A man whose father bought him a bottle of whisky every year for his birthday is planning on selling the collection, which is worth around £40,000, with the aim of using the money to buy his first home.
When Matthew Robinson was born in 1992, his father, Pete Robinson, decided to buy a bottle of whisky in celebration.
At the time, the 64-year-old was working at a company that manufactured some of the raw materials for Macallan whisky, which is produced at a distillery in Moray, Scotland.
Throughout his son’s life, Pete spent around £5,000 on the bottles of 18-year-old Macallan single malt Scotch whisky.
The collection is now estimated to be worth more than £40,000, more than eight times the amount he has spent.
According to experts, the whisky collection – which is known as a “vertical” – is a rare find.
Matthew, who works at a beef manufacturing company, is planning on auctioning off the collection and using the money to buy a house.
“I think it’s been one of the best things he could have done,” Matthew said of his father’s annual birthday gift. “I never anticipated the potential it could have for me in my life.
“I’m currently looking at buying houses and having that money available to me is a massive weight off my shoulders – especially in these uncertain times.”
Matthew, who lives in Taunton, Somerset, added that being able to put money from sales of the whisky towards a deposit is “very special”.
The collection of whiskies is being sold by brokers Mark Littler Ltd, with the online listing welcoming offers of over £40,000.
Each bottle is being sold in its original box.
Mark Littler explained that when a “consecutive run” of vintage whiskies are sold, it is called “a vertical”.
“Normally it would take a lot of time and effort to amass a vertical like this, but this is the opportunity for a collector to purchase them all instantly,” he said.
“In addition, the Macallan 18-year-old is currently one of the most sought after single malt Scotch whiskies in the world, so you’ve got a hot ticket item that is sure to be highly desirable to aspiring whisky collectors and investors.”
Pete, who currently works as a manager for a malting company, said that he realised over time “that the collection was starting to appreciate in value considerably and watched the brand with more interest”.
Matthew told the BBC that his father put him “under strict instructions” to “never, never open them”.
“I tried my hardest and succeeded and they’re all intact,” he said.
