The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Dad’s ‘vertical’ gives son a lift in climbing up the housing ladder
Bottles of rare whisky given as birthday presents down the years being sold to fund deposit on house
A son whose dad gave him a bottle of 18-year-old Macallan whisky every year for his birthday is now planning to auction it – with the funds going towards his first home.
Matthew Robinson, 28, was born in 1992 – and proud dad Pete, 64, bought a bottle of whisky to celebrate the baby’s birth.
Dad-of-three Pete was working for a company that manufactured some of the raw materials for Macallan, which made him choose the brand.
He decided to buy his son a bottle of single malt Scotch every year, but as the brand became more successful the price went up.
Over the course of Matthew’s lifetime, Pete, who lives in Milnathort, spent around £5,000 on whisky – but the collection is now worth more than £40,000.
It is known as a “vertical” and is unusual to find, according to experts.
Matthew, who works for a beef manufacturing company, said: “I think it’s been one of the best things he could have done.
“I never anticipated the potential it could have for me in my life.
“I’m currently looking at buying houses and having that money available to me is a massive weight off my shoulders – especially in these uncertain times. It’s just very special.”
He now lives in Taunton, Somerset, and plans to buy a house – with the proceeds going towards the deposit.
His siblings were given similar collections.
Pete, who works as a manager for a malting company, said: “Looking at the bottle, I realised that it would be quite interesting to collect 18 bottles over 18 years and then give my son the final bottle, which would be his birth year.
“I also liked the idea that the materials I made would eventually be used in the making of the scotch.
“As time went by, I realised that the collection was starting to appreciate in value considerably and watched the brand with more interest.”
The collection is being sold by brokers Mark Littler Ltd, with every bottle in its original box. It is listed online for offers over £40,000.
Mark said: “In the whisky and wine world, we call a consecutive run of vintages a vertical,”
“Normally it would take a lot of time and effort to amass a vertical like this, but this is the opportunity for a collector to purchase them all instantly.
“In addition, the Macallan 18- year-old is currently one of the most sought-after single malt Scotch whiskies in the world, so you’ve got a hot ticket item that is sure to be highly desirable to aspiring whisky collectors and investors.”
“In the whisky and wine world we call a consecutive run of vintages a vertical. BROKER MARK LITTLER
Many Scottish newborns have been toasted with a dram or two of the national drink. But instead of raising a glass, proud Milnathort dad Pete Robinson put the bottle away in a safe place.
Each birthday thereafter Pete added another bottle of Macallan to his son Matthew’s collection.
He did the same for his other two children.
Now Matthew is cashing in his £40,000 collection of prime spirits to help pay a deposit on a new home.
It is a birthday present worth raising a glass to.