Alternative investments: collectible whiskey
Get to know your world
If you want to start venturing into the world of collectors or investors, the first thing you should do is learn a learn about whiskeys, how they arise, the difference between single malt and blended, aging, the world of peaty whiskeys and all the rest. It is important that it becomes your world because if what you are going to do becomes your passion, everything will be easier and more fun. The more specialized you are, the easier it will be for you to decide how and where to invest, obtaining great results. If you know what to buy, whiskey is a safe investment as it is the bottles you buy now will almost always increase their value over time.
How to choose
The products that acquire value over time are certainly not commercial whiskeys with immense runs and continuous releases but are malts with certain characteristics:
- whiskey millesimati in low circulation
- old bottles now very difficult to find
- bottles of distilleries now closed (which will therefore become increasingly rare over the years)
- special editions in low circulation
There may be bottles with one or more of the characteristics mentioned above, during the purchase phase, therefore it is good to know the product you are buying in order to predict its trend according to the demand that will develop in the future.
Obviously a decisive aspect for profit is the patience to wait, some products after a couple of years can be sold with 20-30% more but if you wait 10 years, the profit can be more than 400%.
Collectible whiskey
Today, those who want to get closer to this world and have a few hundred euros available could turn to special editions by Johnnie Walker (Rome, Ghost and Rare, Year of The Rooster) which, although it produces blended whiskey (less in demand than single malts), has a vast array of aficionados all over the globe, plus it produces very interesting special editions. All special releases they are potentially a good investment, as they are unique products, which will never be released again, those with the most limited number of bottles and those that come from closed distilleries are preferred. Having more important amounts available, you could also opt for the legendary bottles of Brora and Port Ellen, single malt whiskey from closed distilleries, malts now mythological worldwide with over 30 years of aging. The stocks of these whiskeys are now running out, which makes them more and more precious and more and more expensive, guaranteed earnings.
Storage
Once you have purchased your collectible whiskey, waiting for the time to taste or resell it is important. store it properly to protect the integrity of the liquid and the label, and therefore of the entire package.
Unlike wine storage, whiskey must be placed in upright position, for the rest just keep it away from direct light and to a temperature slightly lower than the ambient one (14-15 ° is fine). The environment in which they must rest must not be humid, for further scruple, I would wrap the packages with transparent film in order to protect them from any effects of humidity.
Collecting whiskey it is certainly pleasant, engaging and, if done well, profitable. Are you ready to test your nose for spirits and business? Look for the rarer whiskey bottles and let yourself be guided also by your instincts, in the worst case scenario you will always have a great bottle to enjoy on your sofa.
