Whisky market continues to polarise
With a month’s business under its belt, Rare Whisky 101 report a surge in trading volumes, but increasing polarisation between the best and worst performing whiskies.
By the end of October, over 26,000 bottles of whisky had been sold this year on the open market. “That’s already almost 30% ahead of 2013’s full year figure,” said Rare Whisky 101’s co-founder Andy Simpson who has been tracking the spirit’s secondary market since 2008. He said: “Macallan are still maintaining their number one spot, and I don’t think anyone’s going to knock them off in a hurry – certainly not from a collector’s perspective. But, from an investment perspective, there are other distilleries that yield greater returns.”
RW101’s index of the 1,000 best-performing whiskies, which gives the best overview of the trade, grew 1.24% in October and 15% in the year to date. By contrast the 1,000 worst performers slipped 1.42% last month pointing to increased polarisation in the market. Simpson was particularly struck by the 2.74% fall for Bruichladdich, and warned that: “Until the vast amount of supply on the open market decreases, expect to see further falls.”
Partner Content
Looking ahead: “November brings with it an increase in supply like we’ve never experienced before,” said Simpson who predicts a degree of “cooling in the broader market.”
