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Whiskystats Unveils Major Differences In Retail Versus Auction Whisky Prices!

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Whiskystats Unveils Major Differences In Retail Versus Auction Whisky Prices

Whiskystats, a premier whisky data analytics firm, has unveiled an exhaustive study showing a significant price difference between the retail and auction markets for whisky.

This study highlights that in 2023, whisky prices were 50-75% more at retail outlets than at auctions, suggesting auctions as a more budget-friendly option for whisky purchases.

Titled ‘Has Whisky Become a Buyer’s Market?‘, the report delves into the performance and trends of various whisky brands.

Key Insights:

– There was a 5% decrease in the volume of whisky bottles traded at auction houses, along with a 19% drop in their total sale prices in 2023.

– Over 10,000 bottles did not achieve their reserve prices at auction, a 36% increase from 2022.

– The auction market saw the most significant value drops in three Japanese brands: Chichibu (down 43%), Karuizawa (down 36%), and Yamazaki (down 33%).

– Glendronach and Port Charlotte emerged as the top performers in terms of ratings for their 2023 releases, based on analysis of Whiskybase data by Whiskystats.

– Conversely, Ardmore and Jura experienced the most significant drops in perceived quality, as reflected in public ratings.

– Craigellachie earned the title of the most improved brand of 2023, judging by shifts in public perception.

Whiskystats also launched a first-of-its-kind ‘collector-drinker gauge’ to compare secondary market turnover to public ratings and reviews.

The gauge reveals that Macallan, Hibiki, and Yamazaki are the most collector-oriented brands, while Ledaig, Kavalan, and Glen Scotia are the most drinker-focused.

Data shows that the whisky market is shifting. Buyers’ willingness to purchase whisky at listed retail prices has dropped significantly. And even for whiskies that eventually sell, bottles tend to remain on shelves far longer than in the recent past.

What we’re seeing in the auction market data is clear: prices are no longer reaching the peak prices of the COVID era, and there are some great bottles for sale at the lowest prices in years.
– Johannes Moosbrugger:

A full copy of the report is available for free download at: whiskystats.com/reports

About Whiskystats

Whiskystats is a Whiskybase company. Whiskystats and Whiskybase are independent: the report was not funded by any distillery group, bottler, whisky-adjacent agency, or related concern.

Each month, Whiskystats collects tens of thousands of auction price observations and tracks over 1.6 million whisky retail prices. Whiskystats incorporates ratings from Whiskybase, the world’s largest whisky database of more than 239,000 unique whiskies. Thanks to this unsurpassed dataset, Whiskystats is the standard bearer for whisky market analysis for collectors, producers, and investors.

On Whiskystats, users have access to reliable bottle-level details that allow them to accurately track auction lots, view historical and current auction prices, create and track the current market value of their whisky collection(s), set whisky watchlists, schedule notifications, and view millions of whisky ratings.

Rare Scotch Whisky Miniature Sells For £6,440 At Whisky.Auction!

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Rare Scotch whisky miniature sells for £6,440 at whisky.auction!

Rare Scotch whisky miniature sells for £6,440 at auction!

A tiny 5cl bottle of Springbank Scotch single malt whisky distilled in 1919 has sold for £6,440 via online auction site Whisky.Auction!

The Springbank Scotch single malt whisky distilled in 1919

Whisky collector and co-founder of online retailer The Whisky Exchange, Sukhinder Singh, sold over 400 bottles from his collection of whisky miniatures during the latest miniatures and memorabilia auction at Whisky.Auction, with the full collection reaching a tremendous £56,732.95 after commission.

Other impressive lots included:

· An extremely rare 5cl 1940s Glenfiddich Special with box, bottled in the 1940s, which sold for £2,530 – a record for this particular whisky

· A 5cl Macallan Spiral Label from the 1970s which sold for £2,185

· A miniature bottle of The Glenlivet 50 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky from The Winchester Collection distilled in 1967 and bottled on 6 June 2018, which sold for £1,552.50

The carefully curated selection of miniatures had been collected by Sukhinder during the 1980s, 90s and 2000s. He decided to sell a large proportion of his collection to make room for future purchases, keeping just one bottle from each distillery to be displayed in a cabinet with the rest of his collection.

The carefully curated selection of miniatures had been collected by Sukhinder during the 1980s, 90s and 2000s

I am extremely pleased that after 40 years of collecting these miniatures they have found their way into other collections around the world. 10 miniatures from my collection reached prices of £1000 or more including the Springbank 1919 which achieved £6440.

I am thrilled to see that interest in miniature collecting is at an all-time high as it’s something I fell in love with four decades ago.
– Sukhinder Singh: The Whisky Exchange Co-founder

We have seen a wonderful renaissance in the appreciation of rare whisky miniatures. Bidders are willing to pay what seems like a lot of money for tiny bottles of whisky but it is the opportunity to taste a piece of history – particularly when standard 70cl or 75cl formats have become inaccessible for many enthusiasts to buy.

Highly rated limited edition whiskies can seem eye wateringly expensive, but the starting bids for miniatures at Whisky.Auction is just £2 and the market for the oldest and rarest examples is more accessible than ever before.
– Isabel Graham-Yooll: Auction Director at Whisky.Auction

Whisky.Auction runs a quarterly miniatures and memorabilia auction, with the next auction due to go live on 17 October 2021.

Sukhinder Singh, Co-Founder Of The Whisky Exchange To Sell Majority Of His Old & Rare Miniatures Collection!

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Fantastic collection of old and rare miniatures from Sukhinder Singh heads to auction!

Sukhinder Singh, co-founder of leading global whisky retailer The Whisky Exchange, is putting part of his miniatures collection up for auction via Whisky.Auction from Sunday 15th August, including some very rare examples of early bottlings.

Sukhinder Singh, co-founder of The Whisky Exchange

Sukhinder will be selling 400 miniatures from his collection amassed over several decades, many matching the full bottles he also owns. The majority of the miniatures are single malt or blended Scotch, but there are also some gin, cognac and rum lots too. Highlights from the auction include:

· An extremely rare 1940s Glenfiddich Special with box

· The only known example of a miniature bottled by Gordon & Macphail – a 1930s Glen Grant – believed to be the first miniature they ever bottled

· A pair of very old Cardhu sales samples, believed to be the only known examples with a UK label

· Close to 100 beautiful old blended scotch whiskies, mostly bottled in the 1930s & 1940s originally purchased from David Maund, chairman of the UK miniature bottle club for nearly two decades.

Well-known in the whisky world for his unrivalled collection of Scotch whisky, Sukhinder originally collected miniatures – building up a collection of 5000 different whisky miniatures by the early 2000s.

He sold this collection to focus on old and rare bottles of malt, but has continued to collect some miniatures ever since. He will be selling the majority of his current miniatures collection in this auction, reserving just 100 that he cannot part with, focusing on collecting one from each distillery.

There are two types of people who buy miniatures, the collector and the drinker. Miniature collecting has been going on since miniatures began back in the early 1900s. In the early years I remember buying a number of collections from people who had been collecting for over 40 years. What I do like about miniatures is that large collections are easier to display. Each miniature tells a story of the liquid and the distillery.

Over the last five or so years as prices for bottles of the rarer single malts have increased, more people are looking at miniatures of the same so they can open and try the liquid. In some cases the miniatures seem to work out cheaper by the measure than buying a large bottle.

At one point some 20 years ago, I thought miniature collecting would die out as it was difficult and costly to find miniatures from around the world. Then as the internet became more popular, it was much easier to find fellow enthusiasts and new miniatures. Over the last 10 years, the hobby has grown considerably and prices for rarer miniatures now fetch thousands of pounds.
– Sukhinder Singh: Co-founder of The Whisky Exchange

The auction will go live on Sunday 15th August

The collection will be sold as part of the quarterly miniatures and memorabilia auction from Whisky.Auction, which will be live from Sunday 15th August, with lots beginning to close from 7.30pm Tuesday 24th August.

Whisky.auction – Battling Plastic Pollution With It’s Whisky For Oceans Auction – Ends Soon!

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The exceptional collection of bottles were on show at The Whisky Show in London last month

Online spirits auctioneer, whisky.auction, is nearing the end of hosting it’s public sale of the most impressive selection of one-off bottles of whisky and rum ever to come to auction. The auction is expected to raise upwards of £200,000 for non-profit organisations around the world dedicated to battling the impact of single-use plastic waste, including US-based Plastic Oceans International.

The Karuizawa 50 Year Old

The exceptional collection of bottles were on show at The Whisky Show in London where the show’s creator, The Whisky Exchange, is actively eliminating single-use plastic from the show. The selection of bottles were curated in partnership with The Whisky Exchange to mark the 10th edition of The Whisky Show and celebrate the show’s move towards plastic-free.

The auction has 11 out of 20 lots already confirmed as one-off bottles never to be repeated. Sensational whiskies from distilleries across Scotland sit alongside a magnum of the legendary Caroni rum from Trinidad and a 50 year old whisky from Japan’s highly sought-after Karuizawa distillery – one of the oldest ever releases from this iconic producer. This lot is currently attracting the Highest Bid!

Highlights include (full list below):

The Balvenie 1973 Vintage Cask. Bottle number 1 of 1. A limited edition single malt Scotch whisky, bottled from a single cask from a single vintage.
Ardbeg 37 Year Old. Bottle number 1 of 1.
A stunning whisky, and one of the only one-off bottlings Ardbeg have ever produced in their history.

Brora 35 Year Old. Bottle number 1 of 1. A cult closed distillery that has rarely released a single cask bottling, let alone 1 of 1.
Karuizawa 50 Year Old. Bottle number 1 of 2. From closed Japanese distillery Karuizawa and has the potential to set a new auction record for Japanese whisky.
O.F.C 1990. One of only 63 bottles and the first to ever arrive in the UK.

With so many of these entirely unique bottles never to be repeated, it is expected that the auction could fetch upwards of £200,000. Higher estimates predict the auction could reach over £300,000, with the possibility of the Karuizawa alone could raising as much as £200,000 and potentially setting a record for the most expensive Japanese whisky ever sold. The auction ends on 27th November 2018.

All profits from the auction will be used by chosen charities to actively combat the ongoing plight of the world’s oceans. For example US-based non-profit organisation Plastic Oceans will use their donation to expand global awareness initiatives, with a goal of reaching another billion people by 2020. The funds will be utilised to develop films and other content that will target school children, policy awareness, and consumer behaviour – all with the goal of educating, inspiring, and fostering change.

Every now and then an auction line-up comes along that has spirits collectors and connoisseurs on the edge of their seats with excitement. This is one of those auctions. These bottles are not merely rare, some of them are entirely unique; they have never been seen before and may never be seen again.

The distilleries and bottlers who have kindly created and donated these lots fully support the work that charities like Plastic Oceans undertakes and were committed to helping us raise as much money as possible for this cause. It is difficult to put into words just how remarkable these bottles are, and we’re really hoping that is reflected in their final hammer prices.
– Isabel Graham-Yooll: auction director for whisky.auction

We are honoured to be a beneficiary of the auction and very excited to see the programmes being implemented by the organisers to reduce their single-use plastic footprint at their events.

It’s yet another example of an industry recognising the problem and being part of the solution.
Interested parties can register their interest at whisky.auction/charity/plasticoceans(#WhiskyForOceans)
– Julie Andersen: Global Executive Director for Plastic Oceans

Full list of confirmed lots to date:

Karuizawa 50 Year Old, Bottle 1 of 2 (Donated by The Whisky Exchange)
This could well set a new record for the most expensive Japanese whisky ever sold. This is one of only two bottles from a distillery that is highly prized the world over. Sukhinder Singh, founder of The Whisky Exchange and renowned Karuizawa bottler, says ‘ This is the best Karuizawa I’ve tried and possibly one of the best whiskies I’ve ever tasted, full stop. The tropical notes are just incredible. It definitely sits on a par with the best Bowmore I’ve tasted from the 1960s. It is THAT good.’

Port Ellen 38 Year Old, Bottle 1 of 1 (Donated by Diageo)
The most legendary and sought-after of all the closed distilleries. Port Ellen is no longer part of the Diageo annual Special Releases so to not only have this donated in Special Releases packaging, but as a 1 of 1 is simply exceptional.

The Macallan 50 Years Old Millennium Decanter (Donated by Edrington)
Macallan remains by some distance the no.1 most sought-after, collectable and investable whisky in the world and this is regarded as the best Macallan ever bottled.

Ardbeg 37 Year Old, Bottle 1 of 1 (Donated by LVMH)
The biggest cult following of all the Scottish distilleries. This is a stunning whisky, and one of the only one-off bottlings Ardbeg have ever produced in their history. It has been bottled in a unique vintage packaging.

Bowmore 43 Year Old, Bottle 1 of 1 (Donated by Beam Suntory)
Incredibly sought-after whisky, especially from this era of Bowmore. One of the top 3 most collectable Scottish distilleries along with Macallan and Dalmore.

The Dalmore Rare 45 Year Old, Bottle 1 of 1 (Donated by Whyte & Mackay)
Dalmore is on fire and is the most collectable Scottish whisky after Macallan. Unlike their wider 45 year old release, this one-off bottle is from a single sherry cask with a colour so dark it is almost black.

Brora 35 Year Old, Bottle 1 of 1 (Donated by Diageo)
Another cult closed distillery that has rarely released a single cask bottling, let alone a 1 of 1 release such as this. This takes the rarity of Brora to the next level.

The Balvenie 1973 Vintage Cask, Bottle 1 of 1 (Donated by William Grant & Sons)
From the golden age of the early 1970s which many consider to have produced the greatest whiskies ever. Balvenie has a huge following worldwide, and is probably the fastest growing distillery in terms of collectability and demand. They have very little stock of this age so to get this one-off is a real treat.

Glenfarclas 1967 42 Year Old, Bottle 1 of 1 (Donated by Glenfarclas)
A truly unique 1 of 1 release, packaged in an engraved crystal bottle.

Springbank 14 Year Old Fresh Sherry Butt, Bottle 1 of 1 (Donated by Springbank)
Another cult distillery who rarely release single casks let alone a one-off bottle. This single bottle was specially selected by the Springbank team from one of their favourite casks and will never be repeated.

Yoichi 1998 (Donated by Nikka)
This distillery exclusive has never been sold outside of the walls of Yoichi. Yoichi was voted as the world’s best whisky at the World Whisky Awards as early as 2001 and led the way in the dramatic ascension of Japanese whisky’s reputation.

Glenlivet 1948 50 Year Old (Donated by Gordon & MacPhail)
One of the very oldest vintages of Glenlivet on the market. A rare privilege to present such a whisky from one of the most famous of all Scotland’s distilleries.

O.F.C 1990 (Donated by Sazerac)
This bottle of O.F.C 1990 vintage bourbon comes from a barrel that had been maturing for almost 30 years at what is now the Buffalo Trace Distillery. It is one of only 63 bottles and has never been sold commercially. This is its first time a bottle of this whiskey has ever landed on UK shores.

Caroni Guyana 1994 Rum Magnum, Bottle 1 of 3 (Donated by Velier)
The world’s greatest rum bottler, Velier, brings us the oldest Caroni rum in existence that is still ageing in cask. The tropical ageing results in a loss of 6-8% per year so this rum is much much rarer and more mature than a Scotch whisky of the same age would be.

Foursquare 15 Year Old Rum, Bottle 1 of 1 (Donated by Foursquare)
Foursquare is currently the hottest producer in the rum market. New releases sell out immediately and are usually sold on allocation due to such exceptional demand.

Craigellachie 31 Year Old (Donated by Dewars)
The secret to Craigellachie’s vibrancy lies in being one of the last remaining Scottish distilleries to use coiling copper worm tub condensers, it gives the spirited whisky its meaty, ample mouthfeel. Such a labour of love is commendable, so much so, that this 2016 batch of Craigellachie 31 Year Old scored an impressive 90 points on Whiskyfun, was voted World’s Best Single Malt at the 2017 World Whisky Awards, and, understandably, sold out in a flash.

Glen Scotia 1973, Bottle 1 of 1 (Donated by Loch Lomond Group)   
Campbeltown’s tumultuous history, coupled with frequent changes in ownership and intermittent closures, mean there is precious little old stock. Distilled in 1973, this is bottle number 1 of 1 of what is quite possibly the oldest Glen Scotia ever bottled.

Michter’s 22 Year Old, Bottle 1 of 1 (Donated by Michter’s Distillery)
Inspired by America’s first distillers, this Kentucky straight bourbon was distilled from native corn and aged 22 years in hand-selected charred white oak barrels. This is bottle number 1 of 1 from Batch number 18K1646.

Tomatin Centenary 1897-1997 (Donated by Tomatin Distillery)
This still-shaped decanter of 30 year old sherry aged Tomatin is one of 1000 originally released in 1997, the crown jewel in celebrations of the distillery’s first, and highly successful, century of single malt whisky production.

Old Pulteney 30 Year Old (Donated by Inver House Distillers)
This bottle of Old Pulteney 30 Year Old was matured in ex-bourbon American oak casks and bottled without added colour or chill-filtration. This is a 75cl bottle and was released for the US market.

Whisky Auctions – Sold To The Online Shopper!

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Two New Whisky Auction Sites

Two New Whisky Auction Sites

How can whisky collectors and connoisseurs buy and sell fine whiskies now that eBay has banned Scotch sales?

Well, there are now two new kids on the block!

Whisky Auctioneers Inaugural Auction Header

Whisky Auctioneers Inaugural Auction Header

Whisky Auctioneer aims to be the best online whisky auction site.

Formed this year by Iain McClune the ex-Manager of Royal Mile Whiskies (Edinburgh) it is based in Perth, central Scotland.

Whisky Auctioneer aims to be the most comprehensive, user-friendly website for the buying and selling of whisky worldwide!

At the moment they are Offering an introductory offer to sellers of 0% commission until January 31st 2014.

The inaugural auction began on 22nd November and will end on the 1st December.

At present it has 162 lots.

Registration is free and easy with Worldwide shipping also available.

AuctionWhisky.com's homepage

AuctionWhisky.com’s homepage

AuctionWhisky.com is now open for business.

It offers an easy to use, safe and secure platform for collectors, connoisseurs and professionals to bid for and sell rare Scotch and world whiskies in real time.

AuctionWhisky.com is powered by award winning, Edinburgh based, international Scotch whisky retailer TheWhiskyBarrel.com.

With a zero buyer premium and fast shipping to over fifty countries including the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and the United Arab Emirates, the Auction Whisky web site makes buying and selling whisky collections really simple.

Alastair Brown, founder of The Whisky Barrel, said. “The pace of demand in 2013 for collectable whiskies from distillers such as GlenDronach, Glenfarclas and Bruichladdich has been frankly remarkable.
Our retail demand is outstripping supply as the world’s thirst for, in particular, the finest vintage single malt Scotch booms, leading to very active third party resale.
Operated by one of the world’s leading international whisky retailers AuctionWhisky.com provides the platform for matching whisky collectors and connoisseurs enabling them to easily and safely bid for and sell their whisky bottles.”

There is an increasing interest with collectors for whiskies from Scotland’s lost distilleries. These single malts include Port Ellen, Rosebank and Brora. In addition whiskies from closed Japanese distilleries such as Karuizawa and Hanyu are much sought after. Demand is also strong for fine and rare American Bourbon whiskey.

Uniquely, AuctionWhisky.com arranges uplift of seller’s whisky collections from their home or workplace in over 50 countries with full customs clearance to repatriate rare Scotch back into Scotland for sale at the live internet auction.

AuctionWhisky.com accepts payments using VISA, MasterCard and American Express.

Bonhams Whisky Sale Makes Over £140,000

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Glenfiddich-Early 20th Century

Glenfiddich-Early 20th Century

Bonhams whisky sale which took place in Edinburgh on 22 June made over £141,500. An impressive 96% of the lots were sold.

Star performers included a rare, early 20th century Glenfiddich, which made £2,880 (est £1,500-2,000), an 18 year old Bowmore which sold for £3,840 (est £2,500-3,500) and a 1932 Glenrothes-Glenlivet bottled in 1974 which exceeded its estimate of £800-1,200 to sell for £1,800.

The addition, the first for Bonham’s, of live on-line bidding made a significant impact during the auction.

Martin Green, Bonhams whisky specialist, said, “The availability of on-line bidding made a noticeable difference both to the number of bids and to the variety of bidders, some of whom were taking part in a Bonhams whisky sale for the first time. On this evidence, the convenience of being able to bid from your own home or office is clearly welcomed.”

For further sale information please go to www.bonhams.com/whisky.

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