Column: Why Keep a Whisky Museum Behind Closed Doors?

The joy of whisky begins with the eye. Manjit Gill, the Managing Director of The Grande Whisky Museum (the largest whisky museum in Asia), would agree. So the question is: why isn't Valentino Zagatti's rare collection just there for everyone to admire?

Whisky is all about the taste, but that's not entirely true. Think about it: have a conversation with friends, read a few interviews, and what emerges when you ask about a memorable whisky? You cannot ignore the setting. Many people respond that they tasted something straight from a cask, or that they were at a distillery on-site, or had some other unique setting and so on.

Therefore, whisky is not just a drink in a glass. Whisky is an experience often shared with fellow enthusiasts at a certain time and place. From this, we can actually conclude that whisky is not only about taste.

No, whisky is a sensory experience where the nose is the most logical sense for most, but what about the eye? A sip of whisky is like a date with a potential new flame. You generally don't start with a kiss, but first a look. And the sniffing begins even before the cuddling.

It's no surprise then, that the marketing machines behind whisky brands are running at full speed. Many brands occasionally give their whisky a new look.

Glenglassaugh and Bushmills changed their bottles a while ago and those are just examples. When you walk around whisky festivals and see old bottles, you know that past whiskies, typography, and labels were different. Today, everything has a more modern look.

In summary, whisky doesn't start with taste or smell, but with the eye. And this brings me to the next point: why is Valentino Zagatti's rare collection, located in Sassenheim the Netherlands, not open to the public? Wouldn't whisky enthusiasts want to admire that collection?

Yes, we're talking about luxurious bottles and no, they're not for sale. But don't we whisky enthusiasts love a bit of history? Our editing team visited it last year, but that was an exclusive appointment.

The collection is incredibly interesting due to a bottle that would have been bottled in 1843 and the six remaining bottles of Parkmore, for instance. But it's like offering an exhibition with football memorabilia, only to showcase it for old players and invitees. The rest of the fans can only dream of it.

In Asia, specifically in Singapore, things are done better. There you'll find the largest whisky museum in Asia: The Grande Whisky Museum, and it's open for everyone to admire. Curious visitors buy a ticket and then enter a vault like a want-to-be Indiana Jones, discovering the most unique bottles on an exciting tour.

Imagine a 40-year-old Laphroaig signed by Camilla Parker and the current King Charles, 450 centiliter bottles from The Macallan and Ardbeg, complete collections from the same parties, bottles with a different Johnnie Walker logo, ceramic royal jugs, and much more. And what's more, many of the bottles are signed.

As a whisky enthusiast, it's fantastic to walk through such a treasure chamber and observe whisky bottles you didn't even know existed. It whets your appetite for more knowledge and the tasting and discovery of new flavors (even if they're not the bottles on display there). It enriches your whisky life.

And it's a great opportunity to attract new people. The entire Red Bull team, including Max Verstappen, once visited The Grande Whisky Museum, just to name an example.

But it's kind of unfortunate as a Dutch (or Belgian) that you have to fly all the way to Singapore, knowing that you could also enjoy a comparable (read: unique) experience in the Netherlands. Oh no, wait, that's invite only.

Want to learn more about The Grande Whisky Museum? Visit their official website.