This Is the World's Most Valuable Whiskey Collection, According to Guinness World Records
For drinking purposes, it's probably more whiskey than one man needs—535 bottles in all—but Viet Nguyen Dinh Tuan's collection is about more than enjoying a tipple. These bottles are genuine collectors' items, and now, Guinness World Records has certified Viet's stash as the most valuable whiskey collection in the world.
On November 1, Guinness World Records officially certified the Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam-based businessman's whiskey collection as being worth $16,701,563.88 based on a valuation from the brokerage Rare Whisky 101 (RW101). "We were somewhat gobsmacked, not to mention a little envious, when we realized the breadth and depth of Mr. Viet's collection," RW101 co-founder Andy Simpson said according to the BBC. "It's a truly stunning example of one person's 20-year passion and desire to seek out the finest, rarest bottles of whisky in the world."
Anyone who follows whiskey auctions (or even just follows our Scotch coverage) knows that the "holy grails" of rare whisky are the 40 bottles of The Macallan 1926 60-Year-Old that came from the now legendary Cask 263. Over the past couple years, these bottles have continued to smash their own auction records, becoming the first bottle to cross the million dollar mark in 2018, and then falling only about $100,000 short of the two million mark last month. Well, guess what… Viet has three of these bottles. Three! And not just that, he has one of each version: The Peter Blake label, the Valerio Adami label, and the straightforward Fine & Rare label. Why wouldn't he? Needless to say, that will give you a running start towards the world's most valuable whiskey collection.
Other noteworthy parts of Viet's liquor cabinet—or, more accurately, the custom-made whiskey lounge in his house—include one of the world's only complete Macallan Fine and Rare collections, one of 12 bottles of the oldest Bowmore ever released, and one of 24 bottles of the 1919 vintage Springbank. "For me, whisky collecting has been my life's passion. Every spare I moment I get, I'm searching auction sites and trading websites to find famous and rare whiskies from around the world," he was quoted as saying.
As for the future, he added, "I have no intention of selling any of it. Not one bottle. In fact, I'll continue to hunt for more old and rare bottles and add to and enrich it."
