Whiskey as an investment: the Italians, who have always been linked to good wine and beer for some time now, have shown greater interest in distillates. Whiskey, Scotland's national drink par excellence, has conquered the Belpaese, which it has seen in the last year increase su Catawiki, the Europe-wide online auction platform for special objects, sales by 50%. The reason lies in the fact that the best-selling distillate in the world has become an excellent investment to the point that for the most valuable bottles prices can be reached up to and beyond 10.000 euros.
In fact, Italians have always appreciated a good glass of whisky, few know in fact that the link between this distillate and Italy dates back to at least two centuries ago.
Indeed, the famous brand of whiskey J&B has Italian roots. It dates back to a Bolognese, Giacomo Giusterini who, in 1749, in love with the soprano Margherita Bellino, left Italy to follow her to London and even went so far as to change her name to Justerini, which was more English. Based in London he started a small business preparing alcoholic beverages. Things went well to the point that Giusterini-Justerini went into partnership with an English investor George Johnson, creating a wine and spirits shop called Johnson & Justerini. Eighty years later, Johnson's nephew sold his share to Alfred Brooks: thus Justerini & Brooks was born, the historic J&B successful brand in the production of successful blended whisky.
Jeroen Koetsier, Catawiki whiskey expert explains that collecting whiskey is no longer a hobby for a few enthusiasts: in recent decades, this distillate has become a real investment, stable and above all profitable. The arrival of the auctions dedicated to this product was a determining factor. More and more rare and valuable bottles have been made available to a large public, thus redefining market prices. This has given way to many more people to discover how interesting it is to collect whiskey. Furthermore, thanks to online auctions it is possible to easily start your own personal whiskey collection, either as an investment or as a drink to taste.
Is it whiskey or whiskey? The former refers to Scotland, the latter to Ireland. In reality, Scotland and Ireland you still contain authorship. Commonly, the origin is attributed to the Scots, by the hand of a friar John Corr, in 1494. The Irish, on the other hand, trace it back to the XII the distillation by their hand. Beyond the disputes between the two countries, the world of whiskey is decidedly varied: in addition to Irish and Scotch whisky, even in United States it is very well known and appreciated and their variants are produced. The most famous is the Bourbon, which takes its name from the county of Kentucky, in which it was born, but also known is the Tennessee Whiskey.
Unlike the sensation in Italy, the world whiskey market is divided into about 92% Blended and Single 8%. Italians are single malt enthusiasts and experts, and for this reason the Italian market is not very important except for single malts.
Whiskey gathers enthusiasts in many parts of the globe. In Japan there are a few distilleries that produce whiskey to Scottish specification and there is also a distillery at Bangalore which produces the Amrut brand whose characteristic, given by the tropical climate, is to have a angel share very high (about 12%) and therefore to assume very early aging characteristics (already in the fourth year in barrels).
Many brands and distilleries are currently in the hands of large groups in the beverage sector. Two of the largest groups are the Pernod Ricard, which owns more than 30 brands (including Jameson, Chivas, Paddy, The Glenlivet, Scapa, Aberlour, Four Roses), and the group Diageo (J&B, Johnnie Walker, Cragganmore, Glenkinchie, Dalwhinnie, Cardhu). There are signs of deconcentration with the opening or reopening of new independent distilleries and the redistribution of brands to other groups, such as Glen Grant e Wild Turkey both belonging to the Pernod Ricard group and acquired by Campari group, the first in 2005[5] and, the second in 2009.[6] Among the independent distilleries, the South Tyrolean Puni at the end of 2015, after five years of research, began to market the first entirely Italian single malt[
.Jeroen Koetsier explains that “The value of a bottle lies in its rarity. This is the general rule that must be kept in mind if you choose to invest in whiskey. Bottles from closed distilleries, such as Port Ellen, Rosebank or Hanyu, are particularly popular with investors. The whiskeys produced there are very popular because they are often limited to a few hundred bottles. Other historic brands are gaining prestigious places at auction: Macallan, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Highland Park, Balvenie and Glenmorangie. "
“Another important element to take into consideration to understand which bottles to invest in is the general state of the same – he continued Koetsier -. Labels need to be legible, not torn, with as little damage as possible, and that's not always easy for dated whiskeys or bottles that haven't been stored in optimal conditions. All the information on the labels are indicators and guarantees of the quality of the purchase of a bottle. They detail distillation and bottling dates, capacity, grade, type of barrels used for aging and lot number.”
Followed by 3 Most Valuable Whiskey Bottles Sold at Auction:
- Laphroaig from 1974 – La Maison du Whisky: a legendary Laphroaig from 1974, which was awarded 95 points by Serge Valentin of Whiskeyfun magazine was auctioned in 2020 for 10 euros.
- Macallan 1940 Red Ribbon: a 1940 Macallan Red Ribbon was recently sold for 10 euros.
- Glenfiddich – 40 years: a limited edition bottle of Glenfiddich, aged 6 years, released on November 40, 28, was sold at auction for 2002 euros.
While as regards the lots to keep under control:
- Glenrothes – selected by Prince Albert of Monaco: Prince Albert of Monaco (Albert II) selected this Glenrothes for the exclusive Grimaldi collection. This was the second edition of this collection of 10 single cask single malt Scotch whiskeys that were hand-picked by the prince. Only 322 bottles were produced, each of which was individually numbered and signed. This bottle comes with a certificate. Original price 1.400 euros.
- Macallan M Lalique: a bottle of Macallan bottled in 2015, with a particular shape is up for auction on Catawiki. This single malt whiskey is sold with its original packaging. According to experts, the bottle has a value of over 4 thousand euros.
- Teaninich 1973: a 1973 Teaninich is also up for auction directly from the SMWS, the Scotch Malt Whiskey Society, an association founded in Edinburgh in 1983, which bottles and sells single barrel and single malt whiskies.
