Cask Investment Questions
WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE, BUT PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US IF THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.
Do I have to pay the full price up front?
You can choose to pay for your rye whisky up front, or split payment over 15 months.
How many bottles of whisky will I receive after 3 years?
It’s impossible to provide a definitive answer to this question. We fill each cask with 30 litres of new make spirit. However, the maturation process results in the loss of the ‘angel’s share’ (natural evaporation) and any samples you request will reduce the volume of spirit available to bottle. A rough estimation suggests that you will receive around 40 bottles at cask strength from your 30 litres.
What can you tell me about the cask my whisky will mature in?
Our casks are aged Speyside casks, which have been shaved, toasted and re-charred.
Do I have to store my cask in the Mercia Drinks Company Limited bond for 3 years and a day?
3 years and a day is the universally accepted period of time for maturing a rye whisky. We are not bound by this from a regulatory point of view but we feel that this is a good marker for maturing good whisky.
Can I keep my whisky with you for longer than 3 years?
We’re happy to store your cask for longer than 3 years. Storage costs beyond the 3 year point will be based on market rates at the time, so we will need to confirm this with you at the point when you decide you’d like your whisky to mature for longer.
Can I visit the distillery and check on my whisky?
Can I sample my whisky as it matures?
Absolutely – and we’d encourage an element of sampling so that you can be sure you bottle your whisky when it’s right for you. The more you sample, the less there will be to bottle at the end of the process. We will provide a 100ml sample every year. You may choose to take larger samples to taste more extensively for a special occasion.
Can I keep the cask my whisky has matured in?
While you have exclusive access to the cask (along with the distillery team) during the period when your whisky is maturing, ownership of the cask itself remains with Mercia Drinks Company. If you are interested in purchasing the cask itself as a keepsake, we can provide you with a price on request, before bottling has taken place.
What will the bottling costs be?
The bottling costs will be the market rate at the date of bottling. We will send you a quote in advance as your 3-year storage period comes to an end, so you know what to expect. Based on £3.00 a unit (inclusive of VAT), and 40 bottles at ‘cask’ strength, the bottling costs would be £120.00. This includes: all dry goods (including bottles, labels, closures), liquid management, filling the bottles, labelling, and boxing.
When does the Duty and VAT become payable?
Duty and VAT becomes payable on your whisky once it is removed from our bonded space. It can remain in bond with us, in the distillery for a maximum of 30 days after bottling or to the agreed additional maturation period.
Do I own the cask?
You will be investing in the liquid asset within the quarter cask, for which the title will be passed to you, the investor, upon distillation of your cask.
Am I liable for VAT or Duty?
This liquid will be held in duty suspension, so you are not liable for VAT or duty on the sale of an asset.
Where is the cask held for three years?
The asset is secured within our bonded space for the duration of this agreement.
Who can but it after three years?
Mercia Whisky Co retains priority buy back of the liquid at the end of the maturation term.
What is paid at the end of three years?
Investment plus return will be paid only once the liquid has matured, which is at the discretion of the distillery team.
Payment back to you the investor will be paid in one lump sum.
Will my investment be insured over those three years?
Your liquid asset will be fully insured within our bonded facility to the value on your initial investment.
You will not be able to buy this liquid out of bond for private sale.
Upon maturation, a single bottle per cask of the market ready whisky will be gifted to you with your investment return.
You will become a member of our investor rewards news with special edition release access and unique offers.
Distillations are due to start summer 2021.
Investments only available to those of 18 years and older.