Some oldest cognacs for sale at Bonhams

New York - Very old and ultra-rare cognacs led the successful sale of the Whisky, Cognac & Rare Spirits Auction on April 30 at Bonhams, which is the third largest international fine art auction house.

The auction's top lot and front cover catalog highlight, a 1762 vintage Gautier that is one of the oldest authenticated cognac vintages known, experienced spirited bidding amongst an international clientele, eventually selling to an online bidder from Poland for a final price of 59.500 $.

The 987-lot auction notes other top selling highlights of whisky, bourbon, rye, cognac and rare spirits, which includes a 40 year old Royal Salute 1953-1993 that sold for 10.115 $. It was a limited edition offering in a ruby red Baccarat crystal decanter for the 40th anniversary of the introduction of Royal Salute to honor the Queen's Coronation.

A highlight among the fine examples of top-tier Scotch whiskies is a 40-year-old 1961 Macallan Fine & Rare that fetched 8.925 $.

Other noteworthy highlights that sold include a seven bottle set of Erte Edition from Courvoisier (5.950 $) and a 38-year-old Bowmore 1964 vintage (5.355 $).

Bonhams’ Whisky & Rare Spirits Specialist, Joseph Hyman, commented: "The market for premium and vintage spirits remains strong across all categories and among a wide range of buyers".

Bonhams is now accepting consignments for its next Whisky, Cognac & Rare Spirits auction, which will take place on October 19 in New York.