Recycling Hanyu Poker Card Series Ace of Diamonds
Regular price $999,999.00(Get a quote now)
Ace of Diamonds: Why Is This Card the Bellwether of the Card Series Market?
Among the entire Hanyu Card Series, the Ace of Diamonds is the most frequently seen card in international auction houses. Bonhams, Sotheby's, and Whisky Auctioneer almost consistently record its transactions annually, leading buyers and sellers to habitually use it as a reference point for gauging the trends of the entire Card Series. This characteristic of being "visible to everyone and having prices known to everyone" paradoxically makes it one of the easiest single cards to liquidate when one possesses it.
About Hanyu and the Card Series
Hanyu is a single malt distillery located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, which ceased production and closed down as early as 2000. When the distillery changed hands, the original whisky was almost discarded. It was Ichiro Akuto who stepped in to rescue the last batch of casks, which later led to the world-renowned Ichiro's Malt.
The concept of the Card Series was to bottle these salvaged original whiskies in single cask format in batches, naming them after playing card suits and ranks. The entire series was issued between 2005 and 2014. Since each card corresponds to an independent cask and is bottled until empty, the entire series cannot be replenished by its very nature—this is the fundamental reason for the value of individual cards like the Ace of Diamonds.
Ace of Diamonds Specifications and Positioning
| Item | Characteristics of This Card |
| Rank / Suit | Ace (Diamonds) |
| Distillation Year | The series is generally composed of whiskies distilled in 1986 / 1990 (refer to bottle engraving). |
| Cask Type Description | Primarily bourbon hogsheads, mostly single cask, cask strength. |
| Rarity Level | High attention. |
| Series Rank | The Ace is the top card of each suit. Collectors aiming for a full set usually start with the four Aces, giving them higher market exposure than lower-numbered cards of the same suit. |
Key Factors Affecting Ace of Diamonds Buyback Price
The Ace of Diamonds label features a diamond pattern in the center. During authentication, attention is paid to the print layers and cask number font. For some early versions, the corks may have softened, and a slight drop in liquid level is considered normal wear and tear, which does not affect acceptance. The overall evaluation is scored item by item as per the table below:
| Evaluation Item | Excellent Condition | Common Deductions |
