Whisky

Whisky

LIQUID GOLD

This month I am looking at the exciting booming market of whisky and to many they call it liquid gold. We have seen some lightening results in our recent specialist Fine Art & Collectors Sales, this is helped in no small part by the Chinese desire to purchase and with our live auction platforms being streamed direct in to the Chinese homes coupled with the added interest it makes the market electric and it now stands alongside and in many investment portfolios, it is also a collectors paradise with so many unheard  distilleries its very much in the same way there are collectors of all manners of items it becomes a passion, but if these small distilleries gain stellar reviews it could also be a sound investment .We never offer investment advice but it is the case that some buyers, especially at the high end of the market will see whisky as an investment rather than something to drink.

The big names such as Jonnie Walker, the Macallon and Glenfiddich have a strong following with Highland Park, Springbank, Glendronach and Bowmore all on the rise, but there are pitfalls in Scotch whisky as there is no definition of what can be called Limited Edition. Look for single casks (often limited to 500 bottles or fewer) a high alcohol content helps, which will add value to the overall item as well as those Limited Editions designed for specific markets or travel retail units.

Japanese whisky also is seeing an explosion of interest and is super-quality, increasing demand for drinking and collecting stock. Do your homework, Scotch has seen ups and downs over the years and many distilleries closed down, stock from those distilleries will be in short supply and just may see some exciting results in the future, but that’s the buzz of collecting whatever your tipple.

Recent Highlights

The Macallan Anniversary Malt, 25 Year old, distilled 1958, bottled 1984 in wooden box

Sold £2,600

A bottle of Glenmorangie 1979 Single Malt Whisky, (Limited Edition bottling) bottled in 1995 and in original box, fill level mid neck, 70cl, 40% vol

Sold £190

A bottle of The Macallan 10 Year Aged Single Malt Whisky, fill level mid-low neck, 70cl, 40% vol, boxed

Sold £140