The most expensive Scotch whisky collection is in Vietnam

The world’s most expensive whisky collection has been found in Vietnam, valued at close to £10.8 million.

Viet Nguyen Dinh Tuan surrounded by his collection.

A Vietnamese collector has been confirmed by Guinness World Records as the proud owner of the most valuable whisky collection.

Viet Nguyen Dinh Tuan, a resident of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, has amassed 535 old and rare Scotch whiskies in 20 years, which has been valued at a ‘hammer price’ of £10,770,635 (£13,032,468 adding 21% buyers premium if the collection were sold through a UK auctioneer such as Sotheby’s), by valuation firm Rare Whisky 101.

The collector’s hoard includes the 1926 Macallan Fine and Rare – the world’s most expensive bottle of whisky – which fetched £1,200,000 (£1,452,000 including buyer’s premium), in a sale at auction house Sotheby’s last month. Only 40 bottles of The Macallan’s 1926 were ever released. Viet owns three.

The collector also owns one of only 12 bottles of the oldest Bowmore ever released, which also happens to be both the most expensive Bowmore and the most expensive Islay malt in the world. A similar sold for £300,000 at auction.

Viet said that whisky collecting has been a labour of love for most of his adult life, and has no intention of selling it off.

Viet Nguyen Dinh Tuan surrounded by his collection.

“Every spare I moment I get, I’m searching auction sites and trading websites to find famous and rare whiskies from around the world. Clearly this requires a lot of patience and no shortage of tenacity, but I’m proud of my efforts.

“As for my collection, 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.”

Andy Simpson, co-founder of Rare Whisky 101, said his team were “gobsmacked” at the breadth and depth of the collection.

“It’s a truly stunning example of one person’s twenty year passion and desire to seek out the finest, rarest bottles of whisky in the world,” he said.

“Mr Viet is, what we believe to be, one of possibly three collectors in the world to own all three variants of the legendary Macallan 1926 bottling (the Fine & Rare label, the Peter Blake label and the Valerio Adami label), which recently broke the world record.”