Sell A Cask of Whisky

We have sold millions of pounds of casks for our customers, consistently achieving the best price for all types of whisky cask. We help you sell your cask for the best price by going direct to our extensive network of buyers.

We pride ourselves on our open and friendly approach to selling a whisky cask. No question is too small and we are happy to offer complimentary valuations on your cask and expert advice on how to achieve the best price.

At Mark Littler we are committed to providing the foremost independent whisky brokerage service in the UK to help you get the best price for your whisky.

COMPLIMENTARY CASK VALUATION

Are you looking for a valuation on a cask you own or are looking to sell? Enter your details below and we will provide you with a free open market valuation of your cask.

What is a Cask of Whisky Worth?

Some casks of whisky can sell for over £200,000, some others may only sell for around £5,000. But what is it that makes some casks worth more than others?

How are cask values calculated?

The value of casks is calculated per litre of pure alcohol (LA). For instance an offer might be £150 per LA, if there are 85LA in a cask then the value of that cask would be £12,750 ( i.e £150 x 85).

To calculate the number of litres of pure alcohol in a cask you divide the bulk volume (the total litres of liquid in the cask) by the alcoholic strength (ABV). i.e. 200 bulk litres x 50% ABV = 100 litres of pure alcohol. This figure is the industry standard for calculating a cask value. This is also the metric which HMRC uses to calculate the duty owed if the cask is removed from bond.

What affects the value of a cask of whisky?

There are a large number of interlinking factors which impact the final valuation of a cask of whisky. It is a combination of a number of features that can make a cask expensive, or worthless.

Distillery

The distillery has arguably the greatest impact on the value of a cask of whisky. At the top of the spectrum are premium distilleries and silent distilleries such as The Macallan, Bowmore, Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Port Ellen, Clynelish, Brora, Rosebank, Springbank etc.

The next tier includes well respected distilleries with a cult following such as Bruichladdich, Caol Ila, Aberlour, Tobermory, Arran, Ben Nevis etc. Casks from other distilleries are still valuable but may not command a premium in the current market.
Age

Over 90% of whisky is bottled before it reaches 12 years old. As such the scarcity of whisky increases exponentially as casks pass this milestone. There are NO leaps in value at specific anniversaries (such as 15, 18, 21) as most people tend to think.

It is fair to say that the older the whisky the more valuable, however as the more air enters the cask the evaporation rate will increase significantly meaning there is less whisky remaining. As such an older cask might well be worth less than a similar younger cask OVERALL as there is less whisky remaining owing to the loss through evaporation.
Cask type

As this is written in 2023 sherry casks, especially butts and puncheons, still command a premium compared to other casks and are more commercial (easier to find buyers for). Fresh fill sherry are particularly sought after, however if the whisky has been maturing too long in a fresh sherry cask the cask can be over sherried. Sherry casks also carry the risk of being sulphured, and a sulphur taint will bring the price down.

Other casks types are still valuable but do not command the same premium in the current market.
Cask size
There are four common sizes of cask:
- American Standard Barrel/Bourbon Barrel 200 litres
- Standard Hogshead 250 litres
- Butt 500 litres
- Puncheon 550 litres
Clearly the larger the cask the greater potential for value as there is simply more likely to be more whisky (and thus litres of pure alcohol) remaining in a larger cask.
Regauge details: ABV & RLA

The distillery has arguably the greatest impact on the value of a cask of whisky. At the top of the spectrum are premium distilleries and silent distilleries such as The Macallan, Bowmore, Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Port Ellen, Clynelish, Brora, Rosebank, Springbank etc.

The next tier includes well respected distilleries with a cult following such as Bruichladdich, Caol Ila, Aberlour, Tobermory, Arran, Ben Nevis etc. Casks from other distilleries are still valuable but may not command a premium in the current market.

Bottles from your cask

Owning a cask is a unique chance to see how a whisky matures through its life. We have worked with the award winning designer Tom Nicklin to design an incredible label for our clients bottles.

Tom has worked with the likes of Johnnie Walker, Singleton, Bulleit, Haig, Royal Lochnagar, Dalwhinnie, Lagavulin and Talisker.

This means that when you get your memento from your cask it will look like a premium bottle of whisky that you would find in a whisky retailer. We also have personalisation labels so you can make your bottles individual for use as special gifts.

Costs:

£50 + shipping for one bottle
£70 + shipping for three bottles

Prices are inclusive of VAT and duty but do not include shipping. If you require more than three bottles then please use multipliers for six, twelve, etc.

How to Sell Your Cask for the Best Price

We achieve market beating prices by finding you the perfect end user for your cask. We work our networks in Europe, the USA, Middle East and Asia to find the person whose requirements perfectly match those of your cask. This means it can take a few weeks for us to get offers for your cask, but as you most likley have waited several decades for the cask to mature we hope you can wait a few more weeks.

The majority of our clients are based in Asia where any form of Single Malt Scotch Whisky is now positioned as one of the most sought after assets. It is the demand from Asia that has driven record prices for bottles and casks. As whisky is now seen as a status symbol the ultra wealthy see casks of whisky as the ultimate status symbol.

The Cask Selling Process

Please send the details of your cask to [email protected] alternatively please use the form below.

Once we have the relevant details from your cask we provide an initial valuation, then work with our network of international buyers to negotiate the best offers for your consideration.

If you decide to proceed with the offer we will make sure you understand the process and issue you with a contract. At this stage we can work with you to draw off a number of bottles for personal use.

We manage all transfer paperwork and guide you through the selling process stage by stage. Once the paperwork has been transferred to the new owners we release the funds to you.

Reviews

Below are a few of the testimonials we have received from happy clients. You can find these reviews and hundreds more on Google, Facebook and Yell.

Excellent

Mark Littler LTD - Independent Antiques Consultant and Whisky Broker

5.0

Based on 378 reviews

See all reviews

scott M.

I can’t recommend Mark and Katy enough. My whisky casks were sold for more than I expected. This was done with minimum fuss. Their communication was great and I shall be using them again.

Charles L.

It was a pleasure to deal with Mark and his team in the sale of my whisky cask. Excellent customer service, communication, professional, helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly.Overall, I would have no hesitation in endorsing Mark Littler Ltd in achieving the best price if you are looking to sell your cask.

Geoffrey B.

I wanted to sell a couple of whisky casks and used Mark Littler Ltd as my whisky broker. Apparently it is a slow process but Mark Littler managed to push the sale through quickly and at a good price. I have no hesitation in leaving this 5* review for the company.

Garry T.

I was very happy with the service Mark provided in selling my cask, he got the target price that was agreed at the outset.

Thomas N.

Great service from beginning to end when we wanted to sell our Ben Nevis cask.Buyer was found very quick and the transaction went smooth.We also got to keep six sample bottles which we finally got delivered, after some issues with swedish Customs (again great support from Hannah at ML).Thanks for everything!

Rena Z.

I had several casks of Scotch for many years and wanted to sell them. I'm in the US and was completely unaware as to how to do so. I cannot recommend Mark Littler LTD highly enough. Mark walked me through the steps of the process of selling from start to finish and it was flawless. Communication was excellent. My casks were sold quickly and for a very fair price.

Gary

I’ve waited a while to write a review but after 9 months of buying a cask of whiskey through mark littler ltd must say very happy how everything was explained and discussed mainly with HannahOnce we decided to go with mark littlerEverything was done extremely professional and quite quick always informed what was going onNow, very excited to let our cask mature over many years and hopefully both parties can earn a little bit of profit in the future thanks

More reviews

QUICK CASK VALUATION

Are you looking for a quick valuation on a cask you own or are looking to sell? Enter your details below and we will provide you with a free, no obligation, open market valuation of your cask.

Cask Selling FAQ

What details do I need to provide about my cask?
There are lots of different factors that can affect the value of your cask. You can read more about them here.

The essential information we need is:
- Distillery
- Year of production
- Cask type
- Age
- Regauge details
All of this information can be provided by the distillery and is a very common, straightforward process. You simply need to call the distillery and ask for a regauge (read more about what a regauge is here)

Do you need a sample from my cask?

What happens if I want to accept your offer?

We act as your agent through the process and there is a formal agency agreement/contract that we will post out to you. This outlines all of our legal obligations as your agent

Once we have received the contract we then invoice the buyer and await payment.

After the funds have cleared we help you transfer ownership of the cask to the buyer and we release the funds to you (less our 10% commission).

If you would like to read reviews from our customers you can search Google for Mark Littler and see hundreds of independent, 5 star reviews from happy clients.

We can also provide references upon request.

What does Mark Littler LTD charge for selling a cask of whisky?

Am I tied into a contract for a certain period of time?

No. Unlike other brokers we work on a successful offer only basis. This means that we secure offers from clients who are ready to move forward with the sale of the cask immediately.

Other brokers may take your cask on consignment and then advertise the cask for sale for a set period, say 6 months. They would ask for complete exclusivity even though they may not even be able to find you a buyer.

Why choose Mark Littler to Sell Your Whisky Cask?

Trusted Brokers

At Mark Littler Ltd we sell your cask to make a profit for you. We are an independent whisky broker and we are different from other cask selling services in that we help you sell your cask direct to the end user, which means we can get you the best price for your cask. Many other cask selling services buy your cask and then resell it themselves, which means it is not in their interest to get you the best price. Our fees are a flat 10% so you know exactly what to expect when you sell your cask through us.

Don’t just take our word for it. Mark Littler Ltd was established in 2016 and we have over 300 five-star reviews on Google, Facebook and Yell from our contented customers. We understand that selling a cask is significant transaction and can offer independent references on demand.

Delivering Profit to Our Customers

Our international network of buyers ensures we can match your cask with the right consumer to get you the best possible price for your whisky cask. Our extensive network of buyers means we consistently deliver offers that are higher than those put forward by distilleries or other brokers. We work on a flat 10% commission rate, no hidden costs, just us ensuring you get the most out of your cask.

Already have an offer on your cask? Our advice is completely free and as part of our drive to increase transparency in the cask industry we would be more than happy for you to get in touch for a no-obligation chat about selling your whisky cask.

Experience Your Cask

As well as ensuring that selling your whisky cask is a straightforward experience, because of our exclusive industry contacts we can offer a series of unique opportunities when you sell your cask with us.

Keep 1-6 bottles of your cask, at cost
Have just a portion of your cask bottled
Get a custom cask head as a memento of your cask

Bottle up to 6 bottles at cost (plus duty, VAT and bottling fees (aprox. £10-£20 per bottle for a bespoke label design), which can be deducted from the final profit from your cask. If you would like to bottle more than 6 bottles we can also arrange part bottling of your cask. If you would like any bottles from your cask please let us know at the start of the process so we can let any potential buyer know.