Nestled on the southern coast of Islay, Port Ellen Distillery is an icon of Scottish whisky craftsmanship. Its smoky, peaty expressions are highly sought after in the whisky community but remain extremely rare due to its closure in 1983. Now, after being acquired by Diageo, Port Ellen is set to become even more of a force in the whisky market. In honour of its recent re-opening, we’ll dive into the rich history of Port Ellen, its acquisition by Diageo, and what the future holds for this iconic distillery.

Each whisky expression has a unique combination of aromas and flavours. There are plenty of factors that contribute to this, but one that truly brings out the complexity of a whisky is the oak cask in which it matures. The type of oak that a cask is made of plays a crucial role in shaping the spirit’s final profile and allows for an abundance of opportunities for distilleries to create the perfect blend of flavours for their expressions.

Bowmore is a classic and iconic distillery — known for their highly collectible and valuable whiskies, it garners praise from whisky enthusiasts around the world. From being used as an air base in WWII to being the first distillery that Queen Elizabeth II ever visited, Bowmore’s rich history has shaped the distillery into what it is today.

Bottles of whisky differ from each other in many ways – flavour, rarity, production methods and region, and most importantly for investors, value. However, there are no concrete ways to determine the exact value and future appreciation of a whisky, so how do you decide which bottles to invest in? There are various factors to look at to predict a whisky’s value and potential appreciation, so whether you are a seasoned collector or new to whisky investment, we hope that this article helps you feel confident in the whiskies you choose to invest in.