1. Home
2. News

UK sales of premium Japanese whisky soar

According to BI, the fine wine and spirits merchant, UK sales of premium Japanese whisky have soared by 232% since the start of 2017.

The merchants report that Japanese brands such as Yamazaki and Karuizawa have seen their bottle prices rise by as much as 30 times. In fact Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 sold for around £100 on release and now trades at over £3,000. The Karuizawa Thousand Arrows Set, a collection of three different whiskies, was recently sold for over £28,000.

However, rare Scottish whisky has continued to grow, with sales of Macallan up 97% and Glenfarclas up 84% in the last 12 months.

It said that the single most expensive individual bottle of whisky sold so far this year was a bottle of Macallan 50 Year Old distilled in 1949, which sold for £32,000, whilst a collection of eight Macallan Fine and Rare bottles from 1937-1991 sold for almost £110,000.

In the first half of the year, BI’s sales of rare spirits have risen 79%, making it the fastest growing drinks category. The operators total revenue for the first half of 2017 across wines, champagnes and spirits reached £50M.

“The UK has been the global centre of the drinks trade for years, so there’s always a desire for buyers and consumers to look for new tastes, creating new fashions and commercial opportunities,” said BI’s managing director, Gary Boom.

“Japanese whisky is certainly the latest discovery for whisky connoisseurs and the growing popularity is leading to increasing prices for the rarest varieties. That said, Scotch is still the king of whiskies when it comes to heritage and prestige, giving it enormous global appeal in markets that seek out the finest in luxury goods.”