“Surely that isn’t for drinking”.
This is the sentence that’s constantly being uttered around whisky – a product that takes years to make and, in some cases, is left to sit on dusty shelves or in dark cupboards for indefinite periods of time.
To some, the idea of buying a bottle of whisky without having any intention of opening it seems daft, and it’s easy to see why. Even writing it down seems a bit silly. You wouldn’t gift a brand-new Lego set to a kid for their birthday and expect them not to open it, so why does the same sentiment exist with whisky?
The act of collecting in general is nothing new and has spread from historical paintings and physical music to modern football cards and digital video-game items. Whilst some collections can be enjoyed and explored without devaluing the items within, whisky is a subject where this isn’t quite as straight forward.
The moment the foil seal is removed from the neck of a bottle of whisky, any monetary value present essentially vanishes. The liquid inside could easily have been swapped out for something that’s cheaper, or something that isn’t even actually whisky itself.
“I’ve always been a believer that whisky is made to be enjoyed. I enjoy it by drinking it”
The whisky collecting craze surged in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw the global market of scotch whisky increase from around £4.9bn a year to well over £6.2bn. Those who had already curated collections watched their value skyrocket, whilst others jumped in on the action in an attempt to replicate such success.
Fast forward to the present day though, you’ll find that such success was not found for many: the current valuation of the scotch whisky market now sits at £5.2bn – an increase nonetheless, but far from the heights witnessed during the pandemic, which marks the time where many bought into the scene.
“if I buy a bottle, my full intention is to open and drink it”.
Collecting is an important part of the whisky sector – the act preserves bottles that, if not stowed away, would simply not be available in the years that follow. The social aspect that exists when a friend or even family member finally pulls out the coveted bottle of whisky that’s become legend over the years, with the occasion worthy of opening it finally presenting itself, is second to none. Birthdays, graduations, funerals, retirements, or sometimes even because they’re just fed up with waiting for an excuse – it’s the stuff that can be talked about for decades.
The thoughts of Graeme Kilgour, host of the Edinburgh-based “Whisky Stories” podcast, encapsulates a healthy approach to both drinking and keeping whisky:
“I’ve always been a believer that whisky is made to be enjoyed. I enjoy it by drinking it. However, I have met people who explain that they enjoy whisky by collecting nice bottles that might be expensive or rare and enjoy that as a hobby similar to art collecting. I have some unopened bottles in the house which I’ve had for a good few years but never found the right time to open them. But if I buy a bottle, my full intention is to open and drink it”.
Even the bottles that demand thousands of pounds are ultimately made for drinking. In most cases, whisky with four or even five-figure price tags come with such a fee due to the age they’ve spent in a barrel, maturing year on year. In some cases, the distillery workers that painstakingly crafted the liquid are long gone, but their efforts to create a unique and special-tasting spirit remain. If such whisky were never opened, all these years and effort would essentially be in vain.
In short, not all whisky has to be bought with the goal of immediately opening it, but whether it’s in an owner’s plan to open a bottle or not, the end result comes down to two things. Eventual enjoyment, or a pointless waste.
