POURING PROFITS

The world's favourite liquid gold is still enjoying a prosperous era. We tap the expertise of an industry insider for ways to ride this wave.

The whisky industry has been booming for more than a decade now, but if you think a bust is looming, think again.

Based on data collected by Allied Market Research, the malt whisky market was valued at US$4.3 billion ($5.7 billion) in 2021 and is expected to have a 4.7 percent compound annual growth rate for the next 10 years, reaching US$6.7 billion by 2031.

With figures like this, it is no wonder that interest in the "liquid gold" has expanded beyond being a decadent beverage to become a whole invest asset class. Over a decade up to 2012, rare whiskeys recorded a growth of over 373 percent in the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index, topping the collectible category for 10 straight years.

Whether you decide to invest in bottles or casks depends on your timeframe and budget as casks naturally require long-term commitment as the spirit needs time to mature and gain value, but has the potential for higher returns. Bottles offer more portfolio diversity and liquidity, but require constant research on what's trending.

Regardless of which way you lean, Daryl Haldane, global private client director of Beam Suntory, believes it is "the stories behind the distilleries that have a huge impact" in a whisky's investment potential.

"These are the distilleries with heritage that have become trusted quality marks over a long period of time," he says.

Indeed, the top-performing whiskies at auctions tend to come from distilleries with massive brand cache, such as The Macallan, Yamazaki, Karuizawa and Laphroaig.