If you collect whisky for the purpose of reaping some financial gain in the future, what bottles should you buy?

   Speculating which whiskies will increase in price in the future is not an exact science. That being said, it is always a good idea to collect bottles of whisky that you would actually drink (or could give as gifts to others). This way, if a whisky you buy does not go up in price, you will still get enjoyment from it. Also, getting a whisky when the price is low is obviously the goal. Some whiskies have already ballooned in price and they may not rise any further for quite some time, if at all.

So where does one start? Here are just a few ideas that may help when considering buying whisky for future financial gain;

1. Most any bottle from a defunct distillery should be worth hanging on to. If a distillery does not exist any longer, the supply of whisky from the distillery should continue to diminish and prices should continue to increase. It's not set in stone that this will be the case, though it's a safe bet to make.
2. Discontinued bottles. Many distilleries change age statements, packaging and other distinctions with regards to their products. This leads to some whisky bottles to become discontinued in favour of  'new' whisky. Some whiskies will immediately jump in value while others may take years to show an appreciable gain. Popular whiskies should show some gain in price though as mentioned, it could take time. A possible example of this could be the older packaging of the Glenmorangie range. The distillery has recently discontinued the Sherry, Burgundy and Port Wood Finish in favour of new names, packaging and higher abv whiskies. Will the older style bottling go up? Probably yet there are so many out in the market that the increase could take a long time.
3. Anniversary bottles mark a distinct period in time for distillers and should have a limited supply. It will depend on how limited and how popular the whisky is, though these bottles are usually a safe bet to increase in price in the years to come.
4. Limited Edition bottles can be good picks. There will be a set number of bottles available and over time, these should rise in price. Obviously the lower the number of bottles available, the better chance for a faster increase in price.
5. Special and Rare bottles can make good picks also. For example, some distilleries put out 'Managers Drams' which are rare and difficult to get. Some single cask whiskies are heralded for being supremely good examples of a particular distillery and therefore become highly sought after. On the other hand, some whiskies are labelled rare yet there are so many available that an increase in price may not occur for many, many years. An example of this could be the Crown Royal XR whisky that is advertised as extra rare though approximately 90,000 bottles are produced per year and the distillery has enough stocks for approx., 10 years. This brings the total amount of bottles to be produced to approx., 900,000. Whilst it is a nice whisky and comes in a very handsome packaging, someone buying this whisky in hopes of seeing a profit, will be waiting a very long time indeed.

Whisky can be a good investment. As larger markets like China and India open up, there is the distinct possibility that for some bottles, prices will continue to increase nicely. One must keep in mind that price increases are not a given and that if one is considering buying for future profit, it is very wise to do ones homework before making a purchase. It also helps to be a whisky drinker for as mentioned, if a bottle does not bring profit, it could still bring enjoyment with it's contents inside!