Column: Are Those Breathtakingly Delicious Whiskies Actually Being Drunk?

Some people drink whisky, whereas others collect bottles of this ambrosial beverage. And then there's a group who purchases a bottle, gently takes it out of the packaging, and places it on a shelf. Will it remain untouched there forever?

It might sound odd, but there are whisky bottles you could stare at for nearly half an hour without laying a finger on them. Consider the bottles from Compass Box, with label designs that could come straight from a New York gallery. Or consider the Bowmore Arc, inspired by the futuristic design of the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar.

You'd almost be afraid to pour, fearing to leave a fingerprint on the glass.

And what about whisky boxes? Not just simple cardboard cylinders, but complete mahogany cases with velvet lining and a latch that sounds as if you're opening a jewel box. It's marketing, but also a touch of magic.

Whether it's an expensive bottle or not, the experience is Harry Potter next level. The moment you open that box and see a whisky bottle slowly appearing feels better than most Netflix finales. And drinking it? Well, that can wait. First, admire it.

For some, whisky is all about tasting notes and cask types. But there's also a group that buys a bottle because it looks good in their interior. Not necessarily to drink, but mainly to admire. Perhaps the bottle will be opened on some important occasion, but even they don't know yet.

And who can blame them? If you're paying thousands of euros for a Macallan Lalique, you want that moment to be just as special as the bottle itself and enjoy it as an object.

The line between art and drink is increasingly blurred. There are collaborations with artists, fashion houses, and designers. Consider The Art of Glenfiddich. Or what about Ardbeg, who released a bottle with a comic-like label, as if Banksy spent his leisurely afternoon on it?

Even independent bottlers are joining in. One prints watercolours on its labels, another collaborates with local artists for every release.

And in the meantime we keep our noses to the showcase, or we have a bottle in the cabinet that we look at more often than we open. Some bottles are simply art and hence fit perfectly in a museum.

The question is, if you have something at home: do you save such a bottle or will you eventually open it?