Press Cuttings

Age Still Matters

Interview by Tom Bruce-Gardyne

"At the moment there's a bulge in stocks of young whisky, and a shortage of old whisky, but that bulge is going to move along,"

Independent old and rare spirits consultancy Wisgy launches

Launched by industry expert Isabel Graham-Yooll, Wisgy aims to support prospective whisky investors to access the old and rare spirits markets. Graham-Yooll and her team of specialist consultants will provide independent, tailored advice.

Wisgy In The Jar

Tom Bruce-Gardyne

The explosive growth of whisky's secondary market has sucked in all manner of low-life peddling counterfeit bottles and fictional casks. To protect investors in these murky waters there's a new consultancy in town as Tom Bruce-Gardyne reports …

How to build a whisky collection – with meaning and feeling

Interview by Millie Milliken

“There are different types of collector,” agrees Isabel Graham-Yooll, auction director of Whisky.Auction. “Some people are embarrassed – it’s almost a pejorative term for that nerdy kid at school. But in whisky it’s not seen the same way.”

Is rum ready to take off at auction?

Interview by Nicola Carruthers

"I don’t think there is a lack of transparency, but there is this confusion because so many different countries have developed a rum tradition independent of others. The same happens with whisky; rules in Kentucky are different than on Islay, but you wouldn’t say that causes a lack of transparency."

Vintage vermouth, antique Amaro and the joy of old liqueurs

Interview by Chris Madigan

"We’re talking about simple cocktails people make at home – negronis, martinis and so on – not flashy, complex recipes. So, the difference you can make with one or two of these [vintage] ingredients is astonishing."

Old school: why vintage spirits are the new trend

Interview by Georgie Collins

"The primary appeal of vintage spirits and liqueurs is that each bottle is a chance to experience drinks from our parents’ or grandparents’ generations."

Cash in the Cellar: The New Market for Old Liqueurs.

Interview by Simon  Thomson

"The best value comes from looking for unfashionable liqueurs that are not as popular as they were in our parents’ day. Old kummel and kirsch for instance can currently sell for less than their modern-day equivalents."

Why old whisky became the preserve of investors not bartenders.

Interview by Hamish Smith

"Some of the biggest Japanese whisky producers have been forced to discontinue products due to an inability to sustain supplies. Others have tackled stock shortages with increased usage of imported whisky."

How the industry is tackling fake alcohol.

Nicola Carruthers

“Pyramid‐style investment frauds are also a problem – fuelled by online chatter and hype. Ordinary casks, of little or no investment value, are being traded at highly inflated prices.”

How to spot fake alcohol

Nikkie Thatcher

Advice on how to spot fraudulent alcohol has been unveiled in a new report from the Fraud Advisory Panel.

EU loses €3 billion annually to fake alcohol

Melita Kiely

Fake wine, beer and spirits cost the European Union (EU) €3 billion (US$3.2bn) in lost sales every year, according to a new report.

What's your poison?

The true cost of fake alcohol and how to catch the culprits.

The Fraud Advisory Panel is the voice of the counter-fraud profession, committed to tackling fraud and financial crime.

A new lease of life

Interview by Tom Bruce-Gardyne

“What’s astonishing is how spectacular old liqueurs are – that’s the bit that would just explode people’s minds if they knew.”

Published November 2021

Caskaway: Isabel Graham-Yooll's desert island drams

Interview by Martha Crass

"It’s always been whisky; even before it was whisky, it was whisky."

Springbank whisky miniature sells for £5,600 at auction

“We have seen a wonderful renaissance in the appreciation of rare whisky miniatures."

Planning to start a whisky collection? Here are 3 tips on how to get the best deal at an auction

Interview by Nivedita Jayaram Pawar

"As whisky bottles get older they become rarer as many are lost. This means the older bottles are highly sought after as not many exist in the world."

How luxury Cognac is attracting whisky collectors

Interview by Owen Bellwood

“Interest in Cognac is definitely growing. In the secondary market and the auction market people are becoming more educated.”

Liquid Gold: Inside the booming world of high end spirits auctions

Interview by Nicholas Strecher

"The liquid has to be good. If no one is drinking them because they’ve all heard it’s not that good and they just plan to resell it, then it doesn’t really work"

How to start investing in whisky

Interview by Nick Moyle and  Rich Hood

"I believe that whisky is, first and foremost, for drinking so the liquid inside the bottle is the most important thing. New shiny limited releases in presentation boxes may look good, but will they stand the test of time? If the liquid is good, then you can safely assume there will still be demand for it in the future."

Whisky collectors use the appliance of science in the battle against fakes

Interview by Sandra Dick

Whisky collectors use the appliance of science in the battle against fakes

How to invest in whisky

Interview by Spear's

"Traditionally you split the whisky buyers into three – investors, collectors and drinkers – and that is just not true,’ she says. ‘There are some that will only be interested in one aspect, but for the most part people are doing all three, even if they don’t realise."