Springbank leaps forward.
Last month was all about Springbank. At auction, this distillery has excelled and pushed its way to the top of the board. Macallan is still up their but seems to be slowing down at the moment, Brora is still strong as is Bowmore, and the rest of the table stays pretty much as it was.
Springbank is a relatively small distillery in comparison to many, and really only produces about as much as the Springbank fans can consume. This leaves collectors and speculators picking up Springbank at auction and keeping the prices rising. Releases of Springbank sell out extremely quickly, like the “local barley” expression for example, and are then traded for a lot more than the retail value at auction. Even after they are picked up at auction the prices will still steadily rise.
Springbank 2%
Macallan 1%
Karuizawa 1.0%
Brora 2%
Bowmore 1.5%
The Dalmore 2%
Clynelish 2%
Rosebank Official Bottlings 1%
Ardbeg 1%
Glen Grant
Bottles to Watch
I recently highlighted Springbank bottles, and there are a few more I have found here. But with the rarity of Springbank at retail, it is really about keeping a keen eye on the auction sites and picking up bottles when they seem good value to you.
Springbank 12 Year Old Cask Strength
This expression sells out pretty quickly as Springbank at cask strength is well sought after. A good option for anyone starting out in collecting Springbank
ABV: 53.8%
Size: 750ml
Find here: $159.99
Springbank 16 Year Old Local Barley
Another cask strength offering and this being the local barley expression, means that this is rare and will do very well in the future. There is very little of this expression produced as there is very little local barely to make the whisky.
ABV: 54.3%
Size: 750ml
Springbank 19 Year Old Rechar Sherry
Cask strength with an unusual cask make up using casks which have been de-charred and then re-charred giving them one more use and they have a spicier flavour profile. With this expression being a little older, the price is higher, but then so might be the returns.
ABV: 58.6%
Size: 750ml
The next couple of expressions are very rare as they are older expressions from years ago.
Springbank 25 Year Old Millennium Collection
Released some time ago, this expression of Springbank has been steadily rising in value over the years. Hard to find even at auction, these bottles will always be wanted.
ABV: 46%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £3495
Longrow 1973 Natural Strength
Longrow is a peated expression distilled at the Springbank distillery. This one has been bottled by famous Italian independent bottler Samaroli. This bottler holds a great deal of respect, especially with older offerings like this one.
ABV: 53%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £6995
These are a few examples and always everything written in this article is just advice, but overall with Springbank, the annual releases which have an age statement and unusual cask maturation will do well, especially if they are at cask strength. Try and seek them out at retail when they first come on the market, otherwise, happy hunting at auction.
To catch up on the past couple of months of whisky investment advice and to see how it all started click on the following links: September, August, July, the beginning.
