Two ultra-aged Japanese whiskies, including the oldest Karuizawa ever released, are set to be auctioned in Hong Kong later this month.
Auction house Bonhams said the sale will feature a one-of-a-kind Yamazaki 50-Year-Old created exclusively for Club Natsume in Japan, as well as a Karuizawa 52-Year-Old from 1960 known as “Treasure Ship”.
The live auction will be held at Bonhams Hong Kong in Pacific Place, Wan Chai, on 30 May 2026.
This comes after two casks from Karuizawa were became the highest value lots ever sold at a Christie’s Wine and Spirit auction earlier this year, scoring £4.25 million, reflecting high demand for premium Japanese spirits.
The whiskies are expected to fetch millions of Hong Kong dollars as demand for rare Japanese spirits continues to grow among collectors worldwide.
The Yamazaki 50-Year-Old carries an estimated price of HK$2.8m to HK$4.2m (£280,000 to £420,000), while the Karuizawa 52-Year-Old is expected to sell for between HK$2.2m and HK$3.2m.
“We are honoured to be entrusted with two whiskies of such rarity and significance,” said Terrence Tang, Bonhams’ head of wine and spirits, Asia. “It is not often that two whiskies of this calibre come to auction together; each marks an important moment in the development of Japanese whisky.
“Their presence underscores Bonhams’ leadership in the global rare wine and spirits market and forms part of an exceptional line-up of five fine wine and spirits auctions this season.”
Unique bottling
The Yamazaki 50-Year-Old is regarded as one of the rarest Japanese whiskies ever produced.
Only three official 50-year-old editions have previously been released by Suntory, in 2005, 2007 and 2011. The expression is second only to the distillery’s 55-Year-Old bottling, which set a record for Japanese whisky when it sold for HK$6.2m at a Bonhams Hong Kong auction in 2020.
This latest bottle was produced exclusively for Club Natsume, a private members’ venue in Nagoya with ties to the city’s business and political circles.
According to Bonhams, Suntory created the custom bottling to mark the club’s 50th anniversary. The whisky also features a distinctive washi paper label and bears the signature of Suntory chief blender Shinji Fukuyo.
Oldest Karuizawa ever released
The second headline lot, the Karuizawa 52-Year-Old Cask #5627 from 1960, is touted to be as the oldest Karuizawa whisky ever bottled.
Karuizawa was founded in 1955 and is based in Japan’s Southern Alps, where a distinctive microclimate (cold winters, hot summers and high humidity) helps create the spirit’s rich, structured character.
Just 41 bottles were produced before the distillery, which ceased production in 2000, became one of the most sought-after names in the whisky world.
Each bottle in the series includes a hand-carved antique netsuke ornament attached to the neck. The “Treasure Ship” edition was first unveiled at the Whisky Live Tokyo International Bar Show in 2013.
Bonhams said the packaging was designed with a focus on Japanese craftsmanship, featuring handmade paper, traditional calligraphy and a bespoke wooden presentation case inspired by Japanese puzzle boxes.
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