You won’t see anyone drinking lemon white at Ye Olde Basset. and if you ordered a Macallan with Coca-Cola, the occasional tear would certainly fall. Here this alcohol has certain privileges, the work is carried out by and for him, and he does it with all the care and knowledge at his disposal. It’s a strange place that can mix two of the most distinctive pub aspects in England with balance. Popular bar, still a tavern enxebre After working in a long mahogany bar, tucked away where you can drink an Irish craft beer and demon palacethat can be seen in its red curtains, shiny windows or vintage lamps that illuminate a space that leaps from luxury to simplicity. And from simplicity to the most hospitable isolation.
In this winter space with an archaic name but easy to pronounce, whiskey neatly fills the entire main shelf. More than 160 bottles that update their prices based on market or purchase value, such as the London Stock Exchange (LSE). “The most expensive is 35 a glass, now 500,” says David Peón and Alberto Gómez, owners of this small business. In it, any customer who gives it access can try it, but at the same time get information on which blends are the most valuable and yielding the highest return, get advice on what they want to invest in, and even get them through specialist distributors. selling unique editions. .
Clearly, it is a complex, if not impossible, task in certain situations. The biggest problem is that major whiskey brands go with quotas. And stock up Most of the formerly much larger European countries are losing weight in favor of the Asian continent. They used to send 300 boxes, now they send 200 boxes., as a result, the effect it creates in an industry where the law of supply and demand is imposed, as in every industry. Normally, productions are uniform, because factories give what they give, and this distribution is at play. Distilleries take advantage of this, act when they know they’ve conquered a nation, and take the next step. In the first, they reduce their sales, and in the second, they put the goods on the market. A way to make your spins more expensive prize where they succeed and at the same time expand into uncharted territory.
“The demand for to drink it is basically inflexible as there is nothing to replace it. Neither rum nor gin nor mezcal can replace it, and Spain It should be taken into account that it is the most consumed”says David. “It often means being at the right time and place and having a strong network,” Alberto adds, on how to get the most coveted specimens. When a company releases a “sweet tooth” bottle, it usually announces it ahead of time, so they call their suppliers and ask if they can access them, how many, and prices. In some cases the shortage is so great that some companies’ advertisements go to their regional counterparts to see if they have surplus. They have already established themselves, but not enough to supply all their customers.
In the midst of this ecosystem of brokers and fans of said liquor, Ye Olde Basset often notices interested parties peaking from time to time, and that’s exactly when the media echoes “ball kicks” like Macallan’s in 1926. A series of 40 pieces of brown spirit aged for 60 years in oak barrels imported from Jerez. In 2019, only one was sold for 1.7 million euros, which is certainly not the usual, but still valid price for this world asset. From their local Pontevedra they claim to see 600% revaluations in three months, which is not common at all and if someone wants to invest they always repeat three recommendations: prestigious brands in the market and between 15 and 15 very special brands. 35 years old, closed distilleries still with bottles and payment is in line with the economic capacity of the business intrepid.
In addition to the small product and complexity of access, Alberto and David are concerned about the “hoarder” figure, that is, large collectors well positioned in the industry who receive the bulk of limited-edition items once they go public. “They take it right away and take it out slowly, which causes the whiskey to arrive later and is more expensive,” they say. “We have a lot of things we would love to try and they will never open them. Never. A behavior that evades others does it with brute force,” they add, making it clear that another of the biggest drawbacks in recent years is Brexit, given that the majority of imports come from the UK. “An obstacle at every level.”
Whether it’s ancient Scottish or modern Japanese, they see this elixir as a “financial asset armored against the stock market” in their facility, which they describe as a space where “they love to sell glasses of whiskey” beyond investment. crashing. There, Michael Jackson is not the most well-known singer of all time, but the most famous writer on the scene. “Things change and so can values, but never below retail price,” they say. And if they do, as they often jokingly say, “the bottle will always remain.”