Whisky is fast becoming one of the most coveted objects of desire. Although an ever-present feature of culture and tradition, it has made a contemporary surge in popularity with its value increasing by 564% in the past 10 years. Whether you’re a liquor connoisseur or just a curious nomad, it’s worth paying attention to the liquid gold revolution.
- The Macallan 72 year old
The Macallan produces consistently exceptional whiskies, providing a model example of what a perfect single malt should look like. According to Hard To Find Whisky, Macallan gets its very winey taste because they only ever use Spanish oak sherry casks. The Macallan distillery was founded back in 1824 by a local barley farmer. The barley Macallan uses comes from the Tamdhu maltings and it is Golden Promise barley – a barley known for its consistent flavour and quality. Given the history and prestige that surrounds this distillery, adding one of these outstanding whiskies to your collection is a must.
- Port Askaig 45 year old
Port Askaig is the gateway to the North of Isaly, a Scottish island known worldwide for its whisky-making heritage. This 45 year old Port was distilled in five refill Sherry butts in 1968 and bottled in 2013. Before tasting the whisky, your senses are with the fruit-flavours of orange and sweet nectar from the mango. The tropical flavours are incredibly well balanced with elegance and poise. It is rare to find a single Islay malt at such an old age, so getting your hands on one would be an exciting prospect indeed.
- Bowmore 1972, 45 Year Old, Islay Single Malt Scotch
Another Scotch, this time from the famous Isle of Islay, this 1972 vintage is ready to join the pantheon of legendary Bowmores, bottled by Signatory Vintage for its 30th Anniversary. The bottle goes for around £5,000. With all the fruit you’d hope for along with an array of balanced flavours, some might say this is a masterpiece, and rightly so.
- Glendronach 1968 Ana
This is an ultra rare single cask bottling of the much sought-after 1968 vintage Glendronach, bottled in 1993. This whisky had a limited run of only 493 bottles that initially sold for around £70 each. Now they’re worth over £3,000. The reason? This 25 year old sherry-casked whisky is considered by many to be the best bottling ever from the famous Highlands distillery. And since they have produced a lot of great stuff over the years, that’s very significant.
- Mortlach 1954 Scotch
This incredible whisky spent 65 years maturing in the Speyside region before its bottling in March 2019 by Gordon & Macphail. The Mortlach was aged in a first-fill sherry puncheon, which makes for an exciting prospect for devout whisky drinkers with its diverse flavours. Combine this with its extraordinary age, and the taste is sure to make a lasting impression. Going for around £3,000, this is a special scotch that should seriously be considered for your collection.
- Speyburn 12 Flora and Fauna Scotch
This is the rarest production of Flora and Fauna, bottled as a 12 year old in the early portion of this century. The whisky was discontinued when United Distillers sold the Speyburn distillery to Inver House Distillers not long after these were first introduced, which makes them exceedingly rare. Speyburn was a very compact distillery due to its location on a hill at the outskirts of Rothes, one of the reasons why this scotch was produced in such small quantities. The drink itself is a sweet, light single malt with a distinctive oaky finish.
- Talisker 1978 | 40 Year Old Bodega
The first entry in the Bodega Series, this 1978 distilled Talisker is from a solera casks (old wood, meaning they have little influence on the liquid). It’s unusual to see these casks used to mature Scotch whisky, the result though is a malt that combines the strength of a finely-matured Talisker with a recognisable citrus finish. This is truly a delightful whisky that is worth the fuss of getting (and the price, which is currently around £2,750-3,000.
- Whisky bottles from silent distilleries
By nature, there will be no more whisky produced from closed distilleries and it will therefore become more limited as time goes by and the bottles are drunk. Some closed distilleries are more popular than others. For example, the Port Ellen and Brora distilleries already have high prices and cult followings. However, lesser-known distilleries such as St Magdalene, which used to be in the lowlands or Caperdonach in the highlands, are also great bottles to look out for.
An example of this type of whisky is the only official bottling from the North of Scotland Distillery Co in Alloa: a single-grain Scotch matured in bourbon casks for over 50 years. The distillery began producing whisky in 1957 and closed in 1980. It is a rare opportunity to get your hands on a well-aged whisky from this lost distillery.
- Whisky bottled in 2020
Coronavirus will impact the rarity of certain bottled whiskies. The value of whisky is based on brand, age and, crucially, the volume produced. Coronavirus has forced many distilleries into temporary discontinuation, or at least decreased production. The Scotch Whisky Association stated that during the first lockdown 87% of production sites were either running on reduced capacity or closed. In light of this, the amount of whisky made in 2020 as a whole has seen a significant decrease. This means bottles from last year will become rarer and rarer with time, increasing in value exponentially.
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