Whisky drinking Vs whisky collecting

Is there a price point where a whisky crosses over from a drink to a commodity?

I guess this depends on an individual’s budget. There are people who can happily sip on a 40yo Macallan just because it’s Wednesday and they are thirsty.

I guess the question is more about value of the liquid Vs resale value of the bottle.

Some of the most expensive wine is so old it’s barely drinkable, so its value is only as a collectable.

Value beyond liquid is driven by scarcity, brand name, kudos, status.

I guess the same is true in lots of industries. Nobody is playing basketball in a signed pair or air Jordans. Children aren’t reading first edition batman comics on the school bus.

As a distiller I make liquid for drinking, and I don’t like the idea of what we produce never begin consumed. But on the flip side, I like the idea that something we produce now may be passed down two or three generations and enjoyed long after I’m gone.

Owning something for its status, hording it so it can’t be enjoyed just seems wrong. So if the intent is never to drink it, then why buy it. If it’s speculating on future resale value, then as a fan is that not a little like ticket touting? Artists want fans at the concert paying a fair price, not getting ripped off by someone buying all the seats to resell for a profit. However as a bottle of whisky doesn’t have a set date like a concert, maybe holding some to resell at a later date is extending the possible legacy of the bottle. Allowing enthusiasts to find a bottle from years ago that would otherwise all have been gone already.

So I’m not in favour of collecting whisky, I am in favour of saving it for the future, but above all I’m in favour of drinking it.

It depends where you get your enjoyment. I, like you, get far more joy from drinking great whisky than looking at it. That’s not the same for everyone. I’m sure a lot of people get great joy from their whisky collections. Whisky investment is another story. If the joy you get is from selling whisky at a profit - go trade something else and leave the whisky for us.

I certainly didn’t set out to collect but my buying has outstripped my drinking and so I do have a number of unopened bottles. Sometimes I am tempted to ‘flip’ if a bottle, that I bought with the intention of drinking, starts to increase significantly in value……but buying, owning, selling and never tasting just does not appeal :upside_down_face:

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Does the flavour change if you leave a bottle half empty for a long period of time?
I think I does (please correct me if I’m wrong), in which case holding an unopened bottle in a collection to enjoy in the future is perfectly sensible.

I have a few whisky mates who are certain that if an open bottle is left for a long time than the flavour changes.
I have what many believe is an odd approach - I only have 4/5 bottles open at any one time. I drink those and get to know them and only when I finish one do I open another. This also means my open bottles aren’t around long enough to know if the whisky changes over time :rofl::rofl:

Do you have an ‘infinity bottle’? Or ever thought of starting one?

I started an infinity bottle last year and made the mistake of putting in a couple of peated drams - they really dominate the bottle. In future I will do a peated infinity bottle and an unpeated infinity bottle.
Also top tip for everyone - don’t add a Butterscotch Bourbon to any infinity bottle - I only put a drop in but wish I hadn’t :rofl::rofl::rofl:

I’ve always been tempted to rock an infinity bottle, but I enjoy finishing a bottle too much! There is a joy I find in the last dram.

Easy solution for that - just add the first dram after opening into an infinity bottle - then you can enjoy your last dram every time :+1:t3::+1:t3:

Inspired!! Thank you, will be done Ng this going forward

Ooooh! - what about an Infinity cask!

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Now that’s a good idea…

Once opened, surely this allows a degree of evaporation of the alcohol? No cork is totally air tight

Particularly a natural cork if it is slightly damaged during opening.

Whisky is for drinking not collecting I get bottles from my work on special occasions and my co workers put them up the loft why get it drunk live in the moment.X