Can Scotch Whisky be purchased as an investment?

Both new fillings and matured whisky are sometimes purchased as a form of speculation with the intention of reselling them at a profit. It should be emphasised that only an extremely small proportion of the total amount of whisky distilled in Scotland is bought and sold in this way. All the principal blending companies finance their own stocks of whisky and buy mature whisky only when they happen to find themselves short of a particular type or make. There is no organised 'Whisky Exchange' as exists for other commodities, nor is there any officially recognised list of buying and selling prices for whisky of different types and ages. This type of business is highly speculative and The Scotch Whisky Association does not, as a matter of policy, offer any advice on the purchase or sale of whisky as an investment.

© SWA 1995