wsky1

Whisky investment intelligence

Investing in Oban

46 Oban expressions tracked across 1,156+ auction observations.

12-mo avg return

+6.4%

Median return

+4.0%

Volatility (±)

27.7%

Verdict

Stable, modest appreciation

Top performers (12 months)

Oban bottles with the largest year-over-year median price gains.

BottleCurrent median12mo agoChange
Oban The MacLeans Old Teddy£350£200+88.9%
Oban The MacLeans Grandson Derek£250£150+62.5%
Oban - 13 Year Old (Manager's Dram)£700£500+45.8%
Oban The MacLeans Young Teddy£500£350+41.2%
Oban 2006 Distillers Edition£50£50+30.0%
Oban 1980 Distillers Edition£150£100+27.3%
Oban - 14 Year Old (1 Litre)£50£50+25.0%
Oban 14 Year Old£50£50+25.0%

Blue-chip Oban

Highest median auction price — the established collectables.

Entry-level (under £150)

Affordable Oban expressions for first-time collectors — at least 3 auction observations to confirm market liquidity.

Cooled off (12 months)

Oban bottles that have softened — either fair-value entry points or bottles to avoid, depending on your thesis.

How wsky1 thinks about whisky investment

Past auction prices are the most defensible signal of a bottle's collectable value — but they are not a forecast. The data below comes from 1,156+ hammered lots across six major auction houses; none of it is curated or pay-for-placement.

Three rules-of-thumb a working collector should keep in mind:

  • Liquidity matters. A bottle that trades once a year cannot be priced reliably. Filter for ≥3 observations before you trust any "median" number.
  • Premium swings. Major auction houses charge 24–28% buyer's premium on top of hammer. Net return after both buy- and sell-side premium is roughly hammer × 0.78 ÷ paid × 1.26.
  • Concentrated risk. One bottle is a story; a 6-bottle portfolio across two or three distilleries is an asset class.

For a deeper view, the full Oban catalog with live prices lists every tracked expression with its full price history chart.

Track your Oban portfolio — free for 3 bottles

No card required · daily price updates · cancel anytime