A MAN who has travelled the world in pursuit of good whisky has made history after selling his personal collection – the largest in the world to come to auction.

Working with Whisky Auctioneer, more than 9000 bottles and 23 auctions brought the sales total to £3.36 million.

Pat’s Whisk(e)y Collection took more than 12 months to auction off across a series of specially curated monthly spotlight auctions and dedicated sales, with the final auction taking place on November 22 last year.

Featuring more than 5000 Scotch single malts, 1000 blended whiskies, more than 600 American whiskies and hundreds of grain whiskies and independent bottlings, Pat’s Whisk(e)y Collection is the most complete picture of whisky ever brought to market.

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The collector, known only as Pat, bought his first whiskies based on the recommendation of a colleague.

His determination to explore and taste every area of whisky soon outstripped his ability to open the bottles he was acquiring and so began his collection.

The sale has become one of Whisky Auctioneer’s biggest success stories – and the company says it will likely never be replicated on the secondary market.

Iain McClune, founder of Whisky Auctioneer, said: “Pat’s Whisk(e)y Collection was historic, a once in a lifetime chance for whisky lovers old and new to bid on some of the most diverse bottles on the secondary market.

“The variety of whiskies on offer was unique, with whiskies accessible at every price point, hopefully inspiring the next generation of collectors.

“It’s highly unlikely we’ll ever see a collection as large and diverse as this one, meaning this auction will go down in whisky history, setting a precedent for future collectors.”

Pat, the collection’s owner, said: “Building a whisky collection was never actually my original goal – I simply wanted to try everything and there were so many releases, distilleries and countries to explore.

“When I reached over 2000 bottles, I decided to create a collection that represented the full picture of whisky and for me that meant everything from non-age statements, blends and world whiskies to the rarest examples – a true showcase of all sides of such a varied spirit.

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“Selling the collection was a deeply emotional process for me since it has been such a huge part of my life.

“I feel this incredible journey has culminated in a fitting finale with these bottles entered back into the market so other people can enjoy them, perhaps with some added knowledge gained alongside.

“My journey with whisky is not over but I hope my approach will inspire whisky lovers and future collectors to be diverse and eclectic when constructing their own collections.

“Anyone can collect whisky and good whisky can be discovered anywhere and at any price.”