Buy A Cask Of Scotch [UPDATED]
If you are a whisky lover chances are that at some point you have considered the benefits of owning your very own cask of whisky. As well as buying a cask through a broker like us in 2023 it is still possible to buy casks direct from some distilleries.
buy a cask of scotch
The above table is a summary of every distillery we have found where you can buy a whole cask of whisky. As we are a specialist whisky broker we have added equivalent from prices for casks sold by us for comparison.
It is important to note here that we are not endorsing or otherwise any of the opportunities listed below. Whoever you decide to buy a cask from you should ensure you do you full due diligence before purchasing the cask.
Whether you are looking into a long term investment, are planning to bottle your whisky (in which case make sure you read this first), or are just looking for a cask for personal enjoyment this guide and the other online cask buying guides we have curated will act as a starting point to help you to decide what the best options are for you.
Sometimes distilleries need to raise money more quickly than waiting 3 to 12 years for their whisky to mature and become suitable for bottling. Most often this is if they are looking to fund an investment or when they are first beginning to distil whisky. In these cases distilleries can choose to offer casks for sale direct to the public as a way to release capital from their stock without taking a loan whilst also building brand loyalty.
We have listed the distilleries that currently offer casks below. We have included how much you can expect to pay, and where it is disclosed we have shown what size cask that is for and what else is included. For a wide reference of base prices, we have included some distilleries that have offered casks in previous years but currently do not have a private cask offering.
We help you to buy strategically from distilleries that are already well established and are therefore more likely to prove to be a good investment compared to a cask from a new, unproven distillery. We carefully pick casks that we believe have good potential as a long term investment.
Not only are the casks that we sell from established distilleries, but they are also older casks in general, around 5-10 years old, giving you a head start on your investment compared to new make. We have found that there is no need to spend more than 3,000 to 7,000 to get a great cask, 5-10 years old, from a well established distillery with fantastic potential.
We do not suggest bottling a cask if you are looking at it as an investment. To explain why please explore our online cask calculator. You can also use the calculator to reverse engineer the price of casks that you might be offered as a way to verify prices.
The Milk & Honey Distillery offer a limited number of first-fill ex bourbon casks for approximately 2,650 (based on current exchange rates) that they will then house for you for three years, after which you must decide whether to bottle the cask, or let it continue aging, baring in mind that the humid Israeli climate means that the angel share (the amount of whiskey that evaporates per year) is 9%, compared to the average 2% of Scotch whiskies.
The new Annandale distillery released their first whisky in 2018, and show now signs of stopping. All of their malts are non-chill filtered, single cask, single malt Scotch whiskies that are bottled at cask strength. The distillery produces both peated and unpeated malts, whatever your preference.
They have a range of casks available with bourbon barrels starting at 2,930 going up to 500 litre ex-wine casks at 6,380 and sherry conditioned butts at 9,870. You can find more information about buying Annandale casks on their website.
This pioneering distillery are offering a limited number of ex-Bourbon and ex-Red wine casks for the public to purchase. Cask purchases are made via direct enquiry, and you can find details on their website.
Prices have been previously listed as starting at 6,000 for a 190 litre cask. Currently there is a waiting list to purchase these casks in 2023. Find out more on the Isle of Raasay distillery website here.
The distillery have announced that in the first 10 years of distilling, they will only release 700 casks for sale to the public. These casks will be first fill ex-Bourbon barrels filled with an earthy, heavily peated single malt. We cannot find any details about purchasing a cask from Lagg in 2023 so this programme may now have ended.
Unfortunately it is exceedingly difficult to get casks of Islay whisky, and so it is unsurprising to hear that Ardnahoe have ceased their private cask buying scheme as of 2021. We can occasionally source casks from other Islay distilleries so get in touch if you would like to go on our waiting list.
InchDairnie Distillery is a new distillery that is located in Glenrothes. So new, in fact, that their first release single malt is not dropping until 2029. With that said, you can register to buy a cask of InchDairnie now, and own a rare piece of the history of the distillery.
InchDairnie have made headlines for their innovative approach, including experimenting with rye whisky (or grain whisky, as it must be known in order to be legally recognised in the UK). They have also been experimenting with using oats in production. This new approach is fascinating whisky enthusiasts the world over, and this cask ownership program gives you the chance to own some of this innovative whisky.
Just 30 casks a year are released to the public and have previously been for sale for around 12,000. Storage and insurance for 12 years is included as is bottling (after at least 12 years). You will also receive 2 samples a year and case to store them in, a copper cask end stencil and the chance to visit the distillery and watch filling.
Until recently Macallan had offered an extremely exclusive cask buying experience. Every year the distillery offered a very select few clients the chance to create their own cask of Macallan. They could choose a cask, fill it with new-make spirit, and then put in the cellar of the distillery for a minimum of 12 years. After this period of time has elapsed, the cask had to be bottled with labels that you could personalise.
Please note that this guide is not meant as a suggestion of what to buy but is simply intended as a guide and starting point for your investigation into cask purchases. If you are looking at buying a cask in 2023, whether from a broker like ourselves or direct from a distillery, then you need to make sure that it is the right option for you.
It is our understanding that casks are classed as a wasting asset and therefore not currently subject to capital gains tax in the UK. However bottles are not classed as a wasting asset and you should be aware of this as well if you are looking at bottling a cask.
You can buy entire casks of whisky that will be stored and matured at the distillery warehouse just for you. Whenever you want (or budget permitting if the cask stays there a while) you can then bottle the cask and enjoy your very own single cask release, often consisting of a few hundred bottles. Whether you want to give them to friends, keep them to yourself, or sell them on is up to you!
Located in the south of Scotland near the English border, new whisky distillery Annandale recently released its first single malt whisky, with a new edition on the way. It offers a wide variety of casks, including bourbon (first fill and refill), sherry (5,900 for a full sherry butt, which holds 500 liters), and and red wine (6,380 for 500 liters).
Lagg is the new whisky distillery being built on the isle of Arran, by the same owners as the Arran Distillery. The big difference between the two will be that Lagg will produce heavily peated whisky. Due to begin production earlier next year, you can reserve your future cask now. Buying a Lagg cask also comes with several unique bonuses, including a stay in a nearby hotel and a few rounds of golf across the island.
A new microdistillery built on the grounds of a historic abbey (which has its own rich history of whisky and distillation), Lindores allows the purchase of either whole casks or cask shares i.e. you buy a quarter of a cask rather than a whole one, starting with a 40 litre red wine firkin cask at 1,100. The actual range of cask options available is too large to list here and is the most extensive out of all the distilleries in this article.
English whisky is currently going through a quiet boom, as more whisky distilleries keep opening and producing whisky south of the Scottish border. So far, many of them seem to be producing quality spirit, and some have started releasing single malts as well. The Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery is the first whisky distillery in the northern English area of Yorkshire, and they're offering a few first fill bourbon and sherry casks for your consideration.
Scotch whisky is in the middle of a boom the likes the industry has rarely seen before. For the Scotch whisky enthusiast that means plenty of choice, sometimes even overwhelmingly so. And yet, there are always new frontiers to explore; from blends to malts to independent bottlers, and finally to purchasing an entire cask of whisky. The latter is a significant step to the upper echelons of whisky geekdom, albeit one that requires research AND caution.
Founded by Hunter Laing, Ardnahoe is situated on the legendary isle of Islay. It produces a heavily peated new make whisky, employing traditional production methods including the use of worm tubs. The distillery offers European oak oloroso sherry hogsheads for sale at a hefty 11,000 per cask.
Arran is one of the few established distilleries offering a cask purchase scheme. In the 25 years since it was founded, Arran has built an admirable reputation. That means you can at least somewhat predict the end result. The distillery offers first-fill ex-bourbon barrels (2,950) and first-fill ex-sherry hogsheads (3,950).
Founded in 2018, buying a cask at Lagg Distillery offers a lot of benefits. Owners of a first-fill ex-bourbon barrel (6,000) will become a member of the Lagg Cask Society. This includes a bottle from the very first cask, their name on the Wall of Fame within the distillery, an Arran Golf Pass, and dinner and an overnight stay at the Lagg Hotel. 041b061a72