A cask of whisky will contain anywhere from twenty to several hundred litres of grain alcohol (sometimes up to 600!). That’s a lot of afternoon whisky drinks.
Selling entire casks of whisky is a great way for distilleries to earn some capital, especially when they’re just getting started. If you choose to go in for a whole cask, you’re going to be looking at several hundred bottles of whisky, all for you! Once you’ve purchased your cask, you’re free to keep all the whisky for yourself, share it with friends and family, or even resell it.
Not every distillery has a cask program in place, and the ones that do may not always have casks available for purchase. But if you’ve got the money and the time to do a little research, it’s not hard to find the perfect cask for you.
Here we’ve compiled 9 distilleries where you can forgo those puny bottles and instead buy yourself a complete cask. Base prices listed are for the smallest available cask purchase only and do not include extra bottling fees, shipping, or any other secondary charges. Some distilleries may not ship internationally.
1. Archie Rose Distillery
Location: Rosebery, Sydney Australia
Cask size: 20L, 50L or 100L
Base price: AUD$4,000
Sydney’s newest distillery, Archie Rose, has a robust cask program in place. Here you can build your unique brew from the ground up. Choose between single malt or rye whisky and send them all the details. The cask will sit in the distillery on display until maturation, with your name etched into it.
2. 5 Nines Distilling
Location: Uraidla, South Australia
Cask size: 20L
Base price: AUD$3,200
Choose from sherry, bourbon, port or red wine and select your preferred cask wood. Personal casks from 5 Nines Distilling are typically aged for 2 years with the option to refill the cask or take it home with you. Other speciality casks are available upon inquiry.
3. Manly Spirits Co.
Location: Brookvale, Sydney Australia
Cask size: 20L or 50L
Base price: AUD$4,000
Purchase your own personal North Fort single malt whisky. Brews are aged in French or American oak casks and you are personally invited to witness the filling of your barrel. Ageing is typically 2 or 3 years depending on cask size.
4. The New Zealand Whisky Collection
Location: Oamaru, New Zealand
Cask size: 20L
Base price: AUD$3,595
Select from bourbon aged in American oak or red wine in French oak. Every year you will receive a special tasting kit to help you track the progress of your whisky, and the distillery will always be open to you should you like to taste your whisky more frequently. Bottling and freight costs are included in the base price for this one.
5. Old Kempton Distillery
Location: Kempton, Tasmania
Cask size: 20L
Base Price: AUD$2,500
Single malt spirits aged in an oak barrel and made from only Tasmanian barley. Pick from sherry, port, bourbon or pinot noir barrels. Whisky is aged for two years.
6. The Keg Factory
Location: Tanunda, Barossa South Australia
Cask size: 4.5L, 9L, 14L and 20L
Base price: AUD$400
For those out there who just want the barrel for decoration. The Keg Factory produces high quality and handcrafted port and spirit keg barrels made of traditional oak and available in various shapes.
7. Lagg Distillery
Location: Kilmory, Arran Scotland
Cask size: 20L
Base price: AUD$10,000
A truly premium experience. If you can get away to Scotland for a vacation, then consider the newly opened Lagg Distillery. The purchase of a cask includes a hotel stay and several rounds of premium Scottish golf.
8. Penderyn
Location: Cynon Valley, Wales
Cask size: 200L
Base price: AUD$12,530
With a Penderyn cask, you’re in it for the long haul, as ageing usually lasts around seven years. Penderyn is currently the only distillery in Wales producing single malt whisky. This distillery’s unique production process imbues its whiskies with one-of-a-kind flavours.
9. Glasgow Distillery
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Cask size: 200L
Base price: AUD$5,800 + Bottling & Tax
This distillery has been in operation for over a hundred years, and purchasing individual bottles can be nearly impossible as demand frequently outstrips supply. Purchase competition is so fierce that Glasgow Distillery implements a lottery system to determine who can buy their bottled whiskies. Purchasing a barrel allows you to bypass that process and ensures your whisky from this historic distillery.