"Investible" whisky

[bond]

I am writing a compilation on the best whiskies to stock up on, from an investment perspective. Without getting into the eternal debate on whether whisky is meant for drinking or investment, wanted some thoughts on the approach to be followed and suggestions therein:

I could think of the following as "investibles":

1. Closed distilleries

2. Prized Vintages of regular distilleries

3. Special Releases (several con jobs around on this one)

4. Landmark independent bottlings

Would need suggestions/help in navigating my way around this one.

Thanks .

Bond

[Deactivated Member]

Hi Bond,
this is something of a specialist area of mine and one on which I have already written some articles.

Please feel free to PM me to discuss this further.
MT

[Di Blasi]

Hi Bond,
this is something of a specialist area of mine and one on which I have already written some articles.

Please feel free to PM me to discuss this further.
MT

Yes, great info and a great source from Malt-Teaser!!
It would be nice to read more info here too!
Malt-Teaser, is your http://www.whiskyhammer.com site where you have the information you mention, "some articles" to be found? I too am interested in that extra info if so!!

Also, it seems when an expert, Jim Murray, Michael Jackson etc, rates a whisky with top ratings, it too could carry collectable status.
Numbered bottlings is another.

[Drrich1965]

Hi Bond,
this is something of a specialist area of mine and one on which I have already written some articles.

Please feel free to PM me to discuss this further.
MT

I would love to have access to your artcles. Are they published?

Rich

[Deactivated Member]

3. Special Releases (several con jobs around on this one)

My feeling is that any conning done is by credulous collectors of themselves.

Collectibility is a peculiar thing. Objects are collectible pretty much whenever enough people think they are. I have referred here before to a story titled "The Great Pat Boom" by Harlan Ellison, in which a race of aliens descends on earth and begins buying up cowpats. Pretty soon there is a booming business in cowpats, and rare double-whorled ones are especially highly valued. After a while, the aliens simply leave, laughing up their sleeves, leaving the cowpat-collecting earthlings holding a pile of you-know-what.

Predicting what will be collectible and valuable in the future is not an easy thing. Chances are, if you think it will rise in value, a lot of other people will think the same. The result is a lot hoarded and no market. A very few things are easily and instantly recognizable as collectible--say, PC5--and naturally they sell out very fast, so if you don't jump on them right away, you are already five steps behind. Foreseeing the collectibility of other things is as much a matter of market psychology as anything. To catch a really big wave, you must bet on something that no one else is betting on, but which they will later recognize as collectible--a rare and unpredictable circumstance. In both the smaller and larger pictures, there comes a point when more people are collecting than will be willing to buy later. It's only my gut feeling, and I could be entirely wrong, but I think that, in the general whisky-collecting market, we are past that point.

My advice: Don't buy anything you wouldn't drink! Then again, if you'd like to drink it, why leave it on the shelf?

[Di Blasi]

Also, I think there is always someone out there willing to buy something you have also bought in the past. It's just that you have to find each other when the time is right. Just like there is an Official Peanut Butter Fan Club out there! There is something for everyone, and always someone willing to pay for it! "One mans junk is another man's treasure" the saying goes.

[Deactivated Member]

Without getting into the eternal debate on whether whisky is meant for drinking or investment....

And apologies for venturing into that territory...didn't really mean to.

[vitara7]

its all very well collecting closed distilleries, but one of the reasons some of them were closed to start with was they had so many cask of the stuff sitting in bond.

one of the best distilleries to try and get id say is glen flagler, the owners have no more casks of the stuff and are aware of no casks sitting anywhere, so everythign thats ever going to be bottled of glen flager is out there, and its only going to get rarer.

[Di Blasi]

its all very well collecting closed distilleries, but one of the reasons some of them were closed to start with was they had so many cask of the stuff sitting in bond.

one of the best distilleries to try and get id say is glen flagler, the owners have no more casks of the stuff and are aware of no casks sitting anywhere, so everythign thats ever going to be bottled of glen flager is out there, and its only going to get rarer.

Good to know about the Glen Flagler, vitara7, thanks for the info.
Is this also the case with Dallas Dhu and Rosebank???

[Drrich1965]

Of course, Port Ellen's are all the rage. While there seems to be no shortage of independents in their early to late twenties, the younger malts are getting increasingly rare. These might be a good bet, and if they don't work out as an investment, two of my top ten malts are 13 and 16 year old PEs. Not suprising, as Caol Ila (whose large output, efficiency, and similarity seems to be the reason why PE was shut down) is very nice young.

[Deactivated Member]

Good to know about the Glen Flagler, vitara7, thanks for the info.
Is this also the case with Dallas Dhu and Rosebank???

Don't believe so, new bottlings of those still crop up regularly. Glen Flagler is one of the truly hard to find, and with no casks extant, a thoroughly extinct distillery.

[Deactivated Member]

Hi everyone, I will try to answer your questions:

Di Blasi & DrRich,
Yes, I am also "WhiskyHammer" and if you follow the link provided (by Di Blasi) you will find a main menu on the top right. Within this menu you will then find a section called "Collect to Invest" which offers some general advice as to what I believe to be "Collectible". Not individual bottlings, but general ideas - much as Bond began to outline in the original post.

I have also provided analysis of some individual bottlings to show what can happen. Obviously this is not a certainty for most new bottlings, but examples of some specific ones. Hopefully also outlining why they have been so collectible.

Glen Flagler,
this is indeed a highly collectible distillery. The last available casks were bottled as the very highly collectible "Glen Flagler 1973" and also an even more expensive edition of "Killyloch 1967".

Rosebank & Dallas Dhu .... etc,

Rosebank - This is (in my opinion) a wonderful whisky, but as yet it hasn't really captured the imagination of the collectors & Investors. It keeps being tipped by the experts (MJ ...etc) as being one to keep an eye on, but I guess we won't know until it really has all gone.
My own advice: The OB bottlings, especially the older ones which have increased in price will continue to do so. There are many independent editions still to be found which are great for drinking, but these will be very slow to appreciate in value, if at all within the next 7-8 years.

Dallas Dhu,
I know someone with contacts into DD and I was warned during Spring this year that the last warehouse stocks were expected to run out by the end of this year.
Has this actually happened?
I'm not sure, but if not, they won't last too much longer.
I also believe that the last casks in the warehouse were all owned by G&M!
There are some Dallas Dhu bottlings which can still be found and which represent (again in my opinion) great investment opportunities.
Try looking for the "Centenary" edition - the one in a blue wooden frame.
There are also a couple of "Royal Family" editions which I don't remember the exact details, but they are something like "Jubilee" editions.
Any of these OB special editions should be held on to!

Port Ellen,
Just how many "Annual Releases" will there be?
Nobody seems to know, but the earlier ones are appreciating in value nicely and I expect the later ones to do the same over time.

Mr. T.,
I agree with some of what you say, especially that the greatest gains are to be made by getting in at the beginning with special editions. I also agree that it can be quite difficult trying to judge which ones to go for!

One can make educated guesses by looking at past performance, but one should also take into account "fashion"!
Yes, this does exist with whisky collecting!
At the moment Ardbeg are enjoying the crest of a (collecting) wave. It seems that all their "specials" are highly sought after and showing tremendous very short-term gains.
However, the more recent editions like that 1965 at almost €3000 and the Single Cask bottlings released just in time for Christmas at around €500 - €600 are, in the opinion of many, priced too high.
It seems that Ardbeg want the gains shown by earlier bottlings, in cash, up front.
I personally think that they will sell these editions, but they are stepping away from many collectors who in turn, will turn elsewhere. Thus, possibly damaging their longer-term collectibility.

I do not agree with your idea tha tthe market is saturated, the true collectible editions are strictly limited in low numbers and there will always be more collectors than bottles available. The world is not static, people as well as collectibles move forward and I believe the market will always be there.

If one looks at other fashions in collecting, the 1980's - 1990's boom for classic cars immediately comes to mind. Here was an item collected by a few knowledgeable ones. But suddenly it became fashion for everyone to want to jump on the bandwagon and try to make a "quick buck". I personally knew of some classic Porsches changing hands at stupid prices. Then, suddenly, an economic downturn almost overnight and the market went "pop".
Millions (GBP) were lost as values plummeted.
This is something I fear for whisky collecting if it becomes too fashionable and the "in vogue" item for general investors. Mainly because they look for short-term large gains and if they fail, they move elsewhere very quickly, leaving chaos behind.

When looking for investment, the whisky market is indeed a steady one, offering good returns so long as one knows what to buy. But this is a LONG-TERM market where one should consider investment periods of 8-20 years as normal!

As you can probably tell, this subject is dear to my heart and I could continue almost endlessly, but I fear I have already written far too much for one single post, but hopefully, also given some food for thought.

For sure, I'll never be too far from this subject and although I have some slight delays in adding new features to "Collect to Invest" on WhiskyHammer, I am working on this and I expect much more to happen in this area during 2007.

Take care and enjoy your collecting,
MT

[vitara7]

G+M have more casks of dallas dhu, than everyone elses put together... i spoke to someone there and basicly there going to sit on the vast majority of them, for now that is...

[vitara7]

but another thing to watch if your looking to invest, is try and work out what will be desirable in the future, not right now.

[vitara7]

personally, im a collector (450+ bottles at present) and im looking at it covering my retierment, so i try to buy bottles that will be hard to find in years to come. put it this way. so i personally put my cash where my fat ob is and buy glen flaglers when they become avalable, which is getting less and less these days...

[Drrich1965]

This might be a stupid question. How much less collectable is a bottle without the box or origional carton. For example, while I am not expecting these to beceome rare of very expensive, I have several malts that I bought before the lable changed. My thought was to hang on to these five years to ten years, and if they are worth more, great. If not, drink. However, a couple of these are without cartons (I insist on the origional box now).

Any thoughts?

Again, if I "have" to drink them, I will be less than distressed.

[TheLaddie]

one of the best distilleries to try and get id say is glen flagler, the owners have no more casks of the stuff and are aware of no casks sitting anywhere, so everythign thats ever going to be bottled of glen flager is out there, and its only going to get rarer.

Very true, but beware one thing. Inver House has sold a blended malt named "Glen Flagler Pure Malt Special Reserve" since the 1980s. It's too easy to fall into the trap of paying through the nose for this bottle and finding it's worth less than you payed.

My rules for buying collectable bottles are:

1. Don't buy any whisky you wouldn't enjoy drinking if the price didn't develop as much as you would like.

2. Don't pay any more for a collectable bottle than you would be prepared to pay for a bottle to drink. Then you won't have lost out if you do have to drink it because you can't sell it.

3. Research a particular bottling before buying if you get the chance. This is particularly important for older bottlings.

4. Don't be taken in by vendors' claims on ebay. These can vary from overexcitement to poetic licence to downright lies.

5. Never be tempted to overpay at an auction for a bottle. There are few bottlings that are so rare that there will not be another one along soon. Always take postage costs into account.

Good luck.

[Deactivated Member]

Whilst still on Glen Flagler:

Sukinder at TWE has the most collectible GFs available: http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/ViewCategory.aspx?category=31&manufacturer=Glen%20Flagler

These are the ones to look for!

I have three in my personal collection:
Two are the cheaper bottlings which I believed were vatted as opposed to blended.
The third is the same as the one at the bottom of the link I provided - Red Label with black band. This is an excellent bottling and one to treasure.

I recently sold one of the 1973's and know where there were some more. If I get to the shop again I shall buy what I can and probably offer them onwards.
MT

[Di Blasi]

Hi everyone, I will try to answer your questions:

Di Blasi & DrRich,
Yes, I am also "WhiskyHammer" and if you follow the link provided (by Di Blasi) you will find a main menu on the top right. Within this menu you will then find a section called "Collect to Invest" which offers some general advice as to what I believe to be "Collectible". Not individual bottlings, but general ideas - much as Bond began to outline in the original post.

I have also provided analysis of some individual bottlings to show what can happen. Obviously this is not a certainty for most new bottlings, but examples of some specific ones. Hopefully also outlining why they have been so collectible.

Glen Flagler,
this is indeed a highly collectible distillery. The last available casks were bottled as the very highly collectible "Glen Flagler 1973" and also an even more expensive edition of "Killyloch 1967".

Rosebank & Dallas Dhu .... etc,

Rosebank - This is (in my opinion) a wonderful whisky, but as yet it hasn't really captured the imagination of the collectors & Investors. It keeps being tipped by the experts (MJ ...etc) as being one to keep an eye on, but I guess we won't know until it really has all gone.
My own advice: The OB bottlings, especially the older ones which have increased in price will continue to do so. There are many independent editions still to be found which are great for drinking, but these will be very slow to appreciate in value, if at all within the next 7-8 years.

Dallas Dhu,
I know someone with contacts into DD and I was warned during Spring this year that the last warehouse stocks were expected to run out by the end of this year.
Has this actually happened?
I'm not sure, but if not, they won't last too much longer.
I also believe that the last casks in the warehouse were all owned by G&M!
There are some Dallas Dhu bottlings which can still be found and which represent (again in my opinion) great investment opportunities.
Try looking for the "Centenary" edition - the one in a blue wooden frame.
There are also a couple of "Royal Family" editions which I don't remember the exact details, but they are something like "Jubilee" editions.
Any of these OB special editions should be held on to!

Port Ellen,
Just how many "Annual Releases" will there be?
Nobody seems to know, but the earlier ones are appreciating in value nicely and I expect the later ones to do the same over time.

Mr. T.,
I agree with some of what you say, especially that the greatest gains are to be made by getting in at the beginning with special editions. I also agree that it can be quite difficult trying to judge which ones to go for!

One can make educated guesses by looking at past performance, but one should also take into account "fashion"!
Yes, this does exist with whisky collecting!
At the moment Ardbeg are enjoying the crest of a (collecting) wave. It seems that all their "specials" are highly sought after and showing tremendous very short-term gains.
However, the more recent editions like that 1965 at almost €3000 and the Single Cask bottlings released just in time for Christmas at around €500 - €600 are, in the opinion of many, priced too high.
It seems that Ardbeg want the gains shown by earlier bottlings, in cash, up front.
I personally think that they will sell these editions, but they are stepping away from many collectors who in turn, will turn elsewhere. Thus, possibly damaging their longer-term collectibility.

I do not agree with your idea tha tthe market is saturated, the true collectible editions are strictly limited in low numbers and there will always be more collectors than bottles available. The world is not static, people as well as collectibles move forward and I believe the market will always be there.

If one looks at other fashions in collecting, the 1980's - 1990's boom for classic cars immediately comes to mind. Here was an item collected by a few knowledgeable ones. But suddenly it became fashion for everyone to want to jump on the bandwagon and try to make a "quick buck". I personally knew of some classic Porsches changing hands at stupid prices. Then, suddenly, an economic downturn almost overnight and the market went "pop".
Millions (GBP) were lost as values plummeted.
This is something I fear for whisky collecting if it becomes too fashionable and the "in vogue" item for general investors. Mainly because they look for short-term large gains and if they fail, they move elsewhere very quickly, leaving chaos behind.

When looking for investment, the whisky market is indeed a steady one, offering good returns so long as one knows what to buy. But this is a LONG-TERM market where one should consider investment periods of 8-20 years as normal!

As you can probably tell, this subject is dear to my heart and I could continue almost endlessly, but I fear I have already written far too much for one single post, but hopefully, also given some food for thought.

For sure, I'll never be too far from this subject and although I have some slight delays in adding new features to "Collect to Invest" on WhiskyHammer, I am working on this and I expect much more to happen in this area during 2007.

Take care and enjoy your collecting,
MT

Your experience, knowledge, and insight is always extremely valuable and appreciated by me Malt-Teaser, thank you very much.

[Deactivated Member]

You certainly know a lot more about the collectible whisky market than I do, Malt-Teaser, and I gladly defer to your superior knowledge and advice. I hope you will forgive me if I remain skeptical.

However, the more recent editions like that 1965 at almost €3000 and the Single Cask bottlings released just in time for Christmas at around €500 - €600 are, in the opinion of many, priced too high.
It seems that Ardbeg want the gains shown by earlier bottlings, in cash, up front.
I personally think that they will sell these editions, but they are stepping away from many collectors who in turn, will turn elsewhere. Thus, possibly damaging their longer-term collectibility.

Good!

[Lawrence]

. Just like there is an Official Peanut Butter Fan Club out there!

Do they have a forum?

[Deactivated Member]

I'm up to 7,000 posts there.

[peergynt323]

I find it interesting to refer to whisky buying as investment. I have no experience with Whisky auctions or anything like that, so I hope my two cents aren't too offensive. However, I am a finance guy, and there is a big difference between "investing", "speculating", and "collecting."

Investing is stocks, bonds, businesses, commercial real estate etc. You are almost guaranteed to get the return that you expect. There is some form of cash in-flow to support the price that you pay.

Speculating is what you do with residential real estate, junk bonds and penny stocks. You buy something hoping that it's going to go up in value. The price of the asset is not determined by the cash in-flow and because of that it is largely subjective. If you get a good tip or good luck, speculating can make you a lot of money.

Collecting is a little like speculating, except that you are getting something that you would have wanted anyway. There is no potential for any sort of cash in-flow. You don't get disappointed if the object goes down in value but it is an asset because it is likely to appreciate. Often times the best way to make money in collecting is to buy something before it becomes popular--in other words, get lucky.

Anyway, Malt Teaser gives some wise words. Collect, don't speculate. Don't spend $300 on a bottle of Loch Dhu in hopes that it will go up, because no one actually wants to drink it--it has no real value, only speculative value. There is a chance that these closed distilleries will lose their luster over the years. It is possible that all single malts are experiencing a trend that will turn down in a few years and there will be too few dollars chasing too many bottles of rare whisky. In the U.S., Baseball card collecting looked really good in the eighties and nineties, but most are worth less today than they were back then.

[TheLaddie]

I'm up to 7,000 posts there.

Smooth or Chunky?

With or without Jelly?

How long can you keep a jar before it goes off?

I have tried smooth peanut better but would like to try chunky. Can anyone recommend where I should start?

Does this peanut butter taste at all soapy to you?

I found this 43 year old jar of peanut butter in my cupboard? Can anyone tell me how much it is worth?

Straight from the jar...with a spoon...

[Admiral]

The difference between Rosebank and Dallas Dhu is that just about all the bottlings of Rosebank are really, really good; whereas just about all the bottlings of Dallas Dhu are hot, fiery, and ordinary.

(At least IMHO)

Cheers,
AD

[les taylor]

The Laddie wrote:-
MrTattieHeid wrote:
I'm up to 7,000 posts there.


Smooth or Chunky?

With or without Jelly?

How long can you keep a jar before it goes off?

I have tried smooth peanut better but would like to try chunky. Can anyone recommend where I should start?

Does this peanut butter taste at all soapy to you?

I found this 43 year old jar of peanut butter in my cupboard? Can anyone tell me how much it is worth?

Straight from the jar...with a spoon...



I should add a very important question should you eat your peanut butter with marmite on toast, should the peanut butter go on first or the marmite first?

[Admiral]

And what if the jar had stated "Unsalted" for 30 years, and then suddenly they changed the label to say "Fine Spice" ???


Cheers,
AD

[Di Blasi]

Yes, their forum is the first ever of its kind on the net!! Tons of fans from around the world are heavily addicted to posting, and eating the stuff!! Ha ha ha! They are constantly discussing nutty, creamy, with or without jelly, with wheat or white bread, and so much more to keep them all excited!

[TheLaddie]

Each mood has a peanut butter!

[Deactivated Member]

Do marmots eat marmite?

[corbuso]

Hi everyone, I will try to answer your questions:

Glen Flagler,
this is indeed a highly collectible distillery. The last available casks were bottled as the very highly collectible "Glen Flagler 1973" and also an even more expensive edition of "Killyloch 1967".

Rosebank & Dallas Dhu .... etc,

Rosebank - This is (in my opinion) a wonderful whisky, but as yet it hasn't really captured the imagination of the collectors & Investors. It keeps being tipped by the experts (MJ ...etc) as being one to keep an eye on, but I guess we won't know until it really has all gone.
My own advice: The OB bottlings, especially the older ones which have increased in price will continue to do so. There are many independent editions still to be found which are great for drinking, but these will be very slow to appreciate in value, if at all within the next 7-8 years.

Dallas Dhu,
I know someone with contacts into DD and I was warned during Spring this year that the last warehouse stocks were expected to run out by the end of this year.
Has this actually happened?
I'm not sure, but if not, they won't last too much longer.
I also believe that the last casks in the warehouse were all owned by G&M!
There are some Dallas Dhu bottlings which can still be found and which represent (again in my opinion) great investment opportunities.
Try looking for the "Centenary" edition - the one in a blue wooden frame.
There are also a couple of "Royal Family" editions which I don't remember the exact details, but they are something like "Jubilee" editions.
Any of these OB special editions should be held on to!

Port Ellen,
Just how many "Annual Releases" will there be?
Nobody seems to know, but the earlier ones are appreciating in value nicely and I expect the later ones to do the same over time.

Mr. T.,
I agree with some of what you say, especially that the greatest gains are to be made by getting in at the beginning with special editions. I also agree that it can be quite difficult trying to judge which ones to go for!

One can make educated guesses by looking at past performance, but one should also take into account "fashion"!
Yes, this does exist with whisky collecting!
At the moment Ardbeg are enjoying the crest of a (collecting) wave. It seems that all their "specials" are highly sought after and showing tremendous very short-term gains.
However, the more recent editions like that 1965 at almost €3000 and the Single Cask bottlings released just in time for Christmas at around €500 - €600 are, in the opinion of many, priced too high.
It seems that Ardbeg want the gains shown by earlier bottlings, in cash, up front.
I personally think that they will sell these editions, but they are stepping away from many collectors who in turn, will turn elsewhere. Thus, possibly damaging their longer-term collectibility.

I do not agree with your idea tha tthe market is saturated, the true collectible editions are strictly limited in low numbers and there will always be more collectors than bottles available. The world is not static, people as well as collectibles move forward and I believe the market will always be there.

If one looks at other fashions in collecting, the 1980's - 1990's boom for classic cars immediately comes to mind. Here was an item collected by a few knowledgeable ones.
This is something I fear for whisky collecting if it becomes too fashionable and the "in vogue" item for general investors. Mainly because they look for short-term large gains and if they fail, they move elsewhere very quickly, leaving chaos behind.

When looking for investment, the whisky market is indeed a steady one, offering good returns so long as one knows what to buy. But this is a LONG-TERM market where one should consider investment periods of 8-20 years as normal!

As you can probably tell, this subject is dear to my heart and I could continue almost endlessly, but I fear I have already written far too much for one single post, but hopefully, also given some food for thought.

For sure, I'll never be too far from this subject and although I have some slight delays in adding new features to "Collect to Invest" on WhiskyHammer, I am working on this and I expect much more to happen in this area during 2007.

Take care and enjoy your collecting,
MT

Dear MT,

Regarding your comment, I share the same opinion as you regarding the Port Ellen Annual Releases, which will probably gain quite some value within the next 10 years or so.
For Dallas Dhu, the prices might increase, but probably not as much as the PE.
Regarding the Glen Fargler, what makes you think that the whiskies of this distillery will gain a lot of value in the future. What makes it so different from a Rosebank, an Inverlven or a Littlemill distillery?

Ardbeg is currently very sought after and the prices are very high and will still continue to increase slightly, but not as quickly as during the last 2 years. Ardbegs from the 1970s were excellent whiskies and their value will not decrease. If you compare with Bowmore from 1966 or 1968, even the bottles from the independent bottlers are very high and sold within hours.
As you said, as long as a distillery is selling limited editions of superb whiskies, they will be sold. The number of collectors will be more limited but there will be always people buying them.

An other collector items that you could add is probably the special Macallan bottlings which will very likely increase in the next years.

As mentioned in other posts, first editions have always a good collectible value (E.g., PC5 or Hazelburn 1st Edition). Unfortunately, some retailers knows it and overprice them from the start.

MT, What do you think about the Rare Malt serie?

Regards

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

[misa]

Regarding the Glen Fargler, what makes you think that the whiskies of this distillery will gain a lot of value in the future. What makes it so different from a Rosebank, an Inverlven or a Littlemill distillery?

Maybe because bottlings from Rosebank, Inverleven and Littlemill are still found in almost every shop and I also suspect that a lot more whisky came out from these distilleries in general. But after 15-20 years, who knows. I suppose It depends on how much and fast we are willing to consume these distilleries´products.

[Deactivated Member]

There isn't any more Glen Flagler in the warehouse. What's out there is it. What's more, in addition the the collecting completist who wants one on his shelf, there is the tasting completist who wants a sample in his mouth. It's the last one on a lot of people's lists, and every time one of them actually opens a bottle, there is that much less out there.

[TheLaddie]

Regarding the Glen Fargler, what makes you think that the whiskies of this distillery will gain a lot of value in the future. What makes it so different from a Rosebank, an Inverlven or a Littlemill distillery?

Also Glen Flagler and its sister distillery Killyloch had very short lives. Both were built in 1964 with Killyloch closing after only 11 years operation in 1975 and Glen Flagler after only 21 years in 1985. See also Ben Wyvis: 1965-1976. 11 years. Ladyburn: 1966-1975. 9 years.

Compare this with Rosebank: 1840-1993. 153 years. Inverleven: 1938-1991. 53 years. Littlemill 1772 to 1984 and 1989 to 1992. 215 years.

This, of course, has a significant effect on rarity value and thus collectability/price.

[Deactivated Member]

Corbuso,
I know of some people who specialise the the "Rare Malt" series and I must admit that many of these are great collectibles, especially the earlier ones.

For me personally, I often the bottles in Duty Free shops, but never really considered collecting them. I found it quite confusing as there were a few different series and I just didn't keep up with what was what.

For some collectors, this can make for an interesting colelction - trying to get all issues, but just not for me.
Having said this, there are some great issues within these bottlings and values do seem to be increasing steadily.

MT