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Spring Auction Line-Up So Far...
11 April 12:00 - 21 April 20:00 BST
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Here's a sneak preview of the cask line-up for our upcoming Spring Auction...
1998 Ben Nevis Hogshead
The 1998 Ben Nevis is a brilliant investment opportunity, as the 1990s were a successful period for the distillery. In the late 1990s, Ben Nevis became very popular among collectors and enthusiasts, meaning that most of this whisky has been either bottled or drunk altogether. At the same time, this means that there are only very few casks left in the market, making this a rare and fantastic chance to own something truly special.
1997 Glen Grant Barrel
Campari is clearly putting the investment in and has plans to restore former glory and get the brand back to the upper echelons, so the whisky could well be undervalued. Either way, there’ll always be independent bottlers who would be interested in this malt, so there is a secure exit strategy.
The style of whisky is medium-bodied and very classic Speyside with lots of bold, rich, fruit flavours. This is an opportunity to own a very famous distillery that makes very good whisky.
2010 Teaninich Hogshead
If you're looking to purchase a cask, Teaninich Distillery offers a few advantages. Firstly, the owners don’t release many of them, which increases the rarity. Secondly, the subsequent demand from the independent bottlers. Thirdly, the fact that the whisky is very high quality. A Teaninich cask would be a very savvy addition to any portfolio.
2010 Linkwood Hogshead
Linkwood Distillery can trace its history back to 1821 and they age their whisky in a variety of casks, but these rarely come onto the market.
Recently, a 37-year limited-edition was released which gained a few plaudits from the whisky writers. Be aware that this is a leading Premiership Malt, despite not having the fame of some of its Speyside cousins. A worthwhile investment.
2008 Royal Brackla Barrel
Located in the Highland region just to the West of Speyside is the Royal Brackla Distillery. It is only one of two distilleries today that are allowed to use the ‘Royal’ name (Royal Lochnagar being the other), due to receiving a Royal Warrant from the then-King William IV way back in 1835 - it was known as ‘The King's Own Whisky’.
From a cask purchasing perspective, it's hard to see how you could go wrong here; the owners clearly have big plans, popularity is growing, the brand image is becoming more premium and the price is still far below the illustrious malts down the road. Most importantly, the whisky is very good - The Royal name isn’t going to hurt either!
2009 Glenrothes Hogshead
The style of the whisky is medium-bodied and quite complex. In classic Speyside style, it is quite rich and fruity, with spicy and nutty notes. The exit strategy with this cask at 12 years is very flexible, and will certainly be in demand from other investors and our independent bottler customers when you decide to sell.
2009 Tormore Barrel
In its short history it has already had four owners and the main purpose of the distillery is to make malt for the Ballantine's blend (number two top-selling whisky in the world after Johnnie Walker), therefore not much Single Malt is released. However, there are a number of independent bottlings on the market and this distillery certainly has a cult following with whisky enthusiasts.
In terms of an exit strategy, there are a lot of ducks in a row here. Firstly, the whisky is very high quality. It is also relatively rare, produced by a good whisky company, and very much in demand by independent bottlers and whisky enthusiasts/collectors. At present, cask prices offer excellent value for money – so there are many, many positives.
2014 Tullibardine Red Wine Cask
In recent years, Tullibardine Whisky has released a number of extraordinary whiskies, partly matured in various kinds of wine casks.
This cask can offer a set of incredible and delicate tones of dark fruits and chocolate, alongside the classic lightly oily and nutty hints. The style is generally quite sweet and floral, arguably more reminiscent of a gentle Speyside rather than a big bold and spicy highlander.
The excellent news for investors is that it is remarkably good value still. Certainly worth adding to any portfolio.
2009 Tamnavulin Hogshead
Tamnavulin Distillery opened in 1966 under the name Tamnavulin-Glenlivet.
Initially it just made fillings for blends but sadly from 1995 to 2007, the owners mothballed the distillery.
After reopening it is only in more recent years that the Single Malt bottlings have been released. The style of the whisky is quite light and biscuity due to the half-dozen very large stills and relatively short fermentation time of 48 hours.
In the last two years, they have released some well-received expressions finished in Grenache, Tempranillo, Pinot Noir & Cabernet Sauvignon casks. Tamnavulin casks are very good value for money so under the guardianship of Whyte & Mackay (who have openly stated they are shifting the priority from Blends to Malts), now is the right time to invest.
2007 Orkney Island Single Malt Hogshead & 2008 Orkney Island Single Malt Sherry Butt
The Orkneys sit just above the Scottish mainland and it is certainly a mysterious, magical place, steeped in folklore and strange traditions. The local culture certainly feels different and this has translated into the whisky-making with both of the island’s two distilleries making very unique, high-quality malts. Whilst they have very different styles, from an investment point of view there are many similarities.
Both are owned by famous powerful whisky companies, and both are very sought after by whisky enthusiasts, collectors and investors alike. They both produce malt whisky which is absolutely from the top drawer and both are steeped in fascinating history and heritage. One distillery produces a very robust powerful malt that is full of spice, heather, hints of smoke and is also fragrant and honeyed. The other smaller distillery produces soft, sweet, smooth, light, floral malts with strong hints of citrus and honey.
From an investment point of view, if the cask says Orkney then as there are only two distilleries it could be - is cast iron that you are buying into a top division malt. If the price is right then it will be a valuable addition to any portfolio.
2012 & 2014 Glenrothes Hogsheads
The distillery itself was born in 1878 in the late Victorian boom-time years. The whisky was considered excellent fillings for blends and to this day is a key part of both the famous Cutty Sark & Famous Grouse blends. Today they are producing about four million litres of spirit with 44 mashes per week. Interestingly they also have a cooperage on-site where they repair many casks for the distillery and the Edrington Group in general. This is a very complex classic Speyside malt which ages very well. It is medium-bodied with lots of rich, nutty, spicy, notes.
Independent bottlers will snap this malt up and the fact that a few years ago a 50-year expression was released (£25,000 per bottle!) shows it ages well and there is a versatile exit strategy. In conclusion, this is a very investible distillery which could easily join the blue riband club of its two famous sisters. A valuable addition to any portfolio.
2009 Whitlaw Barrel & 2017 Hogshead
This is a rare opportunity to own a cask from a top-tier distillery whose popularity has just exploded in the last 30 years.
The peat in the Orkneys is very different from the mainland and is composed of moss and heather which produces more of a light smoke interwoven with more aromatic and fragrant notes. The distillery style is a sweet, honeyed, spicy malt that can be quite fruity with a long slightly smoky finish. This whisky is truly delicious.
From an investment perspective, these casks leave you with a lot of opportunities. We would recommend holding it for at least six years until the first milestone age of 10 years but it would also be a great medium to long-term investment to wait until the cask was 12, 15, 18, 21, or even 25 years old.
Whenever you decide on your exit strategy there will certainly be a long queue willing to purchase.
2009 Glen Garioch Barrel
Glen Garioch Distillery (pronounced Glen gee-ree) opened in 1797, making it one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries. Today, it is owned by Beam Suntory who are currently completely refurbishing the distillery. The plan is to switch to direct fire stills, which they are expecting will add a little more character to the spirit. Fermentation time is relatively short at 50 hours, this gives the spirit a full-bodied, waxy characteristic with strong cereal and fruity honeyed notes.
As a malt whisky brand, it flies under most investors' radar but the growth potential and brand equity are there for all to see. Finally, this is a very good-quality single malt and very investible. We see this ideally as a medium to long-term investment (with younger casks) to allow the distillery to rise up the ranks.
2017 Staoisha 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel
Staoisha is the peated version of Bunnahabhain and is named after a lake on Islay. The distillery’s reputation has certainly grown in the last 15 years and is revered by malt whisky enthusiasts, which is evidenced by over 3000 independent bottlings. Owners Distell International are also investing heavily in the brand which only bodes well for the future. The cask in question is currently five years old and is resting in a 1st fill bourbon cask, with a very healthy ABV of 62.9%. We think it would make an excellent medium-term hold until the whisky reaches the key milestone ages of 10 or 12 years of age.
Current tasting notes – Sea salt, brine, smoke, black pepper, ripe orchard fruits with a long sweet smoky finish.
Are there samples?
We go through a verification process with each seller (re-gauge), checking the health of the cask and requesting a sample. At this moment, only a limited number of samples is available to the buyers as the lockdown put hold on operations at warehouses and distilleries all over Scotland. If you would like to try some of the available samples, do not hesitate to contact Lee - Lee@auctionyourcask.com.
Check out our YouTube channel for sample tastings and general whisky know-how from the Masters themselves!
Keep your eyes peeled for hammer time on 11th April and if you have any questions we are here to answer them for you!