 1.5 litre decanter representing the Wildcat’s iris, while the stone sculpture has been hewn from the same limestone that was used to build Brora Distillery, by Scotland based sculptor and artist Michelle De Bruin. It is crowned by a bronze wildcat figure, which acts as a key to the decanter, cast by one of the UK’s leading animalier sculptors, Jonathan Knight.
