UNDER THE HAMMERED

BY LAURA PATERSON THE world’s largest private collection of whisky to go to under the hammer has been revealed.

The haul, expected to fetch up to £8million, comprises more than 3900 bottles.

It includes a bottle of 1926 Fine and Rare Macallan, one of which recently became the most expensive in the world when it sold for £1.5million. Richard Gooding, a former PepsiCo bottling magnate, built the collection over decades, regularly travelling to Scotland from his US home to source bottles at auctions and distilleries before his death in 2014.

He kept the thousands of bottles in his own “pub” – a room in his Colorado home specially designed to display the collection.

After being contacted by his family, Perthshire business Whisky Auctioneer will sell the collection over two online auctions next year.

Richard’s widow Nancy said: “It was clear to us as a family that collecting Scotch was one of Richard’s greatest passions – an endeavour that spanned more than two decades.

“He loved every aspect of it, from researching the many single malt distilleries to visiting them and tasting their whiskies.

“He was always so pleased to acquire the bottles that he was searching for over the years – his mission was to collect a bottle that represented every single distillery but his favourite was always Bowmore, with his preferred whisky being Black Bowmore.

“Richard truly loved and was proud of his collection and enjoyed sharing it with friends and fellow Scotch lovers in his ‘pub’ at home.”

Whisky Auctioneer founder Iain McClune said the auction of the collection is “unprecedented”.

He said: “It’s the largest collection by value, by volume as well, and it’s very exciting to be part of that. It comprises everything from independent bottlings from closed distilleries, to the big brand names.

The collection will be sold over two auctions, from February 7 to17 and April 10 to 20, via the Whisky Auctioneer website.

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