Ardbeg 1977

Related whiskies : Ardbeg 1977

by **Dubois** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:57 am

Hi folks,
A friend told me about a bottle of Ardbeg 1977 available over here.
He didn't remember exactly the price,but is was over 100 Euro's.
What do you guys think about it : is it realy that good and how much should one pay for it ?
Thanks for your help !

by **Aidan** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:18 am

It is very good, but I think it's a bit hyped. Some believe that it's one of the best whiskys ever, though. They were on sale for about 100 euro uup to a while ago, but they sold out and usually gor for between 140 and 200 euro now.

by **bamber** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:48 am

Not a good place to start if you are new to Scotch IMO. If you've not tried Ardbeg 10, Laphroaig 10yo / QC and Lagavulin 16yo yet, I would dismiss the idea out of hand.

Maybe buy a bottle but don't open it. If you don't like Ardbeg 10, you will be wasting your money.

by **Aidan** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:58 am

There's a review of it on the website - http://www.whiskymag.com/whisky/brand/a ... ky791.html

by **Deactivated Member** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:01 am

Hi there Dubois,
Ardbeg 1977 is indeed a very good example of an Ardbeg, but the distillery has now run out of stock. This means the value is immediately rising as more people want one, either to drink or to add to their collections / investments.

During 2004 the typical price was anywhere from €81 to €102 as many were sold on Ebay and from shops.

Since late 2005 when it was announced that there was no more, the price has just about doubled. If you are lucky, it can still be found for around €130 to €150, but as Aidan has already said, more sellers are asking €170 to €200 for this.

Personally, I prefer the 1975 which came in three standard variants; bottled 1999, 2000 & 2001. These have held a steady price on the market for the last year at around €180 to €210, with just a couple reaching €250. So if I were looking to spend €180 to €200 on one of these to drink, I would choose the 1975.

Regards,
WH

by **Deactivated Member** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:04 am

If I can add just one more point:

At the same time last year, Ardbeg announced that there would be no more 17 year old. Since that time, they "found" a few more bottles which are available from their own website shop, but we are already seeing the (Ebay) prices rise for this one in Germany. Even one of my local whisky shops around Munich is asking €149 for a 17 year old!

WH

by **corbuso** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 11:57 am

HI Dubois,

If you shop a bit around, I am quite sure you can find some 1977 for around €120 (£75). Also, for you info, the 17YO is still for sale for £50 at the Ardbeg shop.

Regards
Corbuso
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http://www.whiskynews.com

by **parvus** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:03 pm

Do you think the '77 will be worth hanging on to for a few years, WH? I have a bottle, and access to two or three more, and i'm toying with the idea of buying up what I can at a somewhat reasonable price. Also, will the 17 increase in much value over the next years, or is it likely to remain at the less than €200 price point, due to its age.

Also, what is it about Ardbeg that makes it so popular for collectors?

by **Aidan** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:06 pm

parvus wrote:Also, what is it about Ardbeg that makes it so popular for collectors?

"Waffle" is the answer to that, in my opinion. I do think it's a great distillery, but...

by **Deactivated Member** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:21 pm

Hi Parvus,
as already mentioned, the '77 is currently gaining nicely in value and there is no sign of it stopping in the near future.
If I were faced with this question, or choice, then I would definitely stock up, lock them away and forget about them for a few years.

My personal feeling is that because this is also a great dram to drink, the stocks will dwindle as some are stashed away and others drunk.
I feel that it is good for at least a 10% increase per year for the next 5-6 years, maybe more in those later years (years 4-6). Beyond that? Well it is anyone's guess but I do not see anyone losing money with this bottle, so long as it is bought at a good, realistic and not too high a price in the current market.

I hope this helps,
good luck,
WH

by **parvus** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:37 am

Thanks WH.

I can currently buy the '77 for around €125. I'd like to buy some more, but there are many bottles around that i'd rather buy to drink. My current bottle is a little banged up, the box is slightly worn on each corner, and has a few creases, and the label is peeling in one corner, and scuffed up along the edges a bit, does this have much effect on value?

by **corbuso** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:14 am

parvus wrote:Thanks WH.

I can currently buy the '77 for around €125. My current bottle is a little banged up, the box is slightly worn on each corner, and has a few creases, and the label is peeling in one corner, and scuffed up along the edges a bit, does this have much effect on value?

Collectors wants bottles and package in prime conditions and your value can lose up to 20% of its value. Personally, I would recommend you to crack it and drink it and buy a second one just in case

Corbuso
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http://www.whisky-news.com

by **Deactivated Member** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:19 am

Condition does affect value, as with all collectibles. However, it is better to have slightly worn or damaged packaging than none at all!

Corbuso was quite correct in his assessment that up to 20% may be 'lost' due to this. But I have found Ardbeg to stand up better than many other distilleries in this respect.

WH

by **Deactivated Member** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:04 pm

Glad I nabbed a couple when they "found" some last year. By the sounds of things I made a reasonable investment without realising it

I'll still probably drink them though - driving the value up further for you collector boys :lol:

by **Dubois** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 5:52 pm

Crieftan wrote:Glad I nabbed a couple when they "found" some last year. By the sounds of things I made a reasonable investment without realising it
I'll still probably drink them though - driving the value up further for you collector boys

I agree on that : I wouldn't buy it as investment but only for enjoying :wink:

Related whiskies : Ardbeg 1977