Dram fakes! More than third of rare Scotch whiskies fail test

Collectors conned as experts reveal that vintage malts worth £41m may not be what they seem

Whisky collectors have been conned out of millions of pounds because the bottles they have bought are fakes.

Laboratory tests at the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC) on 21 different bottles of rare Scotch whisky have confirmed every one was a modern fake.

Expert group Rare Whisky 101 (RW101) estimated around £41 million of rare whisky on the secondary market, and in existing collections, is fake.

RW101 teamed up with geochemistry experts at SUERC, to forensically test a range of randomly-selected whiskies.

Fifty-five bottles were acquired from different sources through the secondary market, 21 were outright fakes or not distilled in the year declared.

The group said three bottles in particular were noteworthy – an Ardbeg 1885 acquired from a private owner, a rare Thorne’s Heritage early 20th Century blend purchased from an auctioneer, and a bottle of Ardbeg purported to be bottled in the 1960s bought from a retailer.

If genuine, the 21 bottles collectively could have been valued at £635,000.

Co-founder of RW101, David Robertson said: “We are clearly disappointed to discover that, without exception, every single “antique” pre-1900 distilled whisky RW101 have had analysed over the last two years has proven to be fake.

“It is our genuine belief that every purported pre-1900 – and in many cases much later – bottle should be assumed fake until proven genuine, certainly if the bottle claims to be a single malt Scotch whisky.

“This problem will only grow as prices for rare bottles continue to increase.”

A spokesman for the Scotch Whisky Association said: “The industry takes great care to ensure products sold as Scotch whisky are genuine.

“The production of Scotch Whisky is legally protected and the SWA is engaged in around 60 legal actions at any one time to remove fakes from the market.

“Those who purchase rare whiskies should take reasonable steps to check the provenance of the product.”

“This problem will only grow... DAVID ROBERTSON OF RW101

It is a timely warning. With Christmas just around the corner, members of the public are being urged to be aware of fake whisky. It is not always easy to tell the difference but – according to industry experts – collectors have been conned out of tens of millions of pounds thanks to the widespread prevalence of fake spirits.

So be aware – just because there is whisky galore, doesn’t mean it is the real deal.

RW101 and SUERC teamed up to carry out a series of scientific tests on rare whiskies.