Investing in Whisky

[Odochartaigh]

Hi guys, I am wondering if you would be able to help me?

I am looking to start to invest in Whisky,ideally, I would like to buy the whisky as it was offered to the public, but i will consider whisky that has been on the market for several year but is just starting to rise in value. Before I upset anyone, I would like to say that I am looking to buy 2 bottles, one to drink and enjoy which will be the main aim of this and the other to keep for my future.

I have limited knowledge what what I should be looking for, I have a budget of around £300 in total every 3 or 4 months. Any advice you could provide would be much appriciated.

[JKD]

The best advice is to stick to whiskies you would like to drink yourself, there are iconic whisky brands that will always do ok when reselling, they wont always make a fortune but will get you your investment back at least. I would say look out for limited releases from Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Highland Park, Macallan.

[Acksboy]

As JKD says, collect whiskies you enjoy. At least then if they turn out to be a dud investment then you can always get something back from them. I generally collect Islay whiskies as I enjoy the peat and smokey flavour, so I like to keep an eye out for releases from Ardbeg, Bowmore, Laphroaig and Lagavulin. If however you prefer something fruity then Macallan is always a hit and Glendronach or Glenfarclas are also worth looking out for.

Bottles from closed distilleries will always go up in price so are worth collecting if you have the funds. Brora, Port Ellen and Rosebank are good examples of these, however for a £300 budget you may have to invest in the latter as official bottlings of the first two regularly go for far more than that at auction.

I'd also recommend subscribing to distillery newsletters so you can be informed of any limited edition releases. Needless to say this forum is also a valuable tool when it comes to knowing what's new in the whisky pipeline!

Best of luck with your collection!

[sorren]

Don’t overlook the new distilleries.. Fordt bottle releases could indeed become sought after in years to come !! Bottle your own casks are also not such a bad idea as they are single casks and never repeated as each cask is different !!
What you have to remember is every other Tom, Dick and Harry is now deciding to collect for investment so the initial price is now increasing..
The best advice I was given and has already been mentioned .. Be prepared to drink it ! The bubble might just burst and you will be left with bottles that are only good to drink.. And I hope you have patience ...

[webdunk]

[eelbrook]

Do a lot of research. Specifically, online whisky auction prices.

Cultivate relationships with bottlers and retailers.

Look at any bottle as a 5-10 year investment , not a quick flip.

[Odochartaigh]

[Mark]

I would assume by "bottle your own cask" sorren is referring to distilleries that offer visitors the chance to bottle your own whisky to take home (I may be wrong), again do your research when doing this and select a distillery that will be desirable to whisky drinkers and collectors and that is likely to increase in value over time.

[Owls7]

Another way you could invest is to become a founder member of the distillery. I'm a founder member of two the Lakes distillery and Kingsbarns. I have also have just got shares in the Lakes one. Founder memberships go for around 500 pounds plus you get early bottles from them so you could go down this route and take a chance.

[sorren]

Yes my suggestion is for the bottle your own at the Distillery.. most will actually bottle them for you and send by post if your unable to attend the Distillery! As said choose the Distillery carefully then decide if your going to try to buy as an ongoing thing or just one offs.