Rare whiskies' market: new Eldorado for investors and collectors?

Abstract

PurposeThis article aims to analyze the relationships between the different categories of rare whiskies and the opportunities for investors and collectors.Design/methodology/approachThis article uses indices representative of collectors, market performance and specific from 2008–2022 to a distillery and determine the returns. The author performs stationarity tests, cointegration procedures and the Granger non-causality test.FindingsThe results of this article indicates that average returns are positive. In addition, there is a wide range of annual returns, i.e. strongly negative and positive, leading to possible speculation over short periods. High and heterogeneous volatility accompanies these potential gains. The correlations between the different returns of rare whisky are close to zero, indicating potential gains in terms of portfolio diversification. This result is crucial for investors-speculators that benefit from an additional alternative asset. Cointegration relationships are more numerous in the short run than in the long run, confirming that rare whisky could present potential gains for investors, as collectors have in-depth knowledge of the relationships between the different markets.Originality/valueFinally, the author discusses the implications for different categories of economic actors (investors, collectors, sellers and producers).