Investing in whisky or buying a cask? What to look out for…

Are you thinking of investing in whisky? Or buying your own cask? Owning your very own cask of whisky, maybe selling it for profit one day, or just enjoying every drop for yourself sounds like the ultimate indulgence, and it definitely appeals.  When you love whisky this much, owning your cask – or investing in one – is the icing on the cake, yes?  But icing can go off if you’re not careful, and investing in whisky has a lot more traps and pitfalls than the sales brochures make clear at the start…

There’s no denying that there’s a degree of romance involved.  It’s like owning your own little piece of Scotland, not to mention that it affords great bragging rights with your friends down the pub.  And, if you buy a cask when it first gets filled, you also get the enjoyment of watching it mature, and then tasting it at various intervals along its maturation journey – almost like watching your kids grow up!

It all sounds great on the surface, and plenty of people pay for and acquire a cask with the expectation that nothing could possibly go wrong.  After all, what’s the worst that could happen?  In ten years’ time, you’ve got 200-350 bottles of your own whisky to drink, sell, or give away!  But, for many people it seems, this end outcome causes more problems than joys.   “Why? How?” I hear you ask, indignantly.  Let’s explore…

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