new delhi a proper sherried malt is a beautiful thing to behold burgundy liquid brimming with the richness of overripened stone fruit it balances aromatic intensity against structural nuance while a seasoned whisky enthusiast might count one as the ultimate dram savvy investors see it as an ideal asset the macallan 25a bottle exhibiting all of the aforementioned attributesretailed for 900 in 2013 today you wont find it for under 2000rare whisky has outperformed every other luxury asset including fine wine soaring some 564 in the last decade according to the knight frank 2020 wealth report rising demand from asian investors has led to marquee auctions and even cyberattacks regarding bottles that were expected to top 2 millionthe scotch whisky market isnt the only one susceptible to the surge for the better part of the 21st century the price of virtually all aged spirit has soared as a result even some wealth funds and indices comprising exclusively distilled liquid commodities promise average returns of 12 to 15 per annumultimately all the juice is meant to be enjoyed whether youre just getting into the whiskey game or are a veteran collector its becoming increasingly difficult to decide whether the latest limited release at your local bottle shop is worth sipping now or saving for laterthe obvious answer is to do both sneaker heads refer to the behavior as buying one to stock and one to rock for the boozehounds out there i humbly offer store it or pour itthe exceptional liquids below constitute some of the highest quality liquids to hit the market over the past several years they encompass a wide range of regionsfrom unexpected bourbons to decadesold scotch to new world indian malta broad spectrum of spirit to create a collection with a story worth showing and with a value expected to keep growing prices listed are retail although they can vary widely especially for the more limited releases assuming you can only procure a single example of each lets take a look at whether or not its best to keep a cork in emfor nowamrut fusion indian single malt 70this elegant bottling helped put indian single malt on the map when it debuted in 2009 today it remains the gold standard of the style the name derives from its production specs a joining of indian malt with peated malt from scotland forming a robust and smoky liquid that lingers on the palate well beyond each sip its great conversation piece on the back barand an even better value at under 75 verdict pour ittown branch cask strength single malt 100although this distillery has been based in lexington ky since 2008 its giraffelike copper pot stills came straight out of scotland the liquid held herein was among the first to hit the barrelfreshly decanted oloroso sherry caskswhere it slumbered for 11 years what emerged is characterized by decadent notes of dates and dark chocolate with only 3000 bottles in circulation its likely to see a surge in