Scotch whisky cask ownership
A named cask, held in bond, in your name
Casks from £2,500
Plus storage and insurance from £95 plus VAT a year
- A physical cask (some people call it a barrel) that you own outright. We sell casks, not financial products.
- Your own cask, identified by distillery, cask number and warehouse on a purchase order in your name.
- Held in an HMRC approved bonded warehouse, with a Delivery Order recording you as the owner.
What £2,500 buys
A specific cask
Not a share of a fund. Your purchase order names the distillery, cask number, cask type, fill date and warehouse, so you know exactly which cask is yours.
The price of the cask
Casks currently start from £2,500. The price depends on the distillery, the age of the spirit and the size of the cask. Your cask specialist will tell you what is available and confirm the full costs before you decide.
Storage and insurance
£95 plus VAT per cask per year for barrels, quarter casks and hogsheads with a purchase price up to £20,000. The fee for larger or higher value casks is confirmed on your purchase order. It is charged yearly in advance and is not included in the price of the cask.
No VAT or duty on the purchase
Casks are sold in bond, so no duty or VAT is payable on the purchase while the cask stays in bond. Duty and VAT become payable if the whisky is bottled and released. The storage and insurance fee carries VAT.
Whisky cask ownership is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. You will not have access to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman Service. The value of a cask can go down as well as up and your capital is at risk. A cask is not a liquid asset and selling one may take time.
How you know your cask is real
A Delivery Order in your name
The bonded warehouse records you as the owner of your cask. Ownership passes to you once your purchase is paid in full.
Stored in bond
Your cask is held in an HMRC approved bonded warehouse, recorded in your name.
Check it yourself
You can see your cask through Vapour, the warehouse's own online system, so you do not have to take our word for it. Visits, samples and regauges can be arranged with us and the bond.
Insured while it matures
Your cask is insured under our spirit in cask policy, with any claim paid to you as the owner.
The MacInnes Whisky Company Ltd, registered in England, company number 13361116. London office: One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AA.
Is owning a cask right for you?
A cask is a long term purchase. Whisky changes as it matures in oak, and what a cask is worth later depends on the distillery, the cask, how the spirit develops and what buyers are willing to pay at the time. None of that is guaranteed.
Some things to know before you buy:
- Whisky slowly evaporates through the wood, usually around 2% of the volume a year, and its strength falls over time. Below 40% it can no longer be sold as Scotch whisky.
- Storage and insurance costs continue for as long as you own the cask.
- Selling depends on finding a buyer and agreeing a price, so it can take time. We suggest planning to hold a cask for at least five years.
- Longer maturation does not guarantee better quality or a higher sale price.
Your cask specialist will go through the costs and the risks with you before you decide, and our Terms and Conditions set out everything in writing, including what happens when you come to sell.
Ask about a cask
Tell us what interests you, whether that is a particular distillery, a budget or simply a question. One of our cask specialists will be in touch.
Thank you for your enquiry
One of our cask specialists will be in touch shortly.
Not ready to talk yet?
Download our Cask Ownership Guide. It explains how buying, storing and selling a cask works.
