Choosing The Right Whisky Cask For Sales

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Since the launch of our cask ownership program, we have quite a few clients asking us this question, “How do I choose the right whisky cask?” The answer to this question varies from client to client, depending on their needs. In our second article of the series, let us look at choosing the right whisky cask for sales in future.

How to look for a right whisky cask for investments

In a volatile market, more investors are turning to whisky casks as a means of investments. Due to the rising popularity, the whisky cask market moves swiftly and decisively. As an investor, what should you look out for when you buy a cask?

Long-Term or Short-Term Investments

Do I want to sell the whisky cask in the short term or hold for longer?

For a start, an investor should look at his ultimate aim for buying a whisky cask. Is that for long-term or short-term investments? We would define long-term investments as 3 to 5 years or more, and short-term investments in 1 to 2 years. While cask prices do appreciate over time due to the whisky maturation, investors should not be looking at gaining a significant ROI if they intend to sell the cask in less than a year.

Short-term appreciation is also much lower than long-term appreciation, which means the investor must not expect a high ROI. What he can look forward to is a slow but steady increase of his original investment if he keeps investing.

Types of casks

An investor should also look at the type of casks that he invests in. He needs to buy the casks types popular with independent bottlers to sell the cask when he is ready. Spirits Castle can make recommendations by using what we know of the market at the point of purchase, but we cannot guarantee that the information stays relevant when you are ready to sell. Therefore, we would highly encourage you to do your research to find out the whisky cask types that you should buy.

Whisky Distillery

Getting to know the whisky distillery and the type of distillate they produce is crucial. It affects your decision in buying the right whisky cask for investments based on demand. Usually, independent bottlers look for different distilleries in their bottlings but there are some distilleries that are more sought after than others. Investors usually do not ask to taste the whisky as they are not planning on bottling the whisky, so buying the right cask depends on your ability to know the distilleries well. While we can make recommendations, we would still encourage you to find out more on your own.

Age of Cask

Age is all that matters, or does it?

Most whisky drinkers know that age of whisky matters to some and not to others. In whisky cask trade, the age influences the price of the cask directly. For investors looking for short-term investments, it is not always the case that you must buy a higher age cask to gain ROI. Buying a younger cask can still earn you a reasonable ROI as long as you are not looking for a 200% price increase in 1 year. A higher age cask is unlikely to earn you 200% price increase too, just in case you are wondering. The right whisky cask to buy is one that can potentially make you what you aim for.

To Conclude

Knowing your end goal is just as vital as knowing the whisky that you are buying. Spirits Castle provides recommendations and nuggets of information to help you select, but the ultimate decision lies with you. Just like other kinds of investments, a certain level of risk is involved. We encourage you to find out as much information as you can from the materials we will send you at the beginning and from your research.

Knowing How to Choose Suitable Whisky Casks For Bottling

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Since the launch of our cask ownership program, we have quite a few clients asking us this question, “How do I choose a suitable whisky cask?” The answer to this question varies from client to client. In part one of our two-part articles, let us provide some pointers for buyers looking to buy a suitable whisky cask for bottling.

The Suitable Whisky Cask for Bottling (Individuals)

For a cask owner who looks forward to bottling the whisky in the future, whisky preference is the utmost important factor. A whisky bottler must like what he is bottling, especially if he is an individual.

Your Personal Preferences

“I want to bottle the cask after 10 years, what should I buy?”

As an individual looking to bottle your own cask of whisky, the first question to ask is “What do I like?” You will be drinking the whisky, gifting it to your loved ones and friends, or celebrating an occasion with the bottling. Therefore, the right whisky cask is the one you like.

Some of you would like to taste the whisky before making a choice. We need to let you know in advance that paid samples can be hard to come by. As our cask list includes private casks held by individuals, the sellers may not want to provide paid samples as it depletes the whisky within the casks. Also, the cost of a 500ml sample does not come cheap. Nonetheless, we can try to ask the owner for a sample if you wish to pay for a sample.

Budget is crucial

Besides personal preferences, the next question is your budget. Whisky casks vary in prices due to the distillery prices, the size of the cask, and the type of cask. Therefore, it is ideal to work with a budget, especially if you are planning on re-racking the whisky into another cask before bottling.

It also pays to remember that bottling and logistics incur cost. You will do well to put those costs at the back of your mind when doing the calculations for your budget.

The Suitable Whisky Cask for Bottling (Company)

As the owner of a business, your desire to bottle a cask usually stems from the potential sales that you can make out of it. The whisky may eventually be sold at your bar, restaurant or hotel. It can also be given as gifts to your high net worth clients if you are not an F&B business owner.

Know the flavours preferences

Choosing a suitable whisky cask, in this case, is not about what you like, but what the general public may like. Knowing your clients’ preference is paramount. If your clients love the sweet, dark fruits of a Speyside whisky matured in a sherry cask, looking for a cask that closely matches the preference will work. Otherwise, consider buying a bourbon cask and re-racking it into a sherry cask. On the other hand, if your clients like the sweet and fruity flavours, buying a bourbon cask is a better option.

Budgeting Matters

Business is all about the bottom line, so matters of finance are critical too. While an individual may be concerned about his budget, a business must be aware of its bottom line and profits. Bottling a cask will potentially earn you more profits, which translate to your ROI. That is why you have to know the type of whiskies that are popular in your bar, restaurant or hotel, and buy a suitable whisky cask that is in line with what’s popular with your customers.

To Conclude

To be sure of your end goal is just as crucial as knowing what whisky you like. Spirits Castle provides recommendations and nuggets of information to help you select, but the ultimate decision lies with you. Just like other kinds of investments, a certain level of risk is involved. We encourage you to find out as much information as you can from the materials we will send you at the beginning and from your research.

3 Reasons Why Whisky Drinkers Buy Casks

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There is no surprise that we sold two whisky casks in the short two weeks since our launch of the cask ownership program. The popularity of whisky is on the rise since 2010. The momentum is gaining on us as many whisky drinkers seek ways to overcome the rising prices of whisky and capitalize on the increasing market value of whisky.

If you are thinking about why people are buying whisky casks instead of whisky bottles, we propose three reasons below.

Whisky prices are rising exponentially

Buying a cask reduces the total cost for a whisky drinker over time. The cash outlay may be high at the initial stage, but the return is far higher. He avoids the increased prices in future, and get to enjoy his favourite whisky when he bottles the cask! The owner also gets to put his personalised label on the bottles, making the whiskies uniquely his.

Whisky casks are assets

In an uncertain economy such as now, people are worried about the future. To safeguard their money, one can consider numerous investments. Buying a cask is an option when one is a whisky drinker. A whisky drinker buys only casks produced from his preferred distilleries. Comparing whisky casks to stocks and shares in a volatile market, the physical product holds potential, especially when one looks for long-term investments. 

Whisky casks are flexible investments

A cask owner has got a lot of choices when he owns a cask. He can sell the cask in a few years, re-rack the whisky to a different cask, keep it for long-term returns or bottle it when the time is right. In fact, there are just so many things that one can do with a cask. 

How to Own A Whisky Cask

If you would like to find out more about our cask ownership program, head over to our designated page. We recommend that you download our e-brochure to understand the process of buying a cask too! Knowing what to expect is crucial to make your journey as a cask owner easy and smooth.

Slàinte Mhath,
Zerlina Zhuang