Spirit connoisseurs have become enamoured with Japanese whisky in recent years. Merging traditional methodologies with native flavours, these varieties have taken on a personality of their own. It was once widely accepted that no whisky could measure up to the Scotch variety—after all, Scotland was the birthplace of the amber spirit. Nowadays, however, skilled Japanese producers are quashing such notions. Traditionally, Japan was known for its sublime sake and shōchū. Now, it is being heralded...

An extremely rare bottle of The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 set a new world record when it was sold by Bonhams auctioneers on 3 October. The limited-edition 60-year-old lot fetched an eye-watering £848,750—it had been estimated at £700,000-900,000. Previous to this sale, the world record was set in May 2018 by Bonhams when another bottle of The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 was sold for £814,081. Pop art labels Macallan commissioned two iconic pop artists—Valerio Adami...

One of the world’s most sought-after luxury assets has seen a surge in second-hand sales in recent years. The luxury watch market is unique in terms of its investment opportunity: huge monetary returns are highly unlikely and expensive timepieces often depreciate in value. That’s not to say that an investment isn’t worthwhile, though. In April 2017, the Sotheby’s Watches auction in London achieved a stunning grand total of £2,258,000. The highest achiever of the night...

One of the most exclusive handbags in the world, the Hermès Birkin bag has a fascinating story behind its chance creation. It’s the year 1983; Jean-Louis Dumas—the then-chairman of the luxury brand—is sitting next to singer and actress Jane Birkin on an Air France flight from Paris to London. Jane drops her diary, stating that she has yet to find a handbag that is stylish as well as able to hold all of her possessions....