The set comprises 58 single cask whiskies distilled at Hanyu between 1985 and 2000, the year when the distillery fell silent, with each label featuring a different playing card in a full pack (including jokers).

‘It is believed that no more than four sets of Full Card Series exist in the world,’ said Daniel Lam, Bonhams’ director of wine & spirits, Asia.

‘Over the years, moreover, many bottles have either been consumed or strictly kept in private, making it harder than ever to assemble a complete ( and with such trusted provenance) series.’

In 2015, Bonhams set a new world record for the most valuable Japanese whisky collection sold at auction, when a Full Card Series fetched HK$3,797,500 

In September 2017, Sotheby’s Hong Kong sold a 58-bottle lot of Hanyu Card Series for HK$3.5m, including the 54 original whiskies, plus four ‘extras’ – new bottlings of the Ace of Spades, Queen of Hearts, King of Diamonds and Jack of Clubs.