Additionally, the sale includes a one-of-a-kind bottle of D’USSÉ® Cognac on offer from the Shawn Carter Foundation and with proceeds to benefit the charity launched by the acclaimed artist, philanthropist and entrepreneur “JAY-Z” to help individuals facing socio-economic hardships further their education at institutions of higher learning. Estimated at $25,000-75,000, the bottle of D’USSÉ 1969 Anniversaire Limited Edition Grande Champagne Cognac comes housed in a diamond-shaped cut crystal bottle, adorned with 24 karat gold leaf wrapping on the neck and decorated with the symbol of Le Croix de Lorraine, the historic French emblem of courage, honour and perseverance. Sotheby’s “Bottle No. 1” is the only bottle in the collection to also carry Mr. Carter’s engraved signature, and the first to be made available for public sale.

Further highlights include a Hennessy X.O. 150th Anniversary Masterpiece Decanter designed by Frank Gehry and exclusively offered with the original design moulds (estimate $15,000/30,000). On offer from the Asian American Business Development Center (AABDC), it is bottle #1 in the limited edition of 150 decanters produced for the Hennessy X.O x Frank Gehry collection. For the special 150th anniversary celebration marking the brand’s inaugural X.O Cognac in 1870, Hennessy collaborated with the architect extraordinaire to elevate the aesthetics of the decanter that defines the X.O epoch. Gehry’s gold and glass glorifier mixes contrasting themes of movement and freedom of form to clothe this bottle in a second skin. Proceeds from the sale of the bottle will benefit the AABDC as part of Hennessy’s Unfinished Business initiative. Launched last May, the initiative is committed to help small businesses power through the immediate financial challenges of COVID-19 and help ensure they have the resources needed to get back on their feet.

Rounding out the Spirits sale is The Bo Johnston Collection, a vast ensemble of Single Malt Scotch Whisky accrued in the 1980s by the late South Carolina collector. Many of the US import bottles from Johnston’s collection have never before appeared at auction, presenting collectors with a special opportunity to acquire these seldom seen whiskies. Johnston’s voracious appetite for whisky led him to visit numerous distilleries in Scotland during the 1980s, and the wide range of bottles on offer encapsulates his breadth of knowledge of Scotch Whisky. Featuring 550 bottles, the collection is characterized by its extensive selection from Scotland’s most prolific independent bottlers, including 184 Cadenhead’s dumpy bottlings distilled in the 1950s and 1960s, and 197 Gordon & MacPhail bottles largely comprised of 1950s and 1960s vintages from their Connoisseur’s Choice range.