A decanter of 59-year-old Dalmore Eos whisky has auctioned for $117,500 at Bonhams Hong Kong. 

In doing so, the rare 750ml decanter made a mockery of the $36,000 estimate placed on it ahead of Friday's auction.

A veritable "taste explosion" awaits the new owner

How rare is “rare”? Dalmore produced just 20 decanters. All in 2011. 

The liquid was aged in sherry casks and is said to offer the drinker “an exhilarating explosion of honeyed pear and pineapple, bitter dark chocolate and roasted coffee”.

Not forgetting the “soft peaches, mangoes and almonds”. And that’s even before we mention the “intense flavours of toffee and caramel, orange, golden syrup and cinnamon”. 

There’s clearly a lot going on in this bottle, which is the work of Dalmore's master distiller, Richard Paterson. Bonhams' head of fine wine and whisky in Hong Kong, Daniel Lam, commented: “Richard Paterson, also known as ‘The Nose’, has over 50 years’ experience in creating masterpiece whiskies like no other.

“The limited production, premium quality, and prestigious craftsmanship are all factors that attribute to the success of Dalmore and make it highly demanded by private collectors.”

The sale follows the auction in January of a bottle of Yamazaki 50-year-old. It set a new record for a Japanese whisky when it achieved $298,925 at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, more than doubling its $140,365 estimate.

That also stands as the record for a whisky in a regular bottle.

The Macallan ‘M’ Imperiale Lalique six-litre decanter that achieved $630,000 at Sotheby’s in 2014 remains the record holder for any whisky bottle.