Buying a cask of whisky for your personal use may be the dream for some whisky fans. There is plenty of media around buying casks as an investment, but for connoisseurs of whisky looking for a truly exceptional experience, tailored to them, where do you start? I spoke with Chivas Brothers’ Head of Luxury Development, Jacques-Henri Brive, about their new pinnacle for personalized luxury whisky experiences, The Vault.
The Vault has been created to offer whisky connoisseurs the ultimate immersive experience at the pinnacle of rarity. But what exactly is involved?
The Chivas Vault
“For me whisky is the essence of luxury,” explained Jacques-Henri Brive. Brive is Head of Luxury Development at Chivas Brothers’ and we met over a video call to discuss Chivas’s rare cask programme, The Chivas Vault. “It’s about ultimate quality and craft.”
The intention with The Vault is to take whisky more completely into the luxury sphere by adding the unique experiences that define a luxury product.
The premise is simple; Chivas’ Director of Blending Sandy Hyslop and Cask Expert, Kevin Balmforth have hand selected 14 of the best casks from across Chivas’ portfolio of 12 scotch malt distilleries. Each cask has been chosen because it is at perfect maturity and then it is up to the individual to decide, with guidance, which cask works best for them. Their selected cask can be bottled for personal use and gifting.
“The products we are offering today through The Vault are phenomenal, hand picked from millions of casks; the rarity gives me goosebumps,” Brive explained on the call.
These casks are the epitome of Chivas’ whisky, and anyone lucky enough to afford one can expect a bespoke experience. More on the price later, but scarcity alone is not enough to create a true luxury product.
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The Sensory Experience Of Scotch
To add to the experience of selecting their perfect cask, Chivas Brothers have made a multi million pound investment in an “olfactory room.” Here customers can experience 240 different samples from all Chivas’ distilleries to get a complete understanding of whisky and your individual palette.
In an “olfactory exploration of their tastes” the director of blending alongside cask experts will conduct potential purchasers through the menu of samples, which range from new distillates to mature whiskies. Whichever cask is finally selected will then be bottled for the customer’s exclusive use.
“The packaging can be personalized according to the occasion,” Brive continued, although he’s clear that the range will have some consistency in style and the brand identity will be featured.
Not Whisky Cask Investment
“One of the reasons we launched The Vault is on request from VIPs who wanted the ability to buy a cask. These are customers who desire rare and collectable, truly unique, truly bespoke experiences that their friends don’t have.”
It is really important for potential “whisky investors” to understand that these kinds of rare cask programmes are aimed at high and ultra-high net worth individuals. They’re not designed as investment programs. They are a targeted experience for the company’s richest and most influential customers, designed to reinforce and enhance brand status and VIP relationships.
The 14 casks available have been picked because they have reached peak maturity and demonstrate the pinnacle of that particular whisky. As such they explain that the maximum they can be matured for after selection is a further four years.
“By showcasing the best of our whisky The Vault is targeting individual consumption or gifting. There will be restrictions to discourage resale, but ultimately it will be up to customers to dispose of bottles as they want.”
Money Can’t Buy Experiences
One of my final questions to Brive was around price. Brive’s official statement went: “The Vault by Chivas Brothers keeps the very scarcest and most sought-after scotch whiskies from our inventory, each one wholly unique. Because of this uniqueness, and the many individual characteristics behind each cask, we invite buyers to discuss the full specifics of any cask they are interested in with our knowledgeable experts whilst the price is shared. This collaborative process allows us to be confident that our buyers are fully informed when making their investment.”
I’m not completely surprised that they wouldn’t disclose a starting price. As a whisky broker myself I understand why it’s difficult given the range of casks they are offering. Or maybe it’s simply that if you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it. But I do believe that the lack of pricing transparency for casks within the industry is part of the issues that allow cask fraud to take place, which poses a larger risk to the industry.
Earlier in the year I chatted with the team behind the sales of casks from the new Karuizawa distillery. As a point of reference, they were happy to explain that their casks start at $90,000 dollars for new make. When I followed up about the high starting price they were happy to clarify that they are not an investment programme but a luxury whisky experience and community. My biggest issue with this “luxury” side of things, is ensuring companies are making sure that purchasers (whatever their financial background) understand the difference.
So, if money is no object to you, go ahead with whatever cask or experience you like the sound of . But if you’re looking at buying a cask as an investment, please remember, as with anything in life, don’t spend (or invest) money you can’t afford to lose!