Best Whisky Brands

Whisky Business

Essentially, all Scotch whiskies are made from a mixture of malted barley, water and yeast, which creates a rather potent spirit that is then locked away for years to mature inside wooden barrels.


 But each whisky brand, as well as the distillery and region where is was produced, has its own distinct characteristics which results in a myriad of different varieties of the spirit.





The two main types of Scotch whisky are blends and single malts. Blends, like Bell's, The Famous Grouse or Johnnie Walker, are made from malt whiskies taken from more than one distillery combined together with grain spirit to create a drink with a consistent flavor. But it's single malt whiskies that attract the real attention.






They are taken from one particular distillery, sometimes from just one cask and have a distinct and unique flavor. It's this variety and individuality that attracts the connoisseurs and serious collectors.

BEST WHISKY BRANDS

With these single malts coming from a single source, having a vintage year and being produced in strictly finite quantities, it was only natural that premium whisky would follow fine wine into the auction house.


 whisky consultant and auctioneer  have watched the popularity of whisky collecting soar

So if you want to join the bidders, where do you start? Firstly it's good to decide upon a theme to give coherence and interest to your collection.


You can start by deciding whether you want to buy blends or single malts. Although blends may not be as desirable for their contents,


you can collect brands not made anymore, or those with old packaging, such as old stopper corks or spring- loaded lead caps.


 If space and budget are a consideration, then miniatures are also an option although you might want to concentrate on rarer single malts as blends can be relatively worthless in miniature format, although the bottles can be collectible and worth more than their contents (eg figural or by makes such as Beswick or Wade).

BEST WHISKY BRANDS

Limited edition bottles are more valuable. Distilleries often bottle commemorative whiskies to mark special occasions, such as an anniversary or royal celebration. These bottles are often signed and numbered by the master distiller or manager.



You can also decide to stick to distillery's own bottling  or collect independent bottlings. Whiskies bottled by the distilleries themselves tend to be more desirable. Some collectors collect single malts from one particular distillery, especially if it enjoys something of a 'cult' status among whisky aficionados. .






The  best whisky brands  Macallan and Springbank) have a stellar reputation earned by producing consistently high quality whiskies for many years which tend to be unique in some way either for their production method or flavors.

BEST WHISKY BRANDS

 BUYING TIPS   

Look for whiskies:

• Produced for specific events in small production runs. Any original packaging, such as a presentation box or certificate, will also increase its value and appeal

• with aesthetic appeal i.e. the bottles shape and color of the glass or shape of the china decanter

• with pictures or unusual labels - these should be their original colour (smoke and sunlight can affect this). Scratches and tear marks will reduce price.

• that are being repackaged or discontinued, even if widely available now

• in older 75cl bottles (before Scotland was brought into line by the EU to bottle 70cl)

Remember to:

• make sure seals are intact and in good condition - the bottles should have their original contents

• consider what you're getting for your money. Look at the ratio of total number of bottles released compared to price, the less bottles, the higher the price and collectability


• buy within your budget and choose whiskies that you enjoy owning as short-term values can fluctuate.

Collectibles Coach