Whisky cask investment: your guide to ownership, including all the perks
With tangible assets such as single malt offering a decent hedge against inflation, whisky cask ownership is increasingly seen as a solid investment option by many.
So what does the process involve? And what happens after you’ve made your investment?
In this article, we take a look at the options available to those ready to seize this golden opportunity and provide a guide to exiting the market when the time is right.
Why Scotch – and why now?
With the scarcity and value of whisky increasing with age, it’s a long-term investment option that can offer some dramatic rewards.
The sector is going from strength to strength: Scotch whisky exports grew to a record-breaking £6 billion in 2022. Furthermore, there are some significant sales happening… just one cask of 1975 single malt from the Ardbeg distillery on Islay sold for £16 million in a private sale last year.
If you’re thinking of taking the plunge with liquid gold, Vintage Acquisitions, a leading cask trader and stockist since 2011, are here to help you explore the opportunity of whisky cask purchase. Their passionate team of whisky experts have more than 50 years’ collective experience in valuing and trading in single malt. They can talk you through what’s on offer right now, according to your needs and your budget: it doesn’t matter if you’re a novice or a connoisseur, they can find a dram that’s right for you.
And when you do sell up, because whisky casks are classed as a wasting asset by HMRC (meaning an asset with a predictable life of 50 years or less), there is no capital gains tax to pay.
Keeping track of your investments
So you’ve thought about your options, chosen your tipple and received all your paperwork, including the certificate of title for your casks. Now what? Just sit back and watch your investment grow in value as the years pass and your single malt matures?
That’s one option – but with Vintage Acquisitions, you can be much more involved if you want to.
This top whisky cask investment firm has created a revolutionary portal for its cask owners, offering you an overview of your portfolio. The owners-only site means you can keep track of your casks, your chosen distilleries and what’s newly available from Vintage Acquisitions.
It also allows canny investors to access the latest news about the Scottish whisky market; log on for the latest updates on the free trade deal with India, which the head of Chivas Brothers (owners of Ballantine’s and Chivas Regal) says ‘could double the size of the Scotch whisky market in five years’ or find out which Scottish whisky maker has seen its annual profits double.
There’s even a strategy section to help you work out how to make the most of your investment, with your portfolio broken down by region and then by the distilleries in every region from Speyside to the islands.
What to do when it’s time to sell
Vintage Acquisitions can guide you through every step of exiting the market and offer a number of options to help you make the most of your investment.
They can buy the cask directly from you to add to their inventory: they hold anything up to £2m worth of stock at any time, ready to be traded. Similarly, they may add it to their live listings for global clients or, if your cask is really rare, you might be able to sell it back to the distillery.
There is also the option to auction your cask or sell to an independent bottler. And some people simply choose to bottle their whisky to share with family, friends and colleagues with the help of Vintage Acquisitions’ sister company, Vintage Bottlers.
How to find out more
For a comprehensive whisky cask investment guide that outlines every step of the purchase process, head to the Vintage Acquisitions website now.
This is paid-for content on behalf of Vintage Acquisitions, and does not necessarily reflect the views or advice of the Portsmouth News. As with all financial investments, your investment may go down as well as up, and people are recommended to take financial advice.