Scotch is the most regulated and monitored whisky category in the industry, making it the safest and most attractive investment. These regulations, put in place by the government-operated body, HMRC, are one of the reasons investors can rest easy. These rules also ensure the liquid we all enjoy is up to the highest standards. Production must take place in Scotland and, to be named a single malt, the whisky must be made from 100% malted barley and aged for no less than three years in oak casks. Rules maintain the spirit’s impeccable reputation, as markets across the globe consume Scotch above all other whisky categories, including Japanese, American, Irish, and Canadian whisky.
Rare whisky topped the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index in 2019, surging in value by 40% over the 12 months to the last quarter of 2018. The same report also shows that, over the past decade, whisky values have gone up six-fold.
The Asian market has partially driven the rise in the value of Scotch whisky. According to the Scotch Whisky Association, single malts now account for almost one-third of total Scottish exports with the sales of whisky to India, China and Singapore rising by 44%, 35% and 24% respectively in the first half of 2018. Hong Kong remains the hub for whisky auctions, with numerous records broken in the city. Just last year, the record for most expensive cask sold at auction was broken by Bonhams, who sold a Macallan 30-Year-Old for $US572,000. Hong Kong acts as a hub for mainland Chinese and other Asian countries to source and attain the rarest whiskies in the world, and this is why we chose to set up shop right at the heart of whisky trading in Asia.
