How some whisky lovers are making big money and drink for free

Rare whisky is becoming a popular investment with limited editions selling for six-figure sums. Fast-forward to 2014, and the market is booming. The value of collectible traded in the open market in UK alone increased by 25.14% one year. By contrast, the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index increased around 10% in the same period and -0.76% this year. In 2005, a 50 year old bottle of Japanese Yamazaki single malt launched as a limited edition of 50 bottles and retailing for US$9,500. This year, the 50-year-old Yamazaki was auctioned for more than US$120,000. If you are a whisky investor with money to spend, it is something of a no-brainer.