Anlässlich des St. Patrick’s Day, der heute weltweit gefeiert wird, ist ein Blick auf die Kategorie des irischen Whiskeys ein interessantes Unterfangen – und deren wachsende Beliebtheit spiegelt sich auch in ihrem Erfolg bei Onlineauktionen wieder.
Die Online-Auktionsplattform Whiskyauctioneer.com hat uns exklusiv einige interessante Zahlen über die Renaissance des irischen Whiskeys bei Versteigerungen gesendet, und einige Schlüsselerkenntnisse daraus haben wir vor dem Artikel für Sie zusammengefasst:
- Die Anzahl der versteigerte Flaschen verdreifachte sich von 388 pro Jahr im Jahr 2017 auf 1244 im Jahr 2019.
- Der durchschnittliche Zuschlagspreis pro Lot Irish Whiskey vervierfachte sich dabei von 70 £ im Jahr 2014 auf bisher 334 £ im Jahr 2023.
- Es gibt eine permanent erhöhte Nachfrage nach seltenen, hochwertigen und Premium-Ausdrücken.
- Im Jahr 2022 wurden die meisten der höchsten Zuschlagspreise für irische Whiskeys für Flaschen von Midleton und Redbreast aus den 1970er-1990er Jahren erzielt.
Mehr über den irischen Sekundärmarkt aus Sicht von whiskyauctioneer.com sowie einige Gedanken von Joe Wilson, Head of Auction Content bei Whisky Auctioneer zum Thema irischer Whiskey allgemein können Sie nachfolgend lesen:
| Presseartikel | Für den Inhalt ist das Unternehmen verantwortlich |
THE IRISH WHISKEY RENAISSANCE
People throughout the world celebrate St Patrick’s Day in March, and while Guinness often takes centre stage in commercial celebrations, whiskey is becoming increasingly prominent. The 2010s were an incredible decade for the Irish whiskey industry, which went from having only four working distilleries left in 2010 to over 40 today.
A major landmark in this revival came with the establishment of Teeling distillery in The Liberties area of Dublin in 2015, the first to open in the capital city for 125 years. Whisky Auctioneer was extremely proud to bring the first 100 bottles of The Teeling Celebratory Single Pot Still, the first whiskey to run from a Dublin still and into a bottle in nearly five decades, to auction in 2018.
This was a momentous occasion for Irish whiskey and marked a clear shift in sales at Whisky Auctioneer: bottles from the five leading brands offered at auction tripled from 388 per year in 2017 to 1244 in 2019. Since then, sales have never fallen back to pre-Teeling levels, showing the continued interest in Irish whiskey from collectors and enthusiasts over the last 5 years. The average hammer price per lot of Irish whiskey at Whisky Auctioneer has also risen accordingly, more than quadrupling from £70 in 2014 to £334 so far in 2023.
Accompanying the sales of younger Irish whiskey, older bottles have also enjoyed popularity. With the exponential growth of the secondary whisky market in recent years, a greater understanding, appreciation, and demand for rare and high-quality whiskies now exists and a shift to older, or premium expressions, of Irish whiskey can clearly be seen. In 2022, the majority of the highest hammer prices achieved for Irish whiskeys at the monthly auctions were achieved for bottles of Midleton and Redbreast from the 1970s -1990s.
One of the most sought-after and notable collections of Irish whiskey for collectors is Midleton Very Rare. The annual series of Midleton Very Rare expressions, which is now in its 40th instalment, started in 1984 and was one of the earliest examples of annual limited edition whiskeys. Each year, the bottle count of this famous blend of whiskies varies, meaning that some vintages are particularly hard to find for collectors.
With the creation of online platforms like Whisky Auctioneer, whisky connoisseurs have gained greater access to old, rare and unusual examples. These are of course particularly sought after but given its quality and reputation, newer releases will continue to attract interest for those looking to bolster their existing Midleton Very Rare collection or begin the collections of the future.
“Irish whiskey is very much in the midst of a renaissance that has quickly seen it become one of the most eye-catching and ultimately collectable categories in the industry as a whole.
Joe Wilson, Head of Auction Content for Whisky Auctioneer
Having suffered a severe downturn in fortunes in the mid-20th century that eventually saw the island confined to just two distilleries – both owned by the same company – the latter decades witnessed the beginning of a rewilding of the Irish whiskey landscape that has culminated in the emergence of the vast array of independent and craft producers we find today. Despite being a modern development, this has uniquely served to remind the world of the rich heritage of Irish distilling, reviving legendary brands, historic local industries and even whiskey styles.
The freedom of expression that looser regulation in the category grants distillers also means that Irish whiskey is also forward-thinking however, allowing and encouraging enthusiasts to explore its future as well as its past.”
About Whisky Auctioneer
Whisky Auctioneer is the global market leader and trusted authority on the buying and selling of whisky and spirits at auction. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Perth, Scotland, Whisky Auctioneer utilises its expertise and knowledge combined with its auction platform to increase interest and passion in the whisky and spirits community. The business currently sees over 150,000 bids per month and has conducted deliveries to 74 countries across the globe.
The central Scotland headquarter’s success paved the way for expansion and Whisky Auctioneer now operates Seller Services Hubs in Ratheim, Germany and central London.
Whisky Auctioneer endeavours to make the secondary market more accessible for buyers and sellers of any background and demographic, wherever in the world they are based. Its monthly global auctions feature the most comprehensive selection of old, rare and collectible whiskies and spirits online, and are unmatched in volume, variety of bottles offered and prices achieved. Alongside an unrivalled selection of rare Scotch whisky and Irish Whiskey, Whisky Auctioneer has also established the business as the market-leading specialist in presenting world whiskies for sale; from rare American whiskey and bourbon to iconic Japanese whiskies.
Whisky Auctioneer became the first online auction house to sell a million-pound bottle and outperformed the nearest traditional auction house by over 120% in value from spirits sales in 2021, showcasing the move that whisky collectors, investors and drinkers have already made online and firmly establishing its leading position within the modern secondary whisky market.
