During the past 25 years, James Mackay – Diageo’s Director of Rare and Collectible Wines, has had the opportunity to meet and discuss with many experts and collectors around the world. What has attracted his special attention in recent years has been the growth of the Vietnamese elite community with people who share the same passion for collecting rare whiskeys. He had interesting sharing with Robb Report about this new trend and opinions drawn from his own subtle observation and deep experience.
- Hello James Mackay! Can you share your opinion on the trend of whiskey collection in Vietnam in recent years?
- I have been working in this field for the past 25 years, witnessing the development and sublimation of many markets around the world. However, Vietnam is one of the countries that makes me especially impressed with its recent outstanding development. After a long time with luxury cars, luxury watches, and high-quality wines For many collectors, whiskey has provided fresh inspiration. People have enjoyed this drink for a long time, but the interest in collecting is only recently. Enthusiasts began to appreciate exceptionally rare whiskey bottles on a par with classic wine reps, all worthy of their aspiration to own and collect. The community enjoys and collects. What is the difference between the range in Vietnam and the world? The community of enthusiasts to enjoy rare and fine whiskey in Vietnam also has similarities with many countries around the world. Despite being a recent emerging trend, there have been a number of Vietnamese collectors who have started their journey to hunt and keep whiskey for a long time, many decades. Recently, a Vietnamese businessman has been confirmed by Guinness World Records as the owner of the “most expensive whiskey collection in the world” with a value equivalent to 13.8 million USD. They are rare and distinct pioneering representatives of the traditional collector type. But according to my observations in recent times, Vietnam has appeared a very remarkable new type – young ladies with the desire to overcome the limit of normal product shopping. These followers often Traveling around the world with many pilgrimages to the “mecca” of whiskey, typically Scotland, to enjoy more vivid experiences. I myself have been directly “guide” for 2 Vietnamese ladies during the days of exploring Scotland. They especially love to travel, are passionate about cultural activities, food and scenery here and are very proactive in connecting. As soon as they touched their lips to enjoy this exquisite drink in Scotland, they immediately picked up the phone to call their friends to share the experience. These two ladies are not rare, but represent a generation. Young people love the experience of discovering the “roots” of whiskey, and are excited to share with their companions, relatives at home or their relationships around the world through social networks.
- What about those who do not have enough time for distant excursions to the “holy places”, sir?
- Many collectors are very busy. Therefore, we are working hard to introduce to Vietnamese fans a diverse, yet exceptionally rare, collection of premium quality, along with memorable experiences accompanied by privileges and services. specialized in 2 concept stores in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in the near future.
- Can you share more about the privileged experiences at the two stores in Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City?
- The first thing is a direct connection with the “origin” – famous masters, winemakers, and experts who have created desirable beverage masterpieces. Not only shopping, today’s collectors especially love the experience of directly meeting & interacting with the “artists” who have created a masterpiece of precious and rare delicate drinks: longing. wanted to know why these masters created that beverage masterpiece, as well as how to do it. We are trying to bring these outstanding people from the legendary land of Scotland to Vietnam to connect with the grave community.
We realize that it is very important to connect personally & directly with the people who make this exquisite drink with the audience. In addition, we will also offer other special experiences to help collectors feel more connected to the land where that wine was born. For example, with the Talisker brand from Skye, an island famous for its excellent seafood dishes, especially oysters. We had the idea to create a dining space inspired by the land itself, a feast of premium oysters served with Talisker. Almost every diner is impressed with such vivid experiences.
In addition, the shop is also a place to strengthen connections among whiskey enthusiasts. From my observations, collectors often have a close relationship and are excited to share their collections, experiences, and impressions, and we want to foster that connection between them. everyone with specialized & unique services. It is the first step for us to promote the formation of a community of collectors, support new collectors, give them more opportunities to talk and share, and enjoy special experiences. with this exquisite beverage right here in Vietnam.
- What advice do you have for enthusiasts to enjoy and start wanting to build a collection of their own?
- Before you start collecting something, you have to be really passionate about the experience it offers, whether it’s cars, watches or whiskey! I have never seen a collector just diligently “hunt” without taking the time to enjoy the flavors of this fascinating drink.
“Good wine must have good friends”. For those who are just starting to collect, the most helpful advice is to meet people who share the same passion and even experts. This not only helps to broaden the understanding of the delicate drink, but also contributes to making the hobby more interesting and interesting. That’s also the experience they’ll feel at our two upcoming concept stores.
Previously, in order to access these outstanding masterpieces, Vietnamese collectors had to travel to many lands around the world to find them. But today, things are much easier. At two upcoming concept stores, we will bring special rare, premium quality whiskeys from around the world to the collector community in Vietnam. It is truly a collection of outstanding representatives because Diageo is a world leading brand of Scottish whiskey, bringing together 28 winemakers in the land of old castles, enough to bring to the collector. Discover the “experiences of a lifetime” in this elite beverage world, from exceptional bartending names to the finest Single Malts, featuring bottles of Forgotten Drops with an interesting anecdote: the drops The forgotten concentration is discovered by chance and is becoming increasingly rare.
In addition to outstanding quality, there are excellent product lines that also have interesting anecdotes. For those looking for rare bottles of exceptional quality, the Prestige Whiskey range is the right choice, bringing together “rarely hard to find” and exceptionally aged bottles – up to 20 years and even 41 years – very difficult to “hunt” in the near future when the supply is extremely limited. You are unlikely to enjoy these drops for many years to come, so they are worthy experiences of a lifetime.
For collectors who want to own a famous mark, easily recommend and share their passion with close partners or friends, I think the Singleton is a good start, as the 41 year old bottle is very rare. with top quality. Currently there are only 600 bottles in the world, rarer than the precious wines of Chateau Lafite. Singleton also has the right taste for everyone.
James Mackay – Diageo’s Director of Rare Collectibles.
- How do you predict the development of rare whiskeys in Vietnam in the future?
- I see collectible trends that will continue to thrive. Once started, most collectors will spend a lifetime hunting and preserving these masterpieces and sharing that passion with the surrounding community. In addition, fashionistas will increasingly aim for experiences that go beyond the framework of a product, because they always want to connect with the “origin” of the drink they collect.
Cre: https://www.robbreport.com.vn/james-mackay-suu-tam-whisky-thu-choi-moi-cua-gioi-thuong-luu-viet/