Whisky is unlike many stored goods – it develops and increases in value as it ages in the cask. Purchasing casks instead of bottles is a specialist approach. But, it’s much more profitable in the long term. Unlike wine, whisky doesn’t mature in the bottle. Once Scotch Whisky is bottled, there’ll be no change in its flavour. The age statement on the bottle refers to the amount of time it has spent maturing in the cask. Its ‘age’ doesn’t change even if the bottle is kept for decades. A 10-year-old whisky will always be a 10-year-old whisky once bottled.

Generally, the longer that you leave the whisky in the cask, the higher quality it’ll be. So, older whiskies command higher prices. Purchasing casks means you’re receiving a product that will improve and develop over time. Also, tax on whisky in the bottle is much higher per LPA, (which stands for Litre of Pure Alcohol – the measure used by the whisky industry to account for the alcoholic content of a spirit), than on spirit in the cask. There’s no duty charged on the whisky as it’s maturing in a bonded warehouse either, which means it's widely considered to be very tax efficient.

On any matters relating to tax, we strongly advise you to seek independent advice that you consider to be reliable and trustworthy. You may also find this link Gov.UK helpful.