Sotheby's Hong KongAny whisky enthusiast worth their salt has heard about Japan’s smallest and now defunct Hanyu distillery. Appreciating the fact that barrel ageing takes finesse and time, Ichiro Akuto, the scion of the original Hanyu distillery, purchased the remaining casks. Given the small batch and historic significance of the distillery, Sotheby’s gave a conservative estimate of around half a million dollars for the upcoming bid. He is a whisky connoisseur and owner of a 54-bottle collection of the Hanyu Ichiro Player Cards, which he proudly puts on display. According to an index by Rare Whisky 101, supply shortages and demand driven by Asia have pushed up prices.

Source: Forbes September 24, 2017 21:56 UTC