Investing In Scotch – How to Get the Best Out Of Your Whiskies

Do you think that investing in whisky is a good idea? If you are thinking about investing in anything then it would be smart to have at least some experience behind it. For those of you who may not be familiar with the investment in whiskies then it simply means purchasing an already matured bottle of alcohol. Some investors buy the whole stock of a specific distillery whilst others simply look for a specific brand or style.

Enjoying Quality Whisky

Have you ever been to a hotel or restaurant where the serving staff all have a certain style of drinking from their long years of experience? This is known as micro whisky maturation. Many bars and restaurants will choose a favourite brand of micro-mature whiskies such as Glenfiddich. Why is this better than say a cheaper brand that has been left to age in oak barrels for months? The answer is because micro-mature whiskies have a much higher content of alcohol and therefore much more flavour. You will find that these types of whiskies are generally much more expensive than the cheaper brands.

Another common type of investment in whiskies is known as ‘gin’. This simply means that you purchase the brand, age it and then bottle it. This can be very expensive because you are buying the alcohol that is left to age in wooden barrels that need to be kept at a constant temperature. There is also maturation in barrels used for baking, so the scotch whisky industry is very interested in baking maturation.

If you’re thinking about investing in Scotland’s most famous drinks then your best bet is to do so in the low-priced ‘bank account’ type of investment. By this we mean investing in a matured bottle of any of the major brand names such as Lagavulin, Scallywag, Bunnahabhain and more. Many of these companies sell their products direct from the bottle with no further packaging and so don’t have any storage costs associated with the product.

So what makes a great investment? With a good quality, mellow-flavoured whisky, the most important thing is how old it is. Mature whiskies tend to taste better and have a fuller body, are often bottled at younger ages and have a lower alcohol content than those which are bottled too young or have a high alcohol content. It’s important not to assume that just because a bottle of whisky is young, it will taste good, because you will still need to age it in special barrels before bottling and it is important to understand that the type of oak used in maturation will also impact on the final flavour

Investment In Spirits

If you’re looking at investing in Scotland’s famous spirits then you’ll need to ensure that you understand the rules that govern the whisky trade. There are three classes of Scotch whisky, young, middle aged and old. The type of alcohol you should buy depends on the type of finish you want, and again, the proof of age will determine this. Many of the rules for investing in Scotch will apply to American whiskeys as well.