At its peak, Mitchel Sawhney’s collection of old and rare whiskeys topped 4,500 bottles. The owner of downtown Monterey’s The Whisky Club has been investing in the spirit for decades, watching it grow from a pastime of a few to a bonafide trend with price records tumbling like dominoes. In 2019, a bottle of The Macallan Fine and Race 1926 broke an auction record, hammered at $1.9 million. Just four years later, Sotheby’s London sold a Macallan Valerio Adami 60-year-old for $2.7 million. That mark did not stand for long. In January of 2024, a small-batch Irish whiskey fetched $2.8 million at auction. Albeit, The Emerald Isle from The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. is packaged in a bespoke walnut case with a timepiece and Fabergé egg, an indication that distilleries are targeting collectors. It’s no wonder that when Sawhney speaks of the hobby, he uses the word “appreciation.” Yet he intends it with a triple meaning. “Are you collecting things or memories?” he says. Like any form of investment, values fluctuate—although collectible whiskeys have generally trended upward since 2000. For Sawhney, appreciation includes watching added value, but also savoring the taste and the tradition of fine spirits. “Real old whiskey is history in a bottle.” Sawhney’s shop, The Whiskey Club, presents a curated selection of labels from around the world, including a number of rare bottles sought after by collectors. He is also closely acquainted with master distillers at many of the top houses and an encyclopedic trove of information. When investing in a collection, he says, your personal motivation should be the starting point and set the guidelines. Rarity is a must, but within that there are countless directions—limited editions, series, whiskeys of a particular style or country. One can hone in on bottles over a certain age, a selection dating to your birth year, Scotches from Jura or bourbons from a specific label. In terms of the latter, Pappy Van Winkle is the current favorite of those in the hobby. But rarity is the first consideration of a high-end collection. For example, only three bottles of the Dalmore Trintas were released. Two are in the hands of collectors. “The third bottle, nobody knows where it is,” Sawhney says, adding a caveat that someone at the distillery probably has an inkling. For Macallan’s collaboration with Heart, only one bottle exists in California. “I can get it,” he points out. Considering prices, it’s a deal at $72,000. 20 The Best of Monterey Bay ® Haven 2024-2025 Bottle Tops Collecting fine and rare whiskey is in fashion, but the hobby is all about appreciation. By Dave Faries The Whisky Club in Monterey trades in collectible bottles, such as Old Fitzgerald editions and the Lagavulin 1997 single malt. Daniel Dreifuss
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