On Saturday, a Club Natsume edition of the Yamazaki 50-Year-Old became the most expensive Japanese whisky ever sold at auction. It fetched HK$8.25 million (US$1.05 million or ¥168 million) at Bonhams Hong Kong, far exceeding its pre-sale estimate of US$360,000–$530,000. The price was 30% higher than the previous record for a Japanese whisky, set by a Yamazaki 55 at the same auction house in August 2020.
Yamazaki 50-Year-Old | Image: Bonhams
Yamazaki 50-Year-Old: One of the Most Coveted and Expensive Whiskies in the World
The Yamazaki 50-Year-Old is among the rarest and most celebrated Japanese single malts ever released. Distilled in the 1950s and matured for decades in Japanese Mizunara oak, it showcases a style of whisky renowned for its distinctive sandalwood, incense and spice notes. The rarity of long-aged Mizunara casks, combined with the whisky’s exceptional age, has made it one of the most coveted bottlings in Japanese whisky.
This particular bottle carries an added layer of rarity. The bespoke bottling was created as a private gift to mark the 50th anniversary of Club Natsume, an exclusive members’ club in Nagoya, and was never intended for commercial sale. It features a distinctive washi paper label and bears the signature of Suntory Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo, details that further enhance its appeal to collectors.
Karuizawa 52-Year-Old Treasure Ship | Image: Bonhams
The Karuizawa 52-Year-Old Treasure Ship
Alongside the Yamazaki 50-Year-Old, the Karuizawa 52-Year-Old Cask #5627, 1960 – Treasure Ship sold for HK$6.25 million (US$797,000), comfortably surpassing its pre-sale estimate of HK$2.2 million to HK$3.2 million. One of only 41 bottles produced, it features handmade washi paper labeling, a hand-carved antique netsuke — a traditional Japanese toggle — suspended from its neck, and a wenge-wood puzzle-box case. With both lots far exceeding expectations, the sale offered further evidence that demand for Japan’s rarest whiskies shows little sign of slowing.
