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Scotch whisky trade continues to rise

  • Last year was a record year for Scotch whisky trade.
  • Trade in 2022 is already close to last year’s total.
  • Glenfarclas and Dalmore are the top traded labels by value.

Last year, we reported that more Scotch was traded in 2021 than in the previous five years combined and the category had a greater share of the secondary market than either Chile or Portugal (by value).

It may be early in the year but the current numbers suggest Scotch trade will soon surpass its 2021 record.

Scotch trade on Liv-ex year-to-date

So far this year, 17 Scotch whiskies (as measured by LWIN7s) have traded, compared to 23 last year.

Total trade of Scotch by value in 2022 is already greater than in 2016-2020 combined; a claim that 2021’s trade can also boast.

Year to date, this value is just 6.7% below 2021’s total, meaning that it could easily set a new record before the halfway point in the year.

That said, it is still important to remember that Scotch whisky only accounts for 0.8% of total trade on the exchange at present.

Glenfarclas leads trade

Glenfarclas and Dalmore have been the most traded brands so far in 2022, Glenfarclas was also one of the top-traded whiskies last year.

It and fellow Speyside spirit, The Macallan, were also the first two Scotch whiskies to qualify for last year’s Power 100 list (though they fell short of inclusion in the top 100 itself).

Liv-ex analysis is drawn from the world’s most comprehensive database of fine wine prices. The data reflects the real time activity of Liv-ex’s 560+ merchant members from across the globe. Together they represent the largest pool of liquidity in the world – currently £100m of bids and offers across 16,000 wines. Independent data, direct from the market.

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