|
Rare 101
Whisky expose a fake bottle of Laphroaig
1903, potentially worth £100,000
Recent findings by the folks behind Rare 101 whisky will probably not come as much of a surprise to many of you but it is a good reminder to all to beware when buying previously owned bottles from specialist whisky shops, auctions and in a private sale.
Recent investigations by Rare Whisky 101, the whisky analyst, broker and investment company, has unearthed a trove of forged rare Scotch malt whisky, leading to concerns over the authenticity of many if not all rare old whisky currently on sale throughout the worldwide auction market.
The high end fake whiskies recently uncovered by Rare 101 include a fake bottle of Laphroaig 1903, potentially worth £100,000, and two fake part sets of Macallan Fine and Rare, one worth around £500,000 and the other worth around £250,000.
Rare Whisky 101 set out on a quest to authenticate what was believed to be the oldest Laphroaig in existence. Purchased at auction by Rare Whisky 101 in 2015, the bottle of Laphroaig 1903 was subjected to a six month long series of forensic tests including:
- Glass dating to match the bottle
with the methods used in early
1900s.
- Cork and capsule assessment.
- Organoleptic assessment of the
liquid to prove quality and style
fit the profile expected from a
Laphroaig.
- Analysis of peat derived
compounds to prove Islay signature
and provenance of smoke.
- Analysis of malt and grain
whisky derived compounds to prove
single malt or blended scotch.
- Carbon dating at Oxford
University’s Radiocarbon Accelerator
Unit to verify the year of
distillation.
The conclusion from Rare Whisky 101’s investigation is that the whisky is a modern fake. Results from Oxford University’s Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit suggested a 75% chance that the liquid (a blended scotch) was created between 2007 and 2009, more than 100 years after its suggested label date!
These findings, which I am sure is no surprise to many of you, is a significant indication that professional fraud is more commonplace than ever previously considered and they should be taken very seriously by rare whisky collectors and investors.
As the Rare Whisky market continues to experience dynamic growth in volume and value it is forecast that the UK Whisky Auction market will trade around 55,000 bottles and turn over around £12,000,000 in 2016.
Key to this growth, for buyers and sellers, is absolute trust in the market. As demand continues to soar for very old and rare bottles, prices are continuing to rocket based on confidence in the market’s authenticity.
I am pretty certain that the fake whisky problem isn't just confined to the very top end of the market, we have all looked on
eBay and seen the amount of empty bottles and boxes that are for sale which previously contained whiskies valued from £30 up to £1000's. Personally I find it too hard to believe that there is anyone out there willing to pay £50+ for an empty bottle of The Macallan 25 year old just to sit on their shelf.
The riskiest place to purchase whisky is always going to be in a private sale, buying from a specialist whisky shop or whisky auction is going to give the buyer a certain amount of protection but does it really give the buyer enough protection or are the whisky shops and auctions so geared up to making profit they are not assessing each bottle they sell as well as they should.
Whisky shops and whisky auctions cover themselves, or at least they think that they do, through their Terms & Conditions, which are often set out to protect themselves and the seller and not the buyer and put the onus on the buyer to verify the authenticity of a bottle which in the case of the ever increasing number of online whisky auction websites the buyer often has to do so from a low resolution photograph.
Take my advice, be sure to do your research when buying a bottle of previously owned whisky and always remember the rule "Buyer Beware".
|
