‘World’s Oldest Scotch:’ Ancient Whiskey Believed to Have Been Enjoyed By Queen Victoria Heads to Auction After Being Discovered in a Scottish Castle

These are believed to be the world’s oldest whisky bottles. (Photos: Whisky Auctioneer)

Bottles of what is believed to be the world’s oldest whisky were discovered behind a hidden cellar door in a 754-year-old castle in Scotland — and they’re heading to auction.

In late 2022, Bertie Troughton, resident trustee at Blair Castle in Perthshire, discovered about 40 bottles of whisky in the cellar room at the back of a shelf. These bottles are believed to have been distilled in 1833 and bottled in 1841 — and then rebottled in 1932.

In November, 24 of these bottles will be sold via the auction house Whisky Auctioneer.

“Offering the world’s oldest scotch whisky at auction is truly a once in a lifetime occurrence. I’m fortunate to be well acquainted with old and rare liquid, as Whisky Auctioneer handles some of the world’s rarest whisky bottlings,” Joe Wilson, head curator and spirits specialist at Whisky Auctioneer, said in a news release. “This, however, is a transcendent discovery that is sure to capture not just the imagination of the whisky industry but also those well beyond.

“Distilled in the 1830s, the whisky was made during a fascinating period when whisky production was experiencing massive change following the 1823 Excise Act, making it a particularly exciting find for those interested in the history and heritage of the Scotch whisky industry.”

Queen Victoria, who ruled England from 1837 until her death in 1901 and is the namesake of the Victorian Era, is believed to have enjoyed this whisky in her youth. According to Whisky Auctioneer, Victoria had a close connection with Blair Castle and  the sixth Duchess of Atholl, who lived there. In 1844, Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, visited the castle for three weeks.

Constructed in 1269, Blair Castle is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Atholl.

According to the Blair Castle Household Book, there was whisky consumed during her visit, Whisky Auctioneer said in the news release. Furthermore, local newspapers covering the Queen’s stay at the castle reported she had a taste for “Atholl Brose,” a local cocktail made with whisky and honey. It is “highly likely,” says Whisky Auctioneer, that the bottles being auctioned are the same whisky Queen Victoria and Prince Albert drank during their stay at the castle.

Since the bottles were discovered, they have been sampled by the family and a local whisky expert. Additionally, research in the archives of Blair Castle and Atholl Estates, as well as carbon-dating authentication by the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, support the claim that the whisky dates back to the 1800s.

Troughton described whisky as a “huge part of the history of Blair Castle” and said an exhibition around the bottles kept after the auction will be built so that visitors to the castle can learn about the history of the whisky. According to Whisky Auctioneer, “extensive references” to the production of whisky and aqua vitae, throughout the castle’s history but specifically in the early 19th century, were found in documents in the Blair Castle archives.

The Blair Castle Archives

The archives contained cellar inventories, called “bin books.” One bin book, dated July 23, 1834 (a year after the whisky was first casked), showed whisky recorded in the cellar in its cask, making it one of the earliest known references to whisky aging in wood.

“Bin 65 – Store Whiskey – 72 bottles = 40 Gallons in wood,” the bin book reads.

Angus MacRaild, old and rare whisky specialist and co-founder of Kythe Distillery, tasted the whisky and said the following about it:

“This is a profoundly historic whisky and a remarkable artefact of Scottish distilling that is unlikely to ever be equalled in terms of provenance and preservation. That it has been carefully re-bottled and preserved at natural strength, maintaining the freshness and power of this spirit for nearly two centuries is frankly, astonishing.

“To taste it myself, has been a great privilege. It is very much a distillate driven malt whisky, with minimal wood influence and one of a style which could have been produced any time in Scotland up until the 1950s. What I find most interesting is that this profile existed already as far back as the 1830s. It possesses clear textural weight in the mouth, along with a flavour profile that strongly involves medicinal characteristics without any notable or pronounced peat smoke.

“Not only do I find it historically fascinating, but a pleasurable and hugely charismatic whisky that I find quite typical of older style, distillate-forward highland malt whiskies.”

The whisky bottles were found at the back of a shelf.

The whisky will be sold as 24 individual lots from Nov. 24 to Dec. 4. Click here for more information or to register interest in the auction.

Join the Whiskey Raiders Bottle of the Month Club, where you will receive hard-to-find bottles curated by Whiskey Raiders staff with a 90+ rating on whiskeyraiders.com plus live virtual tastings. Sign up here!