The world’s first regulated and publicly listed single malt whisky fund has been started.
Launched by Swedish whisky enthusiast, Christian Svantesson, The Single Malt Fund said it will provide investors with the opportunity to indirectly own a small part of a large collection of rare and limited-edition whiskies.
The Single Malt Fund’s rare whiskies will be selected by five internationally acclaimed portfolio managers. In addition to investing in the fund, whisky devotees will also have the opportunity to buy single bottles from the fund’s online inventory as the fund realises its investments. Sales will be managed through its own website, where rare whisky will be made available to investors before going up for sale on the open market.
The fund says it will be supervised by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority and has received approval to launch on the Nordic Growth Market (NGM) exchange in Stockholm, Sweden. Scheduled to liquidate after six years, a target return rate of 10% per annum is on offer.
It has been launched on the back of growing demand for rare whisky from investors, connoisseurs and collectors across the world.
Figures from the world’s leading rare whisky analysts and brokers, Rare Whisky 101, show that the returns produced by rare whisky over the past few years have outstripped many other alternative and traditional asset classes. The RW Apex 100 (the world’s top 100 performing bottles) has climbed 485% since 2010.
Between 2013 and 2017, the average price per bottle of rare whisky bought at auction in the UK has climbed from £223.60 to £299.36.
A recent survey by RW101 and Whisky Auctioneer identify private whisky collections worth an estimated £75million, and with an average value of £50,000.
Svantesson said: “The Single Malt Fund is created for whisky enthusiasts and others who want to invest in rare whisky. When selling, the fund will first offer its limited rare whisky to its investors, giving them access to selected rare whisky which is very hard to come by without the right knowledge and contacts. With global demand for rare whisky continuing to soar, I hope that our fund will make the rare whisky market more inclusive and accessible for even more rare whisky enthusiasts. The fund in that respect has opened up a new opportunity for whisky fans to indulge in their passion.
“My inspiration for the fund comes from my own passion for single malt whisky. Knowing how much my own limited rare whiskies have appreciated in value, I spotted an opportunity to take a more professional approach to the whisky investor market. As an entrepreneur, I couldn’t resist the temptation to combine my passion for whisky with my entrepreneurial drive.
“I wanted to create a ‘commodity fund’ for whisky – regulated, transparent, and listed on a public exchange, preferably here in Sweden.”
