Fake Whisky: How to Spot It Before You Buy

One of the most common counterfeiting practices is to acquire old empty bottles and refill them with inferior liquid and then sell them as an authentic rare whisky.

One of the most famous examples took place in August 2017 in Saint Moritz Switzerland when Chinese writer Zhang Wei ordered a glass of 1878 Macallan whisky that cost around £8,000 in the Waldhaus Am See Hotel. Believed to have been the last bottle of that vintage, it was purchased twenty five years previously by the father of the hotel owner Claude Bernasconi for thousands of pounds. 

Suspicions about the bottle’s authenticity arose after Wei took photos and posted them on his social media platform. Industry experts inspected the photos of the cork and bottle label and found discrepancies.

The bottle was sent for forensic testing by the University of Oxford and Rare Whisky 101 ( a consultancy that specialises in the valuation, authentication, and sales of rare and collectable bottles of and was indeed proven to be a fake). The hotel reimbursed Wei and the affair ended amicably, however, in most cases, victims of fake whiskies are not so lucky. 

1. Inspect The Bottle and Its Contents

Physically examining the bottle is one way to identify fake whisky:

Counterfeiters often use old labels and other bottle packaging to create fake rare whiskies.

Check the label check for spelling errors, blurry text, and font discrepancies.

Label material on authentic bottles will have consistent texture on high quality paper.

Check the label for lot numbers and batch codes and cross reference them with distillery records that offer traceability and connections to specific whiskies providing proof that the bottle aligns its distillery history, age, and number of bottles produced.

Verify if the label is firmly attached to the bottle, check for evidence of chipping on the label and the presence of recently applied adhesives.

Cross reference the distilleries website to see what security measures are in place: For example Macallan has bar codes and holograms on the necks of their bottles. The use of holograms, bar codes, and UV security are now becoming standard practice for makers of fine whiskies. 

Holograms can be verified using specialised equipment and smartphones and includes 3D images that are activated such as the picture of the Macallan house. Bar codes can be scanned and will describe the characteristics of the bottle and liquid inside of it.

Comparing the label with images from reputable auction houses and the distillery where the whisky was made is another way to check for discrepancies.

Are distillery markings etched cleanly on the glass bottle? Is it heavy or light? Does the punt (dimple) in the bottom match that of the images online? Fake bottles are often lighter, however, reusing old bottles is one of the oldest counterfeiting tricks used so be wary as an authentic bottle does not mean that the liquid inside is.

2. Fill Levels, Capsules, and Stoppers

Inspect the foil cap or wax closure to see if it has a poor finish or appears to have been tampered with. Try to spin it around to see if it moves. Loose fitting capsules are often a sign that the bottle has been tampered with. There are also many examples of 1990s Arbegs and Glenmorangies where the capsule is loose because the materials used were not fit for purpose.

The fill level is another important indicator that distinguishes fake and authentic bottles. When first bottled, the whisky is filled to the middle of the bottle's neck.

The cork or stopper is another way to authenticate a bottle (though counterfeiters are known to re-use old corks). Check the cork, is it loose? Many premium whiskies have the distillery branding on the cork.

3. Shake, Inspect, And Taste

With the exception of chill filtration, cloudiness could indicate that the whisky has been tampered with. The “legs” are an indication of alcohol content. Lack of or thin legs indicate low levels of alcohol.

Bubbles - shake the bottle to create a ring of frothy bubbles at the top bottom of the bottle neck which is an indicator of the alcohol level. Bubbles will remain for two or three seconds in bottles that have 40% ABV, while those of 50% ABV or more will remain for up to twenty seconds. 

If the bottle open, then conducting an olfactory analysis is highly recommended:

If unfamiliar with the whisky in question, cross reference the official distillery tasting notes or those of whisky experts.

Check for any unnatural or harsh aromas such as mustiness, solvent, or nail varnish. Use a taste test to identify inconsistent flavour profiles, harshness, and chemical elements on the palate.

4. The Importance of Cautious Spending

Before investing in a rare bottle of whisky, individuals should thoroughly research the bottle in question. There are details that are unique to every bottle of whisky that must be evaluated:

One of the best ways to learn about rare and vintage whiskies is to study current market data about them. Online auction houses and the distillers website are good sources of unbiased information and also feature rare bottles and show the past purchasing history and prices of these bottles which gives investors an idea of what the current market value of any given bottle will be.

There are several ways that new whisky collectors can decide whether a bottle of whisky is a good purchase.

Does the bottle have a release year or vintage associated with it? One way to check for authenticity is to verify whether that vintage or release year is actually associated with the whisky, one of the most common mistakes of counterfeiters is to use a year when a vintage was not produced. Cross reference the distillers website to ensure that the release year or vintage of the bottle in question is authentic.

Unique information such as the number of bottles that were made, single barrel releases, or changes in the artwork on the label can be good indicators of a bottle’s authenticity or lack thereof. Unless the company is well-known, always look it up to see if it is legitimate or not.

Current market price of the bottles is another key factor in the authentication process. In a market where demand outstrips supply, this has a significant impact on the price of rare whiskies. Scottish distilleries such as Macallan, Ardberg, and Glenfiddich are internationally respected for their superior craftsmanship, history, and reputation making their whiskies some of the most sought after bottles in the world. 

How Can A Buyer Authenticate A Whisky Before Buying It Online?

Buying rare whisky online can be a very risky business and be approached with utmost caution. Unfortunately fake whiskies have infiltrated all supply markets. Private groups on Facebook and sites such as Craigslist create thriving markets for counterfeiters to sell their fake wares. 

When buying rare whiskies either online or physically, use reliable vendors such as distillery shops, established auction houses, and authorised whisky retailers.

Before making a purchase, check the pricing history and see what the current market value is. If the price that is being offered is not inline industry pricing, either being too high or too low, this could be a red flag that puts the authenticity of the whisky into question.

Authentication Experts And Technology

If the initial inspection of a bottle has proved inconclusive, there are professionals and technology that can aid in the authentication process. Before spending thousands of pounds into a rare bottle, making a small investment to avoid being defrauded is well worth the time and money involved.

Radiocarbon dating, most commonly used in archeology and paleontology, is now being used to authenticate whisky bottles at the Scottish Universities Environment Research Centre. A radiocarbon calibration curve is used to measure the amount of ethanol produced from the barley and also separates wood components (that can complicate the final results). Dr Elaine Dunbar and her colleagues have carbon dated a whisky whose label claimed that it was distilled in 1863 but in reality was made sometime between 2003 and 2007.

Nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry create a unique profile of the components inside of a bottle such as the identification of flavour congeners and markers of different cask types. It can also identify peaks and troughs in flavour profiles which will indicate the presence of lack of artificial flavourings that are key in identifying fake whiskies.

Near infrared Spectroscopy can identify fake bottles by assessing the alcohol content, the addition of harmful substances such as methanol, or determine if sucrose, or deionised water that is used to dilute and refill bottles has been added. This technology is so precise that it can distinguish different vintages of the same whisky.

Many distilleries offer authentication services where potential buyers can check batch numbers, barcodes, vintages, or any other information that is relevant to the bottle of whisky. 

Macallan, One Of The Most Commonly Faked Whiskies

The top end whiskies are few and far between and are sought out by whisky connoisseurs and those individuals who want to add rare bottles to their collections. Increased demand for limited quantities has exponentially raised the prices of top end whiskies and has led to an increase in counterfeit bottles.

Macallan is one of the most sought after whiskies among connoisseurs and collectors and their rare bottles have sold for several million pounds at auction. Due to their high demand and limited availability they are also one of the most commonly counterfeited whiskies and there have been several incidents involving fake bottles in recent years that have made global headlines.