When it comes to collecting whisky, a lot more people do it than you might think. Not everyone can afford a £30,000 bottle of whisky, but still, some people are willing to pay the high rare whisky prices to get some of the oldest and rarest whiskies in their collections.
This article will give you an idea of why rare whisky prices are so high, as well as a selection of some of the most sought-after and collectable Scotch whiskies on the market today.
Why Are Rare Whisky Prices So High?
Rare whisky prices are dependent on a number of things; the main ones include;
- Which distillery it was made in
- Maturation time
- Number of bottles/casks produced
There are some incredibly well-established distilleries across Scotland, some of them dating back to as early as the 1700’s are still in operation today. These brands are incredibly well known in the whisky world and there is a huge buzz around the time that new whiskies get released. Whisky from distilleries that have shut down a long time ago can also go for incredibly high prices.
The time that the whisky is matured in casks also plays a huge role in determining rare whisky prices. Whiskies that have been matured for longer are rarer, as no distillery could sustain business if all of its stock was untouchable for 21 years. Not only this but for every year a whisky is being matured an average of 2-3% is lost due to it evaporating, otherwise known as the angels share.
The number of casks and bottles made also effects rare whisky prices. If a large number of bottles are made, the whisky is not as rare and therefore not as expensive. If there were say, only 200 bottles were made and production was not going to continue, this would be considered a very rare whisky.
Rare Whisky Prices
When it comes to rare whiskies, collectors are willing to pay excessive amounts of money but it makes sense when you consider that for every year you have a rare whisky, they only get rarer. Even if the same whisky was made again, they would be dated differently. Older normally always means rarer. Below are some rare whisky prices of some of the most sought after Scotch whiskies on the market right now;
- The Dalmore Quintessence – £1,000
- Lagavulin 8-Year – £52.65
- Ardbeg Twenty-One – £310
- The Balvenie 50-Year-Old Cask No.4567 – £26,500
- Bowmore Devil’s Cask 3 – £190
- The Dalmore 25-Year-Old – £725
- Highland Park – Dark Origins – £63.95
- Glenmorangie Signet – £130
- Old Pulteney 35-Year-Old – £515