This whisky investor has a collection worth over $25,000

By George Mathias via SWNS

Meet the man who views whisky as liquid gold and says it's an alternative investment everyone should consider.

Grant Erskine, 43, estimates his collection - which he bought for £5,000 ($6,365) - could be worth up to £20,000 ($25,463) now.

An architect by trade, he takes a keen interest in whisky in his spare time and views it as a way to make more money.

Grant, originally from Northern Ireland but now living in Manchester, England, says people should consider investing in the drink.

He said: "Whisky has become very fashionable. There are two main ways to invest.

“There’s barrel investing and bottle investing. Barrel investing is more of a long-term investment and can be very lucrative."

But Grant warned that, like any other investment, you have to do your research and you should hire a broker if you can.

“If you can afford it, I strongly advise people to use a broker," he said. "They will charge a fee but they know what they’re talking about.

“Lots of distilleries are tapping into the fact that people are under educated about whisky are trying to make money quickly from investing.

“It’s like anything, unless you know what you are doing, get someone who knows what they’re doing to help you."

Grant says that investing in a whole cask of new whisky is usually “not a great investment" - and bottles can be better.

He said: “A new cask of whisky doesn’t really maximize its value for 12-15 years.”

“If you buy casks of whisky at around five or six years old, it’s often a good investment.

“When bottle investing, there are three things you want to look out for: pedigree, quality and scarcity.

"A short run of bottles by a good distiller which are of high quality usually means the bottle will go up in value.

“If you buy a cask for £2,000 [$2,546] that is new, it is usually worth a maximum of £2,500 [$3,182] over the next five years, which is not really worth it.

“The only reason I invest in it is to buy more whisky."

Grant now has a massive collection of whisky which he bought for £5,000 ($6,365).

In the current market, he says his collection would sell for £15,000 to £20,000 ($19,097- $25,463).

He said: “In the worst-cased scenario I just have lots of very expensive evenings in. It’s a bit like playing the lottery, it’s fun and it’s entertaining.”

As with any other collectable items, Grant says there is a lot of snobbery about.

He said: “It’s a hobby that attracts big community, you don’t realize how big it is until you’re in it.

“Some people in the community get aggressive if you don’t open a bottle, others will say, 'Oh you’re drinking your whisky wrong.'

“Some still put cherry cola in their £100 [$127] whisky, which angers the purists.

“I’m not fussed how people drink what they buy, it’s totally up to them."

Grant says there are two strategies when looking to buy and sell: the quick flip and the long hold.

He said: “When a young distillery does a release, they often do a limited release of bottles done by ballot.

“Recently a new distillery released a bottle by ballot for £100 [$127] each of 7,000 bottles.

“The next day, the bottles were in auctions for up to £600 [$763]. It can be a very quick inflation.

And for those who have yet to develop the pallet to enjoy whisky, Grant says trying it with lemonade is a good starting point.

“Ultimately, it’s up to the individual to decide how to enjoy their whisky if at all," he said.