Old whiskey bottles. 10 popular vintages including Chivas Regal 12 years

Whisky is now gaining popularity all over the world. Japanese whisky and Scotch whisky are especially popular, and collectors are buying them up in droves, causing prices to soar. Among them, "old bottles" are especially highly valued . These are whisky bottles in old bottles that are no longer available in current products, and a single bottle can fetch tens of thousands of yen.
This time, we will be focusing on old whiskey bottles. We will be introducing popular brands and famous old bottles, so please take a look.

Why old whiskey bottles are popular

1. The design is not currently available and is in high demand among collectors

Old whiskey bottles refer to bottles with designs that were released in the past. They are also called "old bottles" or "old labels."
Whiskey is an alcoholic beverage that has been loved for a long time, and there are many brands with a long history, some dating back to the 1900s and 1800s. Many bottles have been released throughout its history. As times have changed, the label design and contents have also changed, and there are many bottles that were released in the past but have now been changed .
For example, Suntory Whisky's "Yamazaki 12 Year Old" is still officially on sale, but the older bottles have different label designs than the current product. Old bottles of Yamazaki 12 Year Old are considered rare bottles and are traded at higher prices than the current product.

2. Some of the items are no longer on sale.

Among whiskeys, there are not only old bottles with different labels from the current products, but also products that have already been discontinued. For example, Yamazaki's "Yamazaki 10 Year" is an example of a discontinued product.
Especially since the 2000s, whiskey has become a global boom, but as a result, there has been a problem of a shortage of raw liquor . Since whiskey takes a long time to mature, it is not possible to suddenly increase production just because it sells well, so if the popularity continues, there will be a shortage of raw liquor and it will not be possible to release it. In recent years, the number of whiskeys labeled as "non-aged" has increased, and bottles that were previously affordable, such as those aged for 10 years, are now being discontinued across the board .
Naturally, whiskey that has been discontinued for a long time is treated as an old bottle and its value increases. The more time passes, the higher the price becomes, and it is expected that the price of discontinued products will continue to rise.

3. The contents themselves are different, giving the sake an appealing aged taste.

Old whiskey bottles don't just look different. The raw liquor inside is also different, and they are gaining in popularity because they offer a taste that is not available in current products . They have a charm similar to that of aged liquor, and whiskey enthusiasts are even searching for old bottles in search of this taste.
And among the old bottles, there are many that are said to be "tastier than the current product." This is because, unlike the current lack of raw liquor, bottles from the past, when whiskey was produced in abundance, often contained rich raw liquor . For example, the taste of the Scotch whiskey "Macallan" differs greatly between the current product and the old bottles. The old bottles are highly rated, and their high quality is reflected in the price.

4. Prices are soaring, making it a valuable asset.

Old bottles of popular whiskey, whose prices have skyrocketed in recent years, are now valued not just as alcoholic drinks, but as assets. Because whiskey has a high alcohol content and is not easily spoiled, its value does not decrease even if it is stored for a long time.
Recently, with the price of whiskey rising, some people have started buying whiskey as an investment . The number of whiskey investors and resellers is increasing every year, and old bottles are particularly popular.

10 Old Bottles and Labels of Popular Whiskies, Including Yamazaki and Hibiki

1. Yamazaki 12 Year Old: A rich selection of bottles with a history dating back to 1984

This week I'm going to compare the Yamazaki 12 year old! I'll compare the current 12 year old, the old bottle (1990s), and the special grade bottle (1980s). They're all so different that even if you shuffle them you can tell them apart just by the smell. Available for 4000 yen! #Yamazaki12YearOld #KitashinchiSakeMuseum #KitashinchiBar #NoChargepic.twitter.com /rz0OwyRdAc

— Sake Museum @Metro Minamimorimachi Station (@lm_nannmori) October 12, 2020

• Type of whiskey: Single malt whiskey
• Country of Origin: Japan
• Ageing: At least 12 years
• Price: The current product is priced at ¥11,000 (tax included), the value of the old bottles fluctuates over time

Yamazaki 12 Year Old is a 12-year-old bottle of Suntory's single malt Yamazaki. It was the first bottle released in the Yamazaki series, and its history dates back to 1984. There are current versions of Yamazaki 12 Year Old, but there are actually several older bottles from different eras. There are ones labeled "Special Grade Whisky" before the revision of the Liquor Tax Act, ones labeled "Pure Malt" which does not exist on current bottles, ones with the "Facing Lion Mark" and ones with the "Hibiki Mark", so be sure to compare them.
Yamazaki 12 Year Old is characterized by its powerful and gorgeous flavor, which is the charm of Yamazaki. The master craftsmen carefully select malt aged 12 years or more produced at the Yamazaki Distillery and blend it in the best balance. Naturally, as the era in which it is made changes, the blend ratio also changes, resulting in differences in taste. There are at least five or more old bottles of Yamazaki 12 Year Old , so it may be interesting to compare the differences.

A comparison of Yamazaki's current and 10-year-old versions. The taste has changed a lot, hasn't it? pic.twitter.com/qn8sCb5RUC

— nagare13 (@akibanagare) April 3, 2022

Yamazaki 10 years 🥃 pic.twitter.com/01VCuBinpW

— Rasta (@rasta_ten) July 3, 2022

By the way, Yamazaki also has older bottles in addition to the 12-year-old. There is also the old bottle of Yamazaki 18-year-old and the "Yamazaki 10-year-old" which is not currently on sale, so if you see it, be sure to try it.
[Current product] Yamazaki 12 years

2. Hibiki 17 Year Old: Bottles without age notation and products with gold labels on the back

[Linksus Shibuya Store]
Good evening, this is Linkuss, a liquor purchase company 🔥

At our Shibuya store, we purchased one bottle of Hibiki Ura Gold Label Hibiki 12 Year Old and one bottle of Hibiki 17 Year Old 🔥

Thank you for using our Shibuya store.
We also post products that we are purchasing 🔥 #Alcohol #Purchase #Hibiki #Domestic Whisky #Shibuyahttps ://t.co/2Uf6KOaRol pic.twitter.com/sTeUk9kvaU

— Liquor purchase specialty store Linksus (@liquor_linxas30) June 8, 2022

• Type of whiskey: Blended whiskey
• Country of Origin: Japan
• Age: At least 17 years
• Price: The value of old bottles varies with the era, but each one is around 70,000 yen.

Hibiki is Suntory's top blended whiskey. The brand was launched in 1989 to commemorate the 90th anniversary of Suntory's founding. Speaking of Hibiki, the old 17-year-old bottles, which are still out of stock, are popular . Old bottles of Hibiki 17-year-old include those with "gold caps" and those with "gold labels on the back." Also, when they were first released, some bottles were sold as non-aged rather than 17-year-old. The old non-aged bottles are said to be worth the same as 17-year-old, and are priced incomparable to the current non-aged products .
Another feature of Hibiki is that it is not only available in old bottles, but also in limited-time and limited-quantity products, which are rare to begin with. There are even whiskeys, such as the 30 Year Old Hibiki in a ceramic bottle , that are priced at over hundreds of thousands of yen per bottle.

3. Hakushu 12 Year Old...It was out of production for a long time, so there is a difference in taste between the old and new bottles.

Tonight we'll compare the new and old Hakushu 12 year olds ☺️
Thank you for your hard work, cheers 🥃 #Hakushu12years #twlc pic.twitter.com/Vni28F6o3b

— kurokero (@Kerokero2010) January 2, 2023

• Type of whiskey: Single malt whiskey
• Country of Origin: Japan
• Ageing: At least 12 years
• Price: The current product is priced at ¥11,000 (tax included), while the old bottle was around ¥30,000 each

Hakushu is also a Suntory brand, and is a whiskey produced at the Hakushu Distillery. Its history began with the release of Hakushu 12 Year in 1994, and it continues to be loved as the best whiskey to this day. Speaking of Hakushu, the fact that it was discontinued or suspended due to a lack of raw liquor made headlines and became a hot topic . In particular, the suspension of Hakushu 12 Year caused a major change in the price of Hakushu. Hakushu 12 Year was suspended once in April 2018, and shipments were suspended for about three years until March 2021.
Hakushu 12 Year Old has been revived in limited quantities, but it is said that there is a difference in taste between the old and new bottles. The color and wording of the labels are slightly different, so be sure to compare them.
In addition to Yamazaki, Hakushu also has bottles labeled "Pure Malt" like Yamazaki, as well as bottles such as "Hakushu 10 Year," which is no longer on the market and is no longer officially listed.

4. Macallan 12 Year Sherry Oak

An old bottle of Macallan 12 Year Sherry Oak that I had secretly hidden (about half-opened). It should have become mellow after being exposed to air nicely?! This product is also rising in price and in short supply on the market, so I'm putting it back on the bottle shelf. Please. pic.twitter.com/Cw8Vlr0fu6

— RED DOOR (@BAR_REDDOOR) July 4, 2022

• Type of whiskey: Single malt whiskey
• Country of Origin: Scotland
• Ageing: At least 12 years
• Price: The current product is priced at ¥10,989 (tax included), but the old bottles cost over ¥100,000

Macallan 12 Year Sherry Oak (current product) It is no exaggeration to say that Macallan is the most luxurious single malt Scotch whisky. In Japan, Suntory is the official importer and the brand is still on sale, but there are still many Macallan products in what are said to be old bottles.
Macallan has a much longer history than Japanese whisky, with the distillery having been recognized by the government in 1824. Naturally, there are many old bottles and old bottles, and in addition to the 12 year old, there are also old bottles such as the Macallan 18 Year Old and the Macallan 25 Year Old.
Macallan has released a wide range of products based on the type of aged barrel, but the ones that are especially popular on the market are the old bottles of sherry oak (sherry cask aged products) . The difference in taste between the current Macallan products and the old bottles is noticeable, and the old bottles are overwhelmingly more highly rated.

5. Chivas Regal 12 Year Old: Even the old bottles can be bought for around 10,000 yen.

I'm going to open Chivas Regal 12 Year Old (old label on purpose)! #EveningDrink #Whiskeypic.twitter.com /njnBOiioSZ

— Pin (@nasu1230) April 13, 2022

• Type of whiskey: Blended whiskey
• Country of Origin: Scotland
• Ageing: At least 12 years
• Price: The current price is ¥5,126 (tax included), the value of the old bottles fluctuates over time.

Chivas Regal is a Scotch whisky brand that is loved in over 100 countries and regions around the world. It is a blended whisky that is well-known for its harmonious flavor. The flagship model is "Chivas Regal 12 Year Old," which is the most popular whisky of the brand.
The packaging design of Chivas Regal 12 Year Old was redesigned in February 2022. Due to its long history, there are many types of old bottles, and if you're lucky, you may be able to find bottles from before February 2022, as well as bottles from the 1960s.
Old Chivas Regal bottles come in a variety of sizes, with shoulder labels and differences in the caps. The taste of the old bottles is also highly rated, so if you come across one, be sure to give it a try. Chivas Regal is easy to obtain for a popular whiskey, and even the old bottles can be found for around 10,000 yen.

6. Crest 12 Year Old: Suntory Whisky, no longer on sale

The CREST 12th year Hibiki mark and Mukajishi mark are now complete~😃⤴️✨ #TWLC #CREST12thyearpic.twitter.com /eosjENb5m3

— Yotaro (@yotaro185) December 2, 2021

• Type of whiskey: Blended whiskey
• Country of Origin: Japan
• Ageing: At least 12 years
• Price: No current version available, old bottles are around 10,000 yen

Crest 12 Year is one of the blended whiskies that was once released by Suntory. It was released in 1989, but was sadly discontinued in 2006 .
There are two main types of bottles for Crest 12 Year. The first type was released early on and features the "facing lion" mark, which was the trademark of Suntory whiskey at the time. After 1990, the logo was changed and the shape was changed to a decanter type .
Crest is a lower grade than Hibiki, but it was ranked higher than the luxury whiskey "Royal" at the time and was popular for its unique sweetness. Now that it is no longer on sale, all bottles are rare and the price on the market is rising.

7. Suntory Royal: They are particular about their bottle design and have many collectors.

I received some Royal aged liquor from @whisky___SR, who is just a whiskey lover 🙏
The taste was similar to Royal Express.
All the royals are delicious 😙 pic.twitter.com/Q7hqZab5nt

— Chobihige Gonzo (@chobihige_gonzo) July 19, 2022

• Type of whiskey: Blended whiskey
• Country of Origin: Japan
• Price: Current product is ¥3,696 (tax included), old bottle is ¥5,000 and up with SR label

Royal is a Suntory blended whisky that was introduced in 1960. When it was released, it was positioned as Suntory's highest-end whisky, and was treated as a whisky that only high-ranking people such as company executives could drink .
Royal is well known for its unique square bottle design. In fact, the Suntory Royal bottle has changed over the years, and the history of the bottle is even posted on the official website.
Among Suntory Royal, the oldest bottles are those marked "'60" or "60" or "SR ." Bottles marked "'60" were distributed in the 1960s and 1970s, "60" were distributed in the 1970s and early 1980s, and "SR" bottles were distributed in the mid-1980s to around 1995. Incidentally, Suntory Royal was renewed in 2008 and switched to the current product.

8. Royal Salute 21 Year Old: Whisky created to commemorate the coronation of the Queen of England

This is the first drink of the year!
Royal Salute 21 Year (old bottle)
The sweet aroma of dried fruits, pear and caramel from the sherry casks. The taste is sweet with berries and caramel, with a slight smoky flavor. The complex, non-offensive finish is the best (о´∀`о) pic.twitter.com/pQRzuL8w8r

— Takeo (@0820movie) January 1, 2021

• Type of whiskey: Blended whiskey
• Country of Origin: Scotland
• Age: At least 21 years
• Price: Around ¥15,000 to ¥20,000

Royal Salute is a luxury whiskey made by Chivas, famous for Chivas Regal. It was created to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in 1952 .
It is a blended whisky that uses Strathisla and Glen Keith as key malts, and you can feel the charm of sherry cask aging. It is also characterized by its unique and stylish ceramic bottle, and it is a whisky with many collectors.
The Royal Salute 21 Year Old has had a new design since 2019. The current product is the Signature Blend in a blue bottle, the Malt Blend in a green bottle, and the Blended Grain in a white bottle, but the old bottles were red, green, and blue, and all had the same contents .
The old bottle of Royal Salute 21 Year Old has a list price of about 20,000 yen, but if you look for it on the market, you can find some for around 10,000 yen, so it is easy to get hold of for an old bottle. However, since it is a ceramic bottle and you cannot see the contents, it is difficult to check the condition , so we recommend purchasing it from a trusted liquor store or shop.

9. Old Doper 12 Year Old: A great value Scotch that also offers a comparison of the old and new varieties.

I compared the old and new Old Parr beers~ pic.twitter.com/oTGBw2ClTI

— Jiro (@standbyme201201) January 17, 2023

• Type of whiskey: Blended whiskey
• Country of Origin: Scotland
• Ageing: At least 12 years
• Price: Current price: ¥5,500 (tax included)

Old Parr is a blended Scotch whisky. The design was changed in November 2019, and the old bottles are still available in addition to the current product. It is easy to purchase for an old bottle, and has a reputation as a whisky with excellent cost performance. It is especially recommended for those who like smoky flavors .
Old Parr 12 Year is also a whiskey whose taste is divided between the old and new bottles. Some people say the old bottle is tastier, while others say the new bottle is tastier. The old bottle is relatively easy to get hold of, so it might be interesting to try them out. Even if it's difficult to buy the bottles individually, you may be able to try them out at a bar, so be sure to give it a try.

10. Glenlivet 12 Year Old: A popular whisky that regularly changes its label

Now? I tried comparing the new and old Glenlivet 12 year old. The first Glenlivet I tried was the old bottle.

#Glenlivet #Glenlivet 12 Year Old #Single Malt #Speyside Maltpic.twitter.com/g64IQmW1ih

— Nasubee (@nstakao1) October 23, 2022

• Type of whiskey: Single malt whiskey
• Country of Origin: Scotland
• Ageing: At least 12 years
• Price: Current price: ¥6,823 (tax included)

Glenlivet is a Scottish single malt with over 200 years of history. It is a whiskey that is widely distributed around the world, and many bottles are imported to Japan.
Glenlivet has recently been changing its label and bottle design about every five years . The current product is in a clear bottle since 2019, but before that it was in a green bottle.
Glenlivet is a whiskey without a peat aroma, and has an appealing freshness like green apples, so I would especially recommend it to those who like refreshing tastes. Because it is a brand with stable technology, bottles from any era are delicious, but it is said that there are differences in the sense of maturity when it comes to older bottles, so if you have the opportunity, try comparing them in person.

Leave the purchase of old whiskey bottles to Linkus

Old whiskey bottles are often priced higher than current products due to differences in taste as well as design. Because they are rare, they tend to fetch high prices in the buying market, and are also eligible for high prices at Linksus, a liquor buying specialist store .
If you have old bottles of whiskey and don't plan on drinking them any more, please leave it to Linkus's appraisal service. Your whiskey may be worth more than you imagined.
Linkuss' alcohol purchases are available in three ways: on-site purchase , mail-order purchase , and in-store purchase . You can use our alcohol purchase service free of charge from anywhere in the country, so please feel free to contact us. We accept consultations from a variety of people, such as "I haven't decided whether to sell it yet," "I just want to know the value," and "I want to consult about whiskey and alcohol other than the old bottles," so please contact us first.
Buy whiskey here

summary

Many of the popular whiskeys in recent years, such as Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Hibiki, have old bottles that are no longer on sale. If you are interested in whiskey, be sure to compare the differences between the new and old versions and take a look at the value of the old bottles.
In most cases, old bottles are more expensive than current products. If you can find one at a low price, you'll be lucky, so give it a try. And if you have an old whiskey, it may be an old bottle . There are a few ways to tell the difference between old bottles, such as the difference in the label, so be sure to check.