Yes, if you have an existing account with a HMRC approved cask maturation warehouse, we will happily DO your cask to your account. All storage/transportation/insurance costs will be your responsibility from the date of the DO.

ABV stands for ‘Alcohol By Volume’ which is the standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in any given volume.

One of the terms you’ll often hear in whisky distilleries is “the angels’ share”. When whisky is slowly maturing in its cask, a small amount of whisky evaporates through the wood and into the atmosphere. This can be as much as 2% per year, but it’s rarely as much as this.

OLA stands for ‘Original Litres of Alcohol’ and RLA stands for ‘Regauged Litres of Alcohol’. OLA refers to the number of litres of pure alcohol which were initially placed into the cask and RLA represents the litres of pure alcohol remaining in the cask after a regauge has been implemented, checking the health, contents and value of your cask.

Bulk litres refer to the entire litres of liquid in a cask, the combined total of pure alcohol and liquid. A cask filled with 200 bulk litres at 64% ABV would have 128 litres of pure alcohol (64% of 200).

When your cask is being stored or transported between bonded warehouses, it is held and transported under duty suspension. This means you don’t have to pay duty on your cask, which is the tax levied by HMRC on alcohol (currently £31.64 per litre of pure alcohol) until the spirit is removed from bond.

A bonded warehouse is a HMRC approved excise warehouse where the goods stored and held are free from duty and VAT.

A WOWGR licence (Warehousekeepers and Owners of Warehoused Goods Regulations) is a strictly governed certificate awarded to companies who have met HMRC’s stringent requirements to store spiritous beverages and intermediate products, duty suspended in excise warehouses. This licence is not available to the public.

How long you hold your cask is entirely up to you. We will discuss this with you in detail before your purchase so we can tailor everything to your needs, but usually we say a minimum of 5-10 years. During this time, whisky matures and increases in value. Vintage Acquisitions can help guide you on the best times to sell your cask for optimal investment returns.

No. Depending on the stock held at the time, the minimum purchase price is the price of the lowest value cask at the time the inquiry is made. This price could vary on a daily basis but has no minimum.

Scotland has been part of the United Kingdom since 1st May 1707. The Scottish people voted against independence on 18th September 2014. Given that Whisky makes up 70% of Scottish food and drink exports the consensus of opinion is that post-independence they will be keener than ever to do trade deals wherever they possibly can which would clearly include the UK. Britain also maintains a very special relationship with the US, by far the biggest importer of Scotch in the world.

The full value of your cask is insured for fire, theft and accidental damages. Any excess on the policy will be met by Vintage Acquisitions so in the unlikely event of a claim you would be entitled to the full market value of the cask at the time of the claim.

Investment returns can be highly lucrative, especially when investing in rare, high-quality casks that appreciate as they age. Over time, Vintage Acquisitions will provide cask valuations to track the growth of your investment, ensuring you stay informed about potential returns.

Whisky investment is considered relatively safe due to the tangible nature of casks and the rising demand for rare whisky. Vintage Acquisitions mitigates risks by providing insured storage in the ‘Campbeltown Bond’ and sourcing high-quality casks to ensure the security of your investment. 

The price of a whisky cask varies depending on factors like distillery, age, and rarity.  Vintage Acquisitions helps you select the best cask for your budget, whether you are looking for an affordable entry point or a premium investment. 

The best whisky cask investment depends on your investment goals and timeline. Vintage Acquisitions sources casks from established distilleries with a strong market history for long-term value, ensuring that your cask appreciates over time for the highest possible returns.*

Yes, whisky cask ownership is a highly profitable long-term investment. As whisky casks mature, they increase in value, especially those from well-known distilleries. With Vintage Acquisitions, you can track your cask’s growth and receive guidance on maximising your investment returns. The value of cask whisky can go up as well as down.*

When you decide to sell your cask, Vintage Acquisitions can help facilitate the sale or guide you through one of the 6 exit strategies. Selling at the right time can help maximise investment returns, whether through private sale or auction.

Owning a whisky cask involves minimal ongoing costs, such as annual storage and insurance fees. These costs are usually quite low compared to the potential returns from your whisky investment, ensuring your investment remains secure and growing. At Vintage Acquisitions we offer 5 years free storage and insurance, please refer to our terms and conditions below.

Starting with Vintage Acquisitions is simple. We guide you through selecting the right cask, handle all the legalities, and offer secure storage for your investment. Begin your journey into whisky cask investment by contacting us for a personalised consultation.

Yes, you can choose to bottle your whisky cask once it reaches maturity, or draw samples to share as unique gifts with friends, family, colleagues, or clients. While Vintage Acquisitions does not provide these services directly, our sister company, Vintage Bottlers, offers a full bottling and sampling service for an additional fee.

Whisky casks are classed by HMRC as a ‘wasting asset’ and are not subject to Capital Gains Tax. Wooden whisky casks are naturally porous, meaning a very small amount of whisky evaporates each year and some is absorbed by the wood, normally no more than 2% (the angel’s share). A wasting asset is an asset with a predictable life of 50 years or less and due to the evaporation, it is highly unlikely the life expectancy of your cask will exceed 50 years.

There is no IHT between husband and wife, it directly affects your children and grandchildren. On second death of husband and wife all assets are totalled up by HMRC and taxed at 40% over and above the ‘nil rate band (NRB)’ which is currently £325,000.

We will offer to purchase the cask directly.

We can add your cask to our live inventory for our global clients to view.

Auction your cask.

Sell to an independent bottler.

Bottle your whisky and share with family, friends and colleagues.

Depending on how rare your cask is, there may be an option to sell back to the distillery.

If your cask breaks you would be insured under the ‘accidental damage’ section of your insurance policy to the full value of your cask at the time of the claim.

Unfortunately, scams are rife in any industry where success is prevalent. Vintage Acquisitions have been trading for 13 years and urge all clients looking into cask whisky purchase to undertake as much due diligence as possible. In generic terms potential clients should seek independent advice and ensure that full and accurate checks are made when investigating who to deal with. The sale of cask whisky is not regulated by the FCA and therefore purchases are not covered under the FSCS*. Cask whisky purchase is however regulated by HMRC. In simple terms clients should avoid firms advertising spectacularly high returns, offering any claims of ‘guaranteed returns’, firms not on the WOWGR trading register and any firm reluctant or unwilling to provide a written delivery order (DO).

*Financial Services compensation Scheme

The purchase of cask whisky does not come with any guarantees. Offering any type of guarantee would be misleading as there are so many factors that influence markets. Historically, purchasing then holding on to whisky casks over the medium to long term has been lucrative however, past performance is no guide to the future. Vintage Acquisitions work on the very simple principle that if you purchase whisky casks and are prepared to hold on to them, the whisky you purchased will be older, better quality, in shorter supply and therefore, more desirable than when you first made the purchase.

No. Cask whisky comes under the control and regulation of HMRC. Cask whisky is classed by HMRC as a ‘wasting asset’ and is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) who govern ‘regulated’ financial investments. Vintage Acquisitions always recommend that you seek independent legal and financial advice in advance of any purchase.