With over 120 different Scotch Distilleries spread across five different regions from Aberfeldy to Tullibardine, there is plenty of choice to start your collection; whisky collecting can be one of the most enjoyable and robust investments you can make.
From the islands of the Inner Hebrides like Jura and Islay, up to the Highlands, where you will find Pultney and Highland Park, Lowlands is home to Bladnoch and Glenkinchie, Speyside has Dufftown and Ardmore, Campbeltown is the home of Springbank, the choice is vast, each one with a unique taste.
The intricate process of whisky-making used by each distillery will uniquely impact a whisky’s character.
It is important to understand the major stages of whisky production: malting, milling, mashing, fermentation, distillation, and maturation. The individual bouquet, colour and taste of each bottling are determined by many factors, from the yeast types used in fermentation to the shape and size of the copper stills used for distillation and, ultimately, the cask maturation.
Top whisky collecting tip: seek limited edition bottles.
When seeking rare bottlings, buy limited editions where the number of bottles produced has been declared (ideally handwritten on the label). Learning to interpret the labels is also invaluable, with the information on offer potentially including details such as the cask finish and number, the distillery, bottle size and alcohol content. Once you find one you like, buying two bottles – the first to drink and the second as an investment, is wise. Remember, the more you drink, the rarer the remaining bottles become!
Whisky auction highlights from 1818 Auctioneers.
At 1818 Auctioneers, we have seen many different bottles coming to us, last year we had a bottle of 1980s/90s The Macallan 12-Year-Old Single Highland Malt Whisky, matured in sherry wood, strength missing from the label (43%), 1 Litre. SOLD £400
A bottle of The Macallan 10-Year-Old 100 Proof Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky, 57% vol, 70cl, the 1980s/1990s, in the original card box. SOLD £880
A bottle of Glen Grant 38-year-old Highland Malt Scotch Whisky, bottled by Gordon & Macphail, Elgin, distilled 1963, bottled 2001, level mid-neck, 40% vol, 70cl £600
In the first sale of 2025, we had A bottle of Signatory Vintage 1977 Single Highland Scotch Whisky, matured in an Oak cask for 27 years, Distilled at Clynelish Distillery on 18.2.77, bottled 25.9.2004, Cask no 2570, bottle no 4 of 229, 55.7% vol, 70cl, in a very tired box, slight seepage to the lid. SOLD £640
This bottle was brought in by a local customer who had found it in his barn. The bottle had been stored in a damp environment, which caused damage to the box. The seepage probably accrued due to the slight drying out of the cork once into a drier building.
Also included in this sale was a bottle of Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice Single Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky, distilled at Rosebank Distillery in 1979, bottled in 1993, 40% vol, 70cl, in card window display box. SOLD £400
