A lot of people ask me if cask purchase programs are worth the investment. Well, like anything in life, there are pros and cons.
The negatives:
- Cask purchase programs are expensive. Upfront costs start at around $2,000 (and can go way up from there). This price includes the cask, the spirit, insurance, and warehousing (usually for 8-10 years). What it doesn't include are the backend costs: bottling, labeling, taxes, duties, and delivery charges. Don't forget, the U.S. has a three-tiered importation system, so there is a distributor, wholesaler, and retailer that all need to make a little profit off your purchase. These backend costs can run 3-4 times those of the upfront costs.
- While most distilleries will help arrange importation of your bottles (and some like The Macallan will actually handle all the arrangements), some distilleries leave the work to you.
- Buy now, get your purchase in a decade. Doesn't sound so appealing, does it? You could spend that money on a lot of nice bottles that you could drink now.
- You're stuck with hundreds of bottles of the same spirit. Unless you have a large gift list or are a creature of habit, this may not be for you.
- The distilleries with cask purchase programs are excellent producers, so the chances of getting an unpleasant bottling are slim. But, that doesn't mean that the whisky will be to your liking.
The positives:
- Having a one-of-a-kind whisky is cool. No one else will have a bottle of the same spirit.
- You'll gain a lot of friends.
- You'll be able to experience your whisky as it evolves. Most distilleries provide annual samples for a miminal fee, if not for free.
- Even with the high backend costs, your per bottle cost will likely be less than a similar bottle at your local retailer.
- You get to have some influence on the final product by selecting your cask type and choosing your aging period. But, in my opinion, it's best to leave these choices to the distiller. After all, there's a reason the cost includes a certain amount of aging (in other words, the distiller has determined what works best).
So, it's up to you. Personally, I wouldn't want to spend that amount of money for a single bottling. You can buy a lot of good stuff for $10,000. But, it is a one-of-a-kind product. No one else in the world will have the same whisky.
Below are some distilleries that offer cask purchases of Scotch:
- Bladnoch
(Note: Bladnoch also offers a 1/10 share of new-make spirit aged for 8 years in a fresh bourbon barrel. This runs under $250 in upfront costs for a manageable 25-30 bottles.) - Bruichladdich
- Glengoyne
- Isle of Arran
- Macallan
- Tullibardine
If you do decide to purchase a cask, feel free to send me a bottle. I'm sure it will taste like a wise investment.
