Current figures have offered extra proof of main gamers within the high-quality wine commerce growing their presence within the uncommon whisky market.
Public sale homes Sotheby’s and Zachys have reported report spirits gross sales for 2022, whereas UK-based service provider Bordeaux Index stated in January that the secondary marketplace for uncommon whisky stays ‘exceptionally sturdy’. Fellow service provider Goedhuis & Co additionally reported whisky gross sales up by 20% in worth in 2022, led by Scotch.
The studies come as a brand new Decanter Collector’s Information on whisky appears to be like on the market’s growth, together with the most recent tendencies and releases, in addition to how potential patrons can strategy the sector.
The information notes a metamorphosis of the uncommon whisky public sale market in recent times, and in addition the rise of unique releases through retail specialists and direct from producers. ‘Because the uncommon whisky scene evolves, the market is steadily changing into extra subtle, giving collectors a number of potential routes to buy,’ it says.
Sotheby’s noticed report wine and spirits public sale gross sales of $150m in 2022, with spirits gross sales hitting a brand new excessive of $29m – up from $22m in 2021 and having been simply $4m in 2017.
‘We positively would predict the market persevering with to rise, and progress all through 2023,’ stated Jamie Ritchie, worldwide chairman of Sotheby’s wine and spirits, in an interview with Decanter’s Market Watch in January.
He additionally highlighted the sturdy growth of a secondary marketplace for spirits within the US final yr.
Matthew O’Connell, CEO of Bordeaux Index’s LiveTrade buying and selling platform, stated, ‘The worth of high Scotch and Japanese whisky rose by 15-20% throughout 2022.’
He added, ‘The whisky market has actually gathered tempo during the last decade, with value rises of round 20% each year compound progress.’
Given restricted provides and a rising variety of rich collectors looking for high bottles, he predicted additional value positive factors in 2023.
Bordeaux Index advised Decanter journal in January that Scotch whiskies Springbank and Macallan rose in value by 42% and 20% respectively final yr, whereas Japan’s Karuizawa and Yamazaki elevated in value by 29% and 19%.
Public sale home Zachys reported report spirits gross sales of $2.4m in 2022. It’s top-selling lot was a single bottle of Suntory, Yamazaki 55 12 months Outdated Japanese single malt, which fetched $398,400 – stage with the value of the group’s best-selling wine public sale lot: 12 bottles of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s lauded Romanée-Conti 1990.
Zachys stated different top-selling whisky names have been Macallan, Karuizawa, Port Ellen and Pappy Van Winkle.
Some business knowledge has advised a extra blended image on value momentum in current months.
Uncommon Whisky 101, which compiles knowledge primarily based on UK public sale costs, noticed its Apex 1000 index rise by greater than 425% from its inception on the finish of 2012 to the tip of November 2022, reported Decanter’s Collector’s Information. However the index fell by 2.3% within the six months to 26 December.
Decanter’s information additionally cites a number of points for collectors and potential traders to concentrate on, from low ranges of liquidity available in the market and ranging costs for particular person bottles at public sale to the significance of shopping for from respected sources – given basic considerations about potential counterfeits.
