Hong Kong whisky collector and bar owner talks about super rare bottles and why he’s auctioning some of his Scotch collection
- Aaron Chan, who owns high-end whisky bar Club Qing in Hong Kong, is selling some rare whiskies from his collection
- He talks about his hobby, the popularity of Japanese versus Scotch whisky, and the upcoming auction at Bonhams
Some people collect art. Others gather treasure stamps and coins. Club Qing’s owner Aaron Chan has an infatuation with rare whisky. In addition to running the city’s premier whisky bar, the Hongkonger also maintains a personal stash of roughly 2,000 bottles.
However, every now and then, it’s good to Marie Kondo the cabinet, pare down bottles that don’t spark as much joy, and make room for new additions. That’s why Chan has decided to auction off some of his prized bottles.
In total, he’s putting up 220 lots of old and rare Scotch, many from the 1950s and 1960s, considered to be among the most eclectic and extensive from a single owner, for Bonhams’ Fine and Rare Wine and Whisky sale on May 20.
“When I started buying whiskies, it was just my hobby. I didn’t think a lot about investment at the very beginning,” Chan explains. “I buy most bottles intending to open them, but now it’s come to a point where I really have too many bottles to drink. Honestly, I couldn’t finish drinking my entire collection on my own in 100 years.”
“Collecting rare whisky gives me a lot of satisfaction. But I realise most of the bottles are just collecting dust. I now actually have quite a few duplicate models. Hopefully some other collectors will acquire it and at some point, they drink it because, after all, that’s what whisky is made for.”