William Grant moves into the private collector's market

Scotch whisky giant William Grant & Sons has launched a new business for private customers, responding to the growing interest in unique whisky from the collector's market.

William Grant said the new service will attract interest from collectors around the world, driven by rising demand for whisky as an alternative asset class. The brand will offer connoisseurs "unprecedented, privileged access" to fine and rare casks from six generations of whisky.

William Grant & Sons was founded in 1887 by William Grant and has been run by Grant's descendants. It is the largest of a handful of Scottish whisky companies remaining family owned. The brand owns Glenfiddich and The Balvenie single malt Scotch whisky.

Jonathan Driver, managing director global private clients at the distiller, said William Grant's private customer offering differs from the aftermarket or auction market as many of its whisky offerings are new bottles.

William Grant has already revealed details of the batch he is submitting to The Distillers One of One auction, which The Worshipful Company of Distillers is organizing with Sotheby's at Barnbougle Castle in Edinburgh on December 3. These will be Glenfiddich bottles distilled in the 1950s (estimated at £ 220,000), the release of a single bottle of The Balvenie 1964 (£ 50,000) and the 1966 John Lennon edition from the "lost" Ladyburn Distillery (£ 15,000).

Projected auction revenues are over £1 million for Scottish charities which Mr Driver said will help disadvantaged young people in Scotland.

Source: www.heraldscotland.com