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I’m just going to get straight to it — we’re running out of scotch. The good stuff.
I’m not here to pretend that I pour a glass of single malt Glen from my decanter every evening, but every red blooded American male enjoys scotch-rocks with a 12oz filet. And during those first few years out of college, I’m not going to act like I wasn’t drinking scotch-waters at the bar to put off a professional vibe. I’m not proud of it, but it happened. And now that rite of passage is in danger because apparently we’re blowing through our single malt reserves.
Per CNN:
“The shortage of old and rare single malt … has already started, and it’s going to get worse,” said Rickesh Kishnani, who launched the world’s first whisky investment fund…
More capacity is being added now, but the bad news for whisky drinkers is the shortage could last another 10 to 15 years, experts say.
Well, that’s scary as hell. But more importantly, let’s talk about Rickesh Kishnani and his whisky fund. When you hear “investment fund,” you immediately think of power slickbacks and deals going down at a Japanese steakhouse. But “whisky investment fund” is on a completely different level. I don’t know Rickesh, but I imagine this dude is just a major league hitter tossing around whisky VC for shits and gigs.
“What do you do for a living?”
“I invest in whisky.”
*long pause*
“Niceee.”
This shouldn’t be a huge shock given that distillers produce a certain amount with little insight into what the actual demand will look like when the batches are ready to hit the market, but we just weren’t ready for that bomb to be dropped on us. Apparently, China wasn’t either.
“In China, everybody is talking about it,” said Stephen Notman of the Whisky Corporation, a whisky investment firm. “Nobody thought in a million years that there would be a market there for 30-, 40-year-old whisky.”
This is worldwide, you guys. You know it’s major if they’re getting quotes from the Whisky Corporation guy. But it’s not all doom and gloom, though. Distilleries like Macallan are working around the clock according to brand manager, Charlie Whitfield. “We just need to be patient and allow those casks to work their magic.” As an occasional Glenlivet guy, that’s exactly what I need to hear right now. Our fate is in your hands, Charlie. Don’t fuck this up..
[via CNN]
Image via Shutterstock
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Dave
Lawyer. Writer. Dude doing business. I'm the meatloaf guy from tv.
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I hope one day I can be successful enough to count “shortage of 40 year old Scotch” as one of my problems.
Wow, an hour away from the weekend and you put this on me.
Get it while you can.
Was going to take the night off but now it has to be an aggressive scotch blackout. #RidetheWave
Same thing is happening with bourbon. FUCK.
Consider the sources. Kishnani and Notman are market-making in the most amateur way possible. They invest, create the perception of a supply problem, drive prices up, and then exit that particular segment of the market with a handsome profit, then reinvest in a different type of booze and do the same again. None of us will ever notice a difference in the supply of scotch. Take it to the bank.
Classic pump and dump. Sounds like some of my less than stellar nights after a few too many whiskeys.
Scotch is the only reason I’ve retained any of my sanity. But as long as they keep the 12 year old stuff in heavy supply, I’m good.
I personally shoot for the 14 and 15 year olds, just a bit more palatable. Either way, we have less of a worry.
As long as Jameson’s Irish keeps filling my cupboard, I shall want for nothing
They say there is a new shortage of booze every few months…