Two hundred years ago, whiskey was not considered a premium drink even in its homeland – Scotland. At that time, strong alcohol from barley malt was secretly distilled in underground distilleries and sold in pubs for the common people, and French wines and cognac were appreciated by English aristocrats. King George IV of Great Britain launched the mass legal production of whiskey, and the death of European vineyards from phylloxera also contributed to the rise in the popularity of the drink at the end of the XNUMXth century. Today, multi-year-aged whiskey is a collector’s item and a profitable investment. Next, we will figure out how elite whiskey differs from collection whiskey.
Whiskey as a collectible
The fashion for collecting aged whiskey appeared in the 70s of the last century in Italy. Private trading companies were looking for worthy examples of spirits in the distilleries of Scotland and Ireland, then they bought them for further storage and sale. During this period, it was still possible to purchase age distillate at a fairly low price, which was used by enterprising merchants. Rare connoisseurs were happy to sort out bottled limited releases and keep whiskey in their collections.
Until the early 1990s, a limited circle of enthusiasts was engaged in collecting whiskey, but with the growth of the drink’s popularity, the situation has changed radically. The market value of rare limited editions has increased every year, making whiskey an attractive investment. Well-known distilleries have long ceased to sell their spirits in bulk and pour collectible whiskey themselves. The price of each bottle increases due to the natural decline of the batch – some of the owners of rarities still use the drink for its intended purpose.
Collectible whiskey contains maximum information about the release – the name of the distillery, the number and type of barrel, age, and the number of bottles in the batch. Of great importance are the assessments of tasters and experts, awards at international competitions.
The whiskeys of the so-called “silent distilleries” that ceased to exist many years ago are highly valued. For example, a bottle of Port Ellen 12 Year Old, bottled in 1980 under the Queen’s Visit brand, will cost the collector £50. The Port Ellen distillery closed in 1983 due to the recession and is considered one of the biggest losses in the history of the British distillery industry.
What is elite whiskey
There are many mass-produced ultra premium products with excellent qualities on the market. But even the very high price of the drink does not make it collectible. Such whiskey is called drinking whiskey, as parties are produced on a regular basis.
It is pointless to invest in mass-produced brands, as their price does not change over time. However, they can successfully take a place in a connoisseur’s bar.
Elite whiskey is often produced without age indication, as they are based on a blend of spirits with different aging periods. Examples of premium whiskeys:
- The Dalmore Cigar Molt Reserve is a single malt whiskey aged in ex-bourbon, sherry and cabernet sauvignon casks;
- Glenmorangie Companta, aged in oak red wine vats;
- Macallan Oscuro aged in sherry casks.
Scottish distilleries produce large batches of whiskey with a specified aging period, but with an increase in demand, they can increase production volumes at any time.
Of interest to collectors are only limited batches, which are sometimes bottled in just a few hundred bottles. Collectors often buy up barrels at the stage of maturation of spirits in order to get a promising specimen over time.
Examples of collectible whiskey
There are distilleries that very rarely delight connoisseurs with age releases. This also includes the Scottish distillery Scapa, which is extremely difficult to get into. Whiskey made from spirits distilled in 1980 was released in 2000 bottles and immediately became a collector’s item.
The famous Hibiki brand belongs to the Japanese manufacturer Suntory. The 30-year-old whiskey of this brand is especially appreciated, as the company almost abandoned its release due to the lack of spirits. In recent years alone, the cost of the Hibiki 30 has more than tripled. The high investment attractiveness of the brand is associated with the high demand for rare Suntory releases.
Collection whiskey is a luxury item. Rare releases are like antiques, they are carefully preserved by collectors and serve as a profitable object for investment. Old bottles are sold at auctions at record prices. In 2018, a 60-year-old bottle of Macallan was auctioned off for a record price of $1,1 million. The buyer purchased a rarity along with a stand specially designed by the manufacturer.