✅ Experts in Every Investment: Whisky
Mark Littler Ltd. is the go-to company for our whisky bottle needs, bearing the name of our whisky expert, Mark Littler himself—a UK based whisky broker, consultant, and market analyst. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Littler has primarily worked as a valuer. Over the last 8 years, he has operated his own business, offering independent whisky valuations alongside brokerage of other antiques and collectibles. Littler's extensive involvement in market transactions, totalling millions of pounds in whisky sales, has solidified his reputation as an expert in the field. Littler is able to source the finest rare and collectable whiskies from the world’s best distilleries.
Recently, Littler made headlines when a £200 eBay whisky box purchase netted a Speyside man £138k. A decade after buying the bottle, the seller sought Littler's valuation expertise upon deciding to sell part of his collection.
Littler commented on the valuation process: “This is an incredibly difficult item to value. However, bottles of rare single malt whisky missing their box regularly sell for between 15-30% less than those with their original box at auction. The £138,600 figure is based on 15% of the last bottle of 1926 Valerio Adami that sold (£924,000). My advice would be to check the labels on any Macallan—you could have a fortune sitting on your shelf.”
Established in 2016 and incorporated in 2018, Mark Littler Ltd. has grown to become one of the largest independent consultants and whisky brokers in the UK. Littler's decision to start his own business stemmed from his observation of unfair representation in the industry during his 8-year tenure in the auction industry. Inspired by his wife Katy’s career as an independent financial advisor, Littler aimed to provide clients with honest advice on selling items, whether through auctions or private sales. Following a 10-year career as an auctioneer, he launched his business in 2016, specialising in antiques and the whisky industry.
Littler's favorite pastimes include whisky and books. Here are some of his recommended reads for delving deeper into the world of whisky:
Independent Scotch- The History of Independent Bottlers, David Stirk
Collecting Scotch Whisky, Emmanuel Dron
Malt Whisky Yearbook 2024, Ingvar Ronde
Everything You Need To Know About Whisky, Nicholas Morgan & The Whisky Exchange
The Philosophy of Whisky, Billy Abbott
If you decide to explore any of these books, please let us know your thoughts!
Why exactly is an expert needed for whisky investments?
While the idea of buying a bottle or cask of whisky and hoping for its value to increase may seem appealing, whisky investments require expert guidance. Young investors are often targeted with schemes on platforms like Instagram to purchase whisky casks, but this unregulated territory is prone to misunderstanding, misconceptions, and occasional fraud involving non-existent assets.
A few years ago, Littler was approached by a customer who was about to pay nearly £240,000 for a cask valued at only £50-60,000. Littler's honesty and transparency with clients have earned him a solid 5.0 rating on Google reviews, which never decreases.
Whisky storage expertise is crucial for value appreciation. A poorly stored whisky bottle loses its value. Littler emphasises four fundamental storage processes:
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Upright storage
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Protection from sunlight
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Humidity control
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Sealing capsules and tops with parafilm
In collaboration with our expert, Littler, all our whisky bottles are properly transported to our storage facility in London.
Nestled in the heart of Speyside, Glentauchers distillery has long been admired for its elegant and complex single malts. Since its founding in 1898, the distillery has focused on creating refined, smooth whiskies that appeal to whisky enthusiasts and collectors alike.
This blog post will explore the limited availability, unique flavor profiles, and potential for increasing value that make vintage cognac casks a compelling investment.
This blog is the second part of the series based on our recent Collectibles Report 2023/2024. In this blog we deep dive into two major categories of art and cars, providing market performance and insight from our expert partners.
