By: Kayan Wong
03 Jun, 2026 | Wed | 23:45
Japanese whisky’s decade-long auction boom hit a new high during Hong Kong’s spring sales, when a one-off Yamazaki 50-Year-Old sold for HK$8.25 million (US$1.05 million) with fees at Bonhams, setting a world auction record for a single bottle of Japanese whisky.
Bottled exclusively for Club Natsume, the whisky had been estimated at HK$2.8 million to HK$4.2 million but nearly doubled its high estimate after hammering at HK$6.6 million. Another headline lot, the Karuizawa 52-Year-Old Cask #5627, 1960 – Treasure Ship, fetched HK$6.25 million (US$797,000) with fees, against an estimate of HK$2.2 million to HK$3.2 million.
With the two results, Bonhams now holds the three highest prices ever achieved at international auction for a bottle of Japanese whisky.
Yamazaki 50 Year Old was hammered at HK$6.6 million
Lot 8001 | Yamazaki 50 Year Old – Club Natsume (Auction record for a bottle of Japanese whisky)
Estimate: HK$2,800,000 – 4,200,000
Hammer Price: HK$6,600,000
Sold: HK$8,250,000 (US$1.05 million)
The Yamazaki 50-Year-Old is one of Japanese whisky’s great trophy bottles. The distillery has released only three official editions of the expression – in 2005, 2007, and 2011 – and the first release is generally considered the most sought-after. Only around 50 bottles are believed to have been produced, with perhaps a dozen still in circulation today.
The record-setting bottle at Bonhams is a one-off special bottling created by Suntory for Club Natsume, an exclusive members’ club in Nagoya founded by Fumie Kase and long known as a gathering place for the city’s business and political elites.
To mark the club’s 50th anniversary, Suntory produced this bespoke Yamazaki 50, dressing it with a unique washi-paper label distinct from the three other commercial Yamazaki 50-year-old releases. Likely issued in the mid-2000s, the bottle remained in private hands until this sale, and its provenance is further burnished by the signature of Suntory’s chief blender, Shinji Fukuyo, on the glass.
The present Yamazaki 50 Year Old, produced for Club Natsume, bears a unique washi label
The bottle was signed by Suntory’s Chief Blender, Shinji Fukuyo
Yamazaki’s mizunara cask
Much of the Yamazaki 50-Year-Old’s allure lies in its cask. Distilled in the 1950s, the whisky spent half a century maturing in Japanese mizunara oak, a wood now closely associated with Yamazaki but originally used out of necessity when imported oak casks were hard to obtain during and after World War II.
Renowned in Japan for furniture-making, mizunara is famously difficult to work with. The trees take two to three times longer than conventional oaks to mature, while the wood itself is porous, hard to shape, and prone to leaking. In younger whisky, its character can be overpowering. But given enough time, it develops the qualities that have made it coveted.
After 15 years in cask, mizunara can begin to show its distinctive coconut sweetness and roasted richness. With extended ageing beyond 25 years, the profile deepens into sandalwood, incense, and spice – notes that evoke the atmosphere of ancient temples and have become closely associated with Japanese whisky.
Lot 8002 | Karuizawa 52 Year Old Cask #5627, 1960 – Treasure Ship (The second-most expensive bottle of Japanese whisky sold at auction)
Estimate: HK$2,200,000 – 3,200,000
Hammer Price: HK$5,000,000
Sold: HK$6,250,000 (US$797,000)
Yamazaki’s oldest official age statements are 50 and 55 years. In 2020, Bonhams Hong Kong set a new benchmark when a bottle of Yamazaki 55-Year-Old sold for HK$6.2 million, then a record for any Japanese whisky at auction.
Six years later, that figure has been surpassed by both the Yamazaki 50-Year-Old and Karuizawa 52-Year-Old in the same Hong Kong sale. The current top three auction results for a single bottle of Japanese whisky now stand as follows:
- Yamazaki 50 Year Old – Club Natsume | Sold: HK$8,250,000, Bonhams Hong Kong, 2026
- Karuizawa 52 Year Old Cask #5627, 1960 – Treasure Ship | Sold: HK$6,250,000, Bonhams Hong Kong, 2026
- Yamazaki 55 Year Old | Sold: HK$6,200,000, Bonhams Hong Kong, 2020
Known as Japan’s legendary “ghost distillery”, Karuizawa ceased production in 2000 and formally closed in 2001, leaving behind just over 360 casks. Those remaining stocks were later acquired by Number One Drinks, which released them in limited bottlings over the following years.
Among them was cask #5627, containing the oldest Karuizawa whisky ever bottled. Distilled in 1960 and matured for 52 years in an old sherry cask, it was released in 2013 in an edition of just 41 bottles.
Each carried a different hand-carved antique netsuke at the neck. This example, the Treasure Ship edition, was the bottle shown when the release was unveiled at the Tokyo International BarShow in 2013.
The presentation reflects the meticulous craftsmanship associated with the brand. Created by the Scottish design agency Contagious, each element of the package was carefully crafted.
The label was handmade by papermaker Norito Hasegawa and embellished by master calligrapher Soji Nishimoto. The bespoke wooden case, inspired by traditional Japanese puzzle boxes, was made by a British cabinetmaker and inlaid with wood from the original sherry cask.
Auction Details:
Auction House: Bonhams Hong Kong
Sale: The Legendary Japanese Whisky
Date: 30 May 206
Number of Lots: 2
Sold: 2
Sale Rate: 100%
Sale Total: HK$14,500,000