You have flexibility when you finally come to sell your barrel but what are some of your options, and which would we suggest avoiding?
Many people will only sell a barrel of whiskey once in their lifetime so it can feel daunting. If you have a barrel of whiskey you’re looking to sell we would be happy to help, or if you’re just planning for the future here are the things you need to know.
Download The Whiskey Wash X Mark Littler LTD Barrel Guide
At The Whiskey Wash, we’ve partnered with Mark Littler Ltd, whiskey barrel specialists since 2016, to bring you the definitive guide to scotch whisky barrel ownership.
Ready to make an informed decision about buying a whisky barrel? Complete the form below to download our expert guide, developed from years of industry experience and aligned with Scotch Whisky Association recommendations.
- Start with a regauge — a regauge will tell you exactly what’s in your barrel so you can get an accurate valuation and offers. You can request this from your warehouse. You don’t need a sample for a valuation, but you may need one as part of a sale so it can be time and cost effective to order a sample at the same time as your regauge.
- Get valuations — contact a range of sources to get an idea of how much you can get for your barrel.
- Decide where to sell — We’ll run through some selling options below.
- Transfer the cask to the new owner — this final step including payment, varies depending on how you sell the cask, but should include a delivery order between you and the buyer. For example, as an agent Mark Littler Ltd coordinate the sale and payment between you and a buyer, organising the paperwork and international payments and can help with drawing bottles.
Where To Sell A Barrel?
You need various licences to sell alcohol, but you can sell a barrel direct to someone who has those licences (like a dealer or independent bottler) or via someone who can act as an agent (like a broker or auction houses).
We would suggest contacting a range of potential buyers to ensure you are being offered a good price. Then it is down to who offers the best service for you and your needs. For example, if you are a whiskey enthusiast, can the seller or agent help you take some bottles from your barrel before you sell? Bellow we briefly run through the main options for selling a barrel, but if you would like any advice the Mark Littler Ltd team are happy to answer any questions.
Selling Via A Whiskey Broker
A broker like Mark Littler Ltd will work with you to find the best buyer for your barrel. Whiskey brokers are used to dealing with businesses and members of the public and are positioned to guide you through the process from paperwork to payments.
Can You Sell Back To The Distillery?
Selling back to the distillery your whiskey was produced by is like selling sand in a desert; they have more than they need, so they’re not going to give you a premium for your product.
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Selling Whiskey Barrels Via Auction?
In our experience whiskey barrel auctions do not generate reliable prices. Most warehouses in Scotland won’t allow casks stored in their premises to be sold via auction and those that do will require buyers to have an account before they bid. This means you may have to move your barrel to sell it via auction and limits the pool of buyers for a barrel, and in turn the potential price.
Can You Sell A Cask By Bottling It?
You can sell a barrel of whiskey by bottling it, but there are costs to consider and if you are selling as an asset then it’s not usually the most profitable route.
Selling To A Dealer
Selling a barrel of whiskey via a dealer is usually fast as they will be buying the product themselves. As they should be accustomed to dealing with the public they should be able to help you with the paperwork.
Selling A Barrel Direct To An Independent Bottler
This can be another way to sell a cask, but will likely require a lot more work on your part to contact each potential bottler and negotiate a price. Most bottlers are set up as a business to business model so you may not get as much help with paperwork.
The Sales Process
Selling a barrel of whiskey always starts with finding out exactly what is inside your barrel by requesting a regauge with the warehouse where your cask is stored. This is needed for an accurate valuation and any potential buyer will want up to date regauge information for a mature cask. An example of the sales process for selling barrels with Mark Littler Ltd would be:
Download The Whiskey Wash X Mark Littler LTD Barrel Guide
At The Whiskey Wash, we’ve partnered with Mark Littler Ltd, whiskey barrel specialists since 2016, to bring you the definitive guide to scotch whisky barrel ownership.
Ready to make an informed decision about buying a whisky barrel? Complete the form below to download our expert guide, developed from years of industry experience and aligned with Scotch Whisky Association recommendations.
- Regauge — send us the details or let us know where your barrel is stored and we’ll help you arrange it.
- Valuation—We’ll give you a price we expect to get for your barrel
- Finding a buyer—we work with the international whiskey market to get the best buyer for your whiskey
- Coordinating the sale—once a buyer has been found we handle and coordinate all the paperwork and payments. If you want bottles from your cask we can help you arrange this before, or as part of, the sale.
If you have any further questions about selling a barrel of whiskey then please please email [email protected].
