WHISKY CASK AUCTIONS: A GUIDE
Are you thinking of buying a cask of whisky at auction?
Make sure you know all of the facts before you bid.
Whisky Cask Auctions: everything you need to know before you buy
October 2018 saw a landmark day in the world of whisky bottles when a single bottle broke the million-pound mark at auction for the first time. June 2019 saw a different kind of landmark, as the first ever regular online auction for whisky casks was launched.
Is this a joyous landmark occasion for whisky lovers, as cask sales become more open to the public? When taken at face value it represents a great opportunity for buyers, but delve a little deeper and you can understand why the format has never worked in the past.
Our comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know before you buy a cask of whisky:
- Visiting your cask
- Our proven investment strategy
- Choosing a cask size & type
- Why whisky casks shouldn’t be compared to the Knight Frank Index
- Selling your cask
- And much more
The Pros & Cons of Buying A Cask At Auction
The sale of whisky casks has been available to the public for a long time. It is arguable that it is a lengthy process, but that is largely because while whisky is a billion-pound business, sales of casks to the public make up a fraction of that market. There has not been the need or the infrastructure to sell casks quickly, and, as a business that makes money out of taking its time, the whisky industry likely hasn’t seen much need to streamline the cask buying process for the public.
The benefits of a whisky auction:
- The bidder determines the price they pay, rather than the seller
- You can look at the track record of the distillery (where available) to see the kinds of malts being produced
- Easier access to the market tends to bring reform and progress within an industry
What to beware of with online auctions:
- Samples are not available
- No way to research prices
- Volumes are currently given as botte count rather than industry standard bulk litres/RLA
- Bottling costs are not made clear
- An auction implies a time limit and gives a false sense of urgency
The benefits of a whisky auction are straightforward and covered by the auction house themselves. So, let’s consider some of the less obvious things to be cautious of when using an online auction.
Samples – Or Lack Thereof
The first thing to notice is that samples are not available. Now this is likely because collecting and distributing samples is expensive and may slow down the process, which is what they’re trying to reform. But that means that the reputation of the whisky being sold at auction is likely to be tarnished, as you cannot verify what you are purchasing. This means the seller could be trying to get rid of defective casks where the cask used hasn’t been active enough, or might even have a sulphur taint (if it’s an ex-sherry cask), otherwise why wouldn’t they be selling through more traditional means? This aspect should reduce as regular online auctions become more mainstream and standards are proven, but for now it is something to be cautious of.
Lack of market reserach
When you buy any other mainstream investment such as stocks and shares there is an endless ammount of market research you can perform using websites like Right Move, Zoopla, Morningstar and Trustnet.
It is fair to say you would not buy an investment without doing your market research. However, there are no open, publicly available databases listing the open market value of casks of whisky. The industry strictly prohibits the publication of such lists and as such you have no way to decide what is a fair price to pay for a cask.
We have looked at this in more detail here.
As a result most people look at the cost of bottles, divide this by the bottle count, and assume that is a good way to determine the price. This leads to wildly inaccurate pricings as most people are not fully aware of the cost of bottling (see below), the licenses needed, the wholesale to retail markup (wholesale prices are circa 40-50% of retail prices) and the main difference between bottles and casks (see here).
Misleading volumes
Another thing to consider is that stating the volume of the cask as a bottle count is not industry practice. We have covered why in a separate article, which you can read here, but basically bottle count doesn’t mean anything and the bulk litres or regauged litre of pure alcohol (RLA) should be listed.
The cost of bottling a cask
What listing bottle count does do is suggest to a potential buyer that bottling the cask is an attractive idea. And indeed, if you divide the hammer price by the number of bottles it likely does look attractive. However, the cost of bottling a cask can often be equal to the purchase price of the cask once duty, shipping and bottle costs have been added. Not to mention the licences you need to obtain in order to sell the bottles.
Again, we’ve covered this in a separate article, which you can read here. We have also created a free cask calculator, which you can use to get a good idea of the cost of bottling your cask so that you can make an informed decision.
Summary – A Great Opportunity But Not For The Layman
Overall, we feel that the introduction of online auctions for casks could be a good avenue for potential buyers. However, the current set up feels like another way to dupe the public into spending too much on a cask of whisky by not providing all the facts and encouraging people into a rushed purchase.
If you want to buy a cask of whisky we suggest considering all your options carefully and taking your time. Owning a cask of whisky should be an experience as well as offering the potential for an investment.
As an independent antiques consultant and whisky broker we are here to help you. If you have any questions please call the office on 01260 218718.
Send me my free cask buying guide
Simply fill in form below to get started on your whisky adventure.
Our guide will be posted the week first week of August (it is currently being prepared for print).
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Watch our Cask Buying Video Guides for a full picture of what’s involved in buying and investing in casks of whisky
Whisky Cask Auctions: everything you need to know before you buy
October 2018 saw a landmark day in the world of whisky bottles when a single bottle broke the million-pound mark at auction for the first time. June 2019 saw a different kind of landmark, as the first ever regular online auction for whisky casks was launched.
Is this a joyous landmark occasion for whisky lovers, as cask sales become more open to the public? When taken at face value it represents a great opportunity for buyers, but delve a little deeper and you can understand why the format has never worked in the past.
The Pros & Cons of Buying A Cask At Auction
The sale of whisky casks has been available to the public for a long time. It is arguable that it is a lengthy process, but that is largely because while whisky is a billion-pound business, sales of casks to the public make up a fraction of that market. There has not been the need or the infrastructure to sell casks quickly, and, as a business that makes money out of taking its time, the whisky industry likely hasn’t seen much need to streamline the cask buying process for the public.
The benefits of a whisky auction:
- The bidder determines the price they pay, rather than the seller
- You can look at the track record of the distillery (where available) to see the kinds of malts being produced
- Easier access to the market tends to bring reform and progress within an industry
What to beware of with online auctions:
- Samples are not available
- No way to research prices
- Volumes are currently given as botte count rather than industry standard bulk litres/RLA
- Bottling costs are not made clear
- An auction implies a time limit and gives a false sense of urgency
The benefits of a whisky auction are straightforward and covered by the auction house themselves. So, let’s consider some of the less obvious things to be cautious of when using an online auction.
Samples – Or Lack Thereof
The first thing to notice is that samples are not available. Now this is likely because collecting and distributing samples is expensive and may slow down the process, which is what they’re trying to reform. But that means that the reputation of the whisky being sold at auction is likely to be tarnished, as you cannot verify what you are purchasing. This means the seller could be trying to get rid of defective casks where the cask used hasn’t been active enough, or might even have a sulphur taint (if it’s an ex-sherry cask), otherwise why wouldn’t they be selling through more traditional means? This aspect should reduce as regular online auctions become more mainstream and standards are proven, but for now it is something to be cautious of.
Lack of market reserach
When you buy any other mainstream investment such as stocks and shares there is an endless ammount of market research you can perform using websites like Right Move, Zoopla, Morningstar and Trustnet.
It is fair to say you would not buy an investment without doing your market research. However, there are no open, publicly available databases listing the open market value of casks of whisky. The industry strictly prohibits the publication of such lists and as such you have no way to decide what is a fair price to pay for a cask.
We have looked at this in more detail here.
As a result most people look at the cost of bottles, divide this by the bottle count, and assume that is a good way to determine the price. This leads to wildly inaccurate pricings as most people are not fully aware of the cost of bottling (see below), the licenses needed, the wholesale to retail markup (wholesale prices are circa 40-50% of retail prices) and the main difference between bottles and casks (see here).
Misleading volumes
Another thing to consider is that stating the volume of the cask as a bottle count is not industry practice. We have covered why in a separate article, which you can read here, but basically bottle count doesn’t mean anything and the bulk litres or regauged litre of pure alcohol (RLA) should be listed.
The cost of bottling a cask
What listing bottle count does do is suggest to a potential buyer that bottling the cask is an attractive idea. And indeed, if you divide the hammer price by the number of bottles it likely does look attractive. However, the cost of bottling a cask can often be equal to the purchase price of the cask once duty, shipping and bottle costs have been added. Not to mention the licences you need to obtain in order to sell the bottles.
Again, we’ve covered this in a separate article, which you can read here. We have also created a free cask calculator, which you can use to get a good idea of the cost of bottling your cask so that you can make an informed decision.
Summary – A Great Opportunity But Not For The Layman
Overall, we feel that the introduction of online auctions for casks could be a good avenue for potential buyers. However, the current set up feels like another way to dupe the public into spending too much on a cask of whisky by not providing all the facts and encouraging people into a rushed purchase.
If you want to buy a cask of whisky we suggest considering all your options carefully and taking your time. Owning a cask of whisky should be an experience as well as offering the potential for an investment.
As an independent antiques consultant and whisky broker we are here to help you. If you have any questions please call the office on 01260 218718.
Send me my free cask buying guide
Simply fill in form below to get started on your whisky adventure.
Our guide will be posted the week first week of August (it is currently being prepared for print).
