Sell Your Bottle of Japanese Whisky
Selling Your Japanese Whisky
Japanese whisky has seen a recent surge in popularity, and bottles are now highly sought-after by whisky-lovers everywhere, with some bottles selling for many thousands of pounds at auction.
The rising popularity of Japanese whisky is, in part, due to the rarity of it. Japanese distilleries have been struggling to keep up with demand, finding themselves unable to produce whisky at the rate that demand is growing. As a result, prices have been rising exponentially.
If you are looking to sell your bottle of Japanese whisky then we can help you do just that.
Free Whisky Valuation
Everything you need to know about Japanese Whisky
What is your bottle of Japanese Whisky worth?
Are you looking for a valuation for your bottle of Japanese whisky?
Use the guide below to explore the factors that affect value the information. Then please use the contact form to send us the details of your bottle. We are an expert whisky broker with other 300 five-star reviews of our service. You can also read our guide to selling your whisky online.
We can help you sell your bottle either through a brokered private sale, through a specialist online auction, or through our new shop.
What affects the value of Japanese Whisky
The rarity
It is no secret that the rarity of a bottle drastically affects the price that can be achieved for that bottle. Many Japanese distilleries have struggled to keep up with the demand for their whisky, making the remaining stock on the market even more valuable. Stock from mothballed or demolished distilleries, such as Karuizawa, sells for many thousands of pounds due to the fact that no Karuizawa stock will ever be produced again.
If you have a rare bottle of Japanese whisky then chances are that collectors would like to get their hands on it.
The bottle
Japanese whisky bottles come in all shapes and sizes. For example, the famous Hibiki bottle has 24 sides to represent 24 hours in a day.
Suntory bottles all tend to follow the same kind of design – a black, white, or cream label with the Japanese characters of the distillery adorning one side of the bottle. Most Japanese whisky bottles have a volume of 70cl.
The condition of the bottle is vital to getting a fair price for your Japanese whisky. The capsule should not have any nicks in it and the label should be in good condition.
The box
Some Japanese whisky bottles do not come with boxes. However, if your bottle has or was supposed to come with a box this can affect the value. The absence of a box – especially if the bottle in question is a limited edition bottling – can negatively affect the value of your bottle.
The condition of the box is also an important factor to consider. If the box is damaged then this will decrease the value of your Japanese whisky. Boxes are always an asset for collectors, so if your box is in good condition then this improves your prospects of achieving a good price for your bottle.
The level
As with all whisky, the spirit level in the neck of your Japanese whisky bottle is important and has a significant impact on the value. Ideally, the liquid should sit in the wide part of the neck. Lower levels, below the shoulder especially, will lower the value of the bottle.
When you are storing your bottle please consider adding an additional seal – clingfilm or a specialist seal such as Parafilm – over the capsule. This will help stop the level dropping. Always store your bottle upright and in a cool place out of direct sunlight.
The vintage
Vintages are especially interesting when it comes to Japanese whisky because, slowly but surely, age-statements and vintage-statements are disappearing from Japanese whisky. This is because the distilleries are working overtime to meet demand, and many of them do not have enough aged stock to be able to release a 15-year-old, a 20-year-old, and so on. Therefore, many Japanese single malts are now made up of many different aged whiskies. Thus, even a bottle with an age or vintage statement is now a rarity and something to look out for.
The Distillery
As with all distilleries, the whisky from some Japanese distilleries is more sought-after than others. The most famous and luxurious Japanese whisky distilleries include Karuizawa, Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Yoichi, with distilleries such as Chichibu and Chita paving the way for Japanese whisky to continue its growth by producing unique malts both single malt and single grain.
All of the above distilleries command premiums for their whisky, and bottles consistently sell for great prices at auction.
What is my bottle of Japanese whisky worth?
In order to provide you with an accurate valuation please provide as much of the below information as you can.
There is more information about each section below the form.
How We Can Help Sell Your Japanese Whisky
Private Sale
Our brokerage service is a simple, stress-free way to sell whisky. We will broker the sale between you and one of our buyers. For this service, we charge a 10% commission (inc. VAT) of the final sale price of the item. This avenue is fast and simple. We will take care of everything for you.
Auction
At Mark Littler Ltd we can also help you to sell whisky via auction. We have teamed up with the country’s leading online whisky auctions to help you to sell whisky at auction without the hassle. This is a great option for lower-value bottles, or if you do not mind taking some risks.
Shop
The final option is selling your whisky through our one-of-a-kind online shop. On our shop, we broker the sale of high-value bottles for our customers. Your bottle will sit amongst rare and expensive whisky and our advertising campaigns aim to draw the eye of whisky collectors everywhere.
Postage Service
We make getting your bottles to us simple.
We have a fully insured postage service. We send you specialist packing materials and instructions together with a pre-paid returns label so that you can ship your bottles back to us quickly and safely.
For large collections and very high-value bottles we also have a hand-courier service available.
How we can help you sell your bottle
Private Sale
Selling your bottle through our audience of private buyers can get a high price for you bottle and the convenience of a quick turn around on your sale. All we need is a good picture of your bottle stood up, ideally with the box if you have it and we can collect no obligation offers from our buyers for your consideration.
Auction
Auction can be the most suitable route for some bottles offering a wide audience of buyers. There is more element of risk in selling at auction as you have less control over the original price and usually takes longer to complete than a private sale. It is also important to choose the right specialist auction for you bottle, and we can advise you on this.
Shop
Our online store launched in 2020 with an aim to bridge the gap between selling at auction and the prices you see at retail, helping you get more for your bottle. Selling via our online shop can achieve more than at auction or private sale but can take longer to complete, so requires the time to get your ideal price realised.
How To Sell Your Japanese Whisky
Sell your bottle of whisky in 5 simple steps
I highly recommend Mark Littler, who is extremely knowledgeable and went out of his way to help me sell some... artwork.read more
Well having now completed the process, I can say that Mark and his whole team are absolutely excellent. We were guided through different ways to sell different bottles. Help with packaging and transport is provided, and advice on bottle values was good.
They have now all been sold, and at very pleasing prices.
Highly recommended!read more
He completed a sale for me with his... professionalism & personal service & I will happily use him again. Thank you Mark & staff., for a five star service. Lorna Hickmanread more
I highly recommend Mark Littler if you have any unusual bottles to sell, they are the people to sell it for you.read more
Friendly professional service... throughout.
Excellent company.read more
Account Manager Hannah... Thompson completed the transaction faultlessly throughout. She was quick to establish which were the highly collectable bottles and which I would just have to enjoy drinking. I had a very good idea which bottles would fetch the best price and Hannah confirmed that for me. After putting the bottles to their database of clients, I soon had a best offer which stacked up against other vendors. On accepting the offer a courier delivered all the packing boxes the following day and we dropped everything packed to the post office. Hannah confirmed receipt and a couple of days later Mark called to confirm that he had just sent the proceeds to me - All very painless!
Many companies make a lot of promises these days but never quite deliver - Mark Littler is very much the exception!read more
Knowledgeable guy and easy to talk to! Will guide you through every step.
Highly recommendread more