The year 2018 was exceptional for Scotch Whisky. It was when, for the first time,1 million pound was paid for a bottle of single malt from Scotland. The brand for which a private collector from Asia offered such a sky-high amount was of course Macallan. For many years it has consistently enjoyed popularity among collectors, and the products with its logo reach sky- rocketing prices. In the compilation of the top 5 most expensive bottles sold in British auctions, four positions are occupied by whiskies from the Craigellachie distillery.

Moreover, it is no different when it comes to volume market share, which is the percentage of all whisky bottles sold in the British auctions. The result is compared with the previous year. As you can see, Macallan is constantly at the forefront. Springbank, which also excels in other ranks has moved 5 places upwards, and in 2nd place (previously 4th) is Highland Park.

The percentage changes in sales volume are as follows. As it was seen in the year 2018, Glenallachie and Killyloch were the leading brands.

Compared with the number of sales, the value of ‘share-of-wallet’ (share in the customer’s wallet) looks particularly interesting,especially for collectors. The data shows the percentage of consumer expenditure for the purchase of the brand’s products in relation to all the single malts purchased in the UK auctions. And here again Macallan is in the lead. For every £10 spent in the auctions, £4 goes to them. The highest advancement in this category –6 positions upwards was recorded by the GLENFARCLAS brand, and Springbank (3 positions). The second and third positions in the client’s wallet consistently occupy the 2 popular brands Bowmore and Ardbeg.

The percentage changes in the customer’s wallet look as follows. The top four brands that have noted the highest increases are: Macallan, Bowmore, Glenfarclass and Springbank.

That interesting dimension of the most desirable Scottish painters is also shown in a juxtaposition called the collectors’ ranking, which takes into account both the value and the volume of sales in auctions, but it uses all the data available in the archive, not just annual rankings. And here the first three places are constantly taken by the most recognizable brands among collectors – Macallan, Ardbeg, Bowmore – but there are also some rising stars that have gone up 2 or 3 places, for example. Springbank, Glenfarclass and Glenlivet.

As far as the average price of the bottle sold at British Auctions was concerned, it reached an increase of 26.24% and the amount was fixed at £377.91, compared to £299.36 in 2017. And even if we remove Macallan from the rank, (the two most expensive bottles with a total value of £1.700.000), we can still talk about an average 20,98% growth per bottle. It proves that Scottish single malts can be a profitable and steadily growing investment.