The biggest whisky collector isn't in Scotland, but in Argentina.

As expected, the world's largest whiskey collection was in its place of origin: Scotland. But that was until 2020. That year, an Argentine whiskey collector, a fan of this spirit, outnumbered the Edinburgh Museum, and since then, the 5,900 bottles that make up the world's largest collection have been housed in Buenos Aires, at the Whisky Museum. There, you can find examples from every producing region in the world: vintage, from independent producers, special editions, or commemorative.

In 2010, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Miguel Ángel Reigosa as "Whisky Ambassador for Latin America." Years later, in 2020, he received another distinction: Keeper of the Quaich, which recognizes individuals who contribute to the culture of Scotch whisky.

How did your passion for whisky begin?

It started when I was 14. My friends and I would go out dancing and drink these killer drinks at boliches (clubs). One night, we arrived at my parents' house in very bad shape. It was around 3 a.m. My dad heard us and said, "Tomorrow I want to meet with everyone's parents, with you all present." The next day, he gathered us all together, opened one of the two bottles of Old Parr whiskey he'd been given at work, and, instead of scolding us, and with the consent of all the parents, he invited us to have a drink. The advice he left with me for life was: "Drink only a little, but good." And from that moment on, I started doing just that.

And how did you get into collecting?

I inherited it. My grandfather was a numismatist (coin and banknote collector) and my father was a philatelist (stamp collector); I became addicted to whiskey.

When did you start collecting bottles?

When my father died when I was very young, a friend of his helped me out. He was an importer of watches and perfumes, and he lent me the money to use him to import them. That's when I started traveling all over the world. So, every time I traveled, I would buy a bottle. Later, I got into the habit of buying two of the same. One to try out with friends, and the other I would keep to build my collection.

How old were you when you started?

I was 23. When my father died, I looked for a place of companionship, so I became a regular at the Café de los Incas.

It no longer exists today, but what did the Café de los Incas represent?

It was the place of worship for whiskey in Latin America. Everyone who can talk about whiskey came from there. Everyone passed through there, the good and the bad.

He started as a regular and ended up as an owner...

At that time, the café was deeply in debt. Then Jorge Altobello, one of the owners, asked me if I wanted to buy out the other two partners. I'd saved up a few pesos importing and decided to buy out and take on the debt. And that's where I began to hone my skills in the world of whiskey. Over time, recognition began to pour in, and in '94, I made my first trip to Europe.

Finally visited the birthplace of Scotch whisky...

I was invited by Diageo and spent 15 days in London and another 15 in Scotland. The first distillery I visited was Blair Athol (founded in 1798), and it was wonderful. It allowed me to learn about the whisky-making processes.

And how did the Whisky Museum come about?

There came a time when I told Jorge, 'I want to fulfill a dream: I have 2,800 bottles at my mom's house and I want to display them. I want to create a museum.' Jorge thought I was joking. At that time, no one believed in whiskey.

How did you put together that collection of 2,800 bottles?

Through travel, through auctions, and asking traveling acquaintances to buy me a bottle. It cost a lot. I traveled a lot with the Whisky World program, which I hosted on television for 16 years. In total, I've made 36 trips to Scotland: I visited all its distilleries four times. During all that time, I built the collection, but not with a commercial purpose. It was for personal satisfaction.

And what did your mom tell you about the 2,800 bottles in the house?

When my father and grandparents died, several of the nine rooms in the house were empty. My mother told me, “Keep the bottles there.” They didn't fit on the shelves, so many were on the floor, all wrapped in plastic wrap. Once a month, two boys who worked with me at the Café de los Incas helped me turn the bottles so the corks wouldn't dry out. It took three days. Mom had a lot to do with me putting this collection together.

At what point was it proposed that the collection be the largest in the world?

With the program, I had a dream of filming at the Edinburgh Museum, which, with 3,384 bottles, was the largest in the world. When we arrived and I saw the collection, I appeared on camera in tears, promising that in less than four years we could surpass it. I was 500 bottles short. Ours were better in quality. Today, we're 2,200 bottles ahead, we have 5,900, and we're in Argentina.

A magazine recently reported that someone wanted to buy her collection to take it to Dubai...

Yes, they offered me $30 million, a house so I could manage everything for the first year, and a Lamborghini of my choice. I'm not a millionaire, but I'm not short of things. The things that are important to me are other things; otherwise, I wouldn't have dedicated myself to this.

In total, I've made 36 trips to Scotland: I've visited all of its distilleries four times. During that time, I've been building the collection, but not with a commercial focus. It was for personal satisfaction.

Can the collection be visited?

What is the rarest bottle you treasure?

Wow, lots of them. We have limited editions from independent bottlers. From 1938, 1950. Many 50-year-old bottles. I have a collection of Elvis bottles; I had to sell my car to buy it. The oldest is an 1870 bourbon.

What is the most expensive bottle in the collection?

There are several. A 50-year-old Royal Salute, a 1938 MacPhail's, a 1950 The Macallan. These are around $70,000 or $80,000 each.

What bottles are you eyeing up for next purchase?

There are about 100 I'm following. One is a Johnnie Walker that's over 150 years old, a little-known 45-year-old Royal Salute that was sold in the Asian market and of which there aren't many bottles left.

What advice do you have for getting into this world?

For me, the ideal is to start with the most basic, 10 or 12-year-olds. But the truth is, you can start wherever you want. And not just single malt: bourbon, for example, is a great product. The important thing is to gradually introduce people to the process.

Whiskey is best served neat, with water, with ice, with cola, with champagne... But if you have a bottle from 1950, what are you going to put in it? You drink it neat! It's not you who decides, it's the bottle.

How do you store whiskey?

Ideally, the bottle should be kept upright, at a temperature below 16°C, and preferably in the shade, or in cool light. In our case, once every six months we lay the collected bottles down a little to moisten the cork so it doesn't rot or dry out.

I'm not a millionaire, but I'm not lacking in things. What's important to me are other things, otherwise I wouldn't have dedicated myself to this.

Does whiskey evaporate over time?

If the capsule is bad, yes. Besides, whisky doesn't have an upward curve in the bottle; it doesn't evolve; quite the opposite. If people try a whisky that's been in the bottle for a long time and say 'how delicious it is,' it's not because it's improved in the bottle, but because whiskeys from before were of better quality.

Which bottle do you value most in your collection?

A regular bottle of Old Parr, which was the other one my dad had, and which I kept for my collection. I have a deep love for that bottle; it brings back those wonderful memories I had with my father and mother.

This article is an edited version of the original.

The Nation (Argentina) - GDA