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McTear's Auctioneers are already seeing growing interest in a rare mid-19th Century copper still that was unearthed in a New Galloway barn, ahead of its appearance in the Rare & Fine Whisky Auction on 18th January.
Experts expect the piece, which stands 110cm high, to fetch between £5,000 and £6,000.
Commenting on the unusual lot, McTear’s whisky expert, Graeme Maxwell, said: “This is a fascinating piece that gives a rare insight into the world of illicit distilling in the Victorian era.
Picture: John Devlin
“Many farmers in the mid-19th Century owned small stills which they could distil their own spirit out of sight from the exciseman.
"Compared to the setups used by modern, commercial legal distilleries, this is a very primitive piece of equipment, which would have produced strong and questionable spirits to be shared among friends and family.”
In addition to the copper still, the auction will include a selection of hugely collectable single malts, including a rare bottle of Black Bowmore 1964 Final Edition which is expected to sell for between £8,000 and £12,000, and a Macallan 1946 Select Reserve 52 years old which could fetch £12,000.
