![Component 94](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Landing/Component%2094.png?width=808&height=648&name=Component%2094.png)
Start a conversation with our team now
You will also receive your free whisky guide direct to your email which covers:
- What are the key risks to consider around cask whisky investment?
- How does cask whisky investing work?
- Why is whisky free from Capital Gains Tax while it's in the cask?
- How is whisky stored?
- An FAQ to answer your questions...
NOTE: The whisky investment industry is unregulated, and as with all investments, the value can go up and down. There are risks to consider and disclaimers about how we trade that you should know about before investing in cask whisky. You can find these risks and disclaimer here.
Risks to Consider Around Whisky Investment
We understand how important it is to understand all of the risks associated with investing, and at Hackstons we pride ourselves on our transparency. As such, below you will find the main risks to consider and the key considerations to understand when investing in cask whisky.
1. Whisky cask-investments are unregulated in the UK
2. Investment value can go down as well as up
3. A whisky cask is not a regulated financial product carrying a cancellation-right for a cooling-off period following its purchase. However, every contract to purchase a cask with Hackstons is accompanied by a cancellation form which gives you the right to cancel your order within 14 days of purchase for no fee. NOTE: Outside of this 14 day cancellation period you are unable to cancel your purchase
4. Cask-owners must arrange and pay for:
I. bonded-warehouse storage of casks
II. services for periodic maintenance whether provided by Hackstons or another service-provider, including testing and regauging-services to identify the degree of decrease in spirit-volume caused by evaporation over time
III. insurance cover when taken out against the risk of damage to casks or contents
5. Casks can be realised by re-sale for onward storage in bonded warehousing, or (subject to VAT and liquor duty becoming payable on the original purchase price) by removal for bottling or owner-retention/consumption;
6. The time a cask can be retained as an investment with prospects of meaningful realisation may depend on market factors and on its retention of the minimum 40% spirit-volume required for classification as “scotch whisky”
Other industry-specific risks and factors to consider that could impact the value of your investment are:
1. A slowdown of global demand for whisky.
2. The oversupply of whisky.
3. Changes to legislation involving the sale of whisky.
4. Certain countries implementing a prohibition of alcohol.
5. Outbreak of global conflict or a natural disaster catastrophic enough to shut down global supply chains.
These risks typically can be managed by working with a brokerage such as Hackstons.
The final 'risk' is to understand our disclaimer that outlines our terms of business with you. Below is our full disclaimer regarding cask whisky investment with Hackstons:
Full Disclaimer
1. You must be 18 years or older to purchase alcohol-based products from Hackstons.
2. Hackstons is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and we do not offer any specific financial advice on the use of assets as investments.
3. All information about asset purchases on our website and social media sites is for information purposes only. No information provided should be taken as financial advice on asset investment. If you wish to obtain financial advice on asset investments, you should seek the assistance of a qualified financial advisor before carrying out your purchase through Hackstons.
4. Hackstons is not responsible (to the extent permitted by law) for (i) any loss or reduction in value of the investment, (ii) any costs of managing the investment or achieving an exit or (iii) achieving for the investor an exit on acceptable terms, or at all.
5. Hackstons employees are not tax advisors and cannot advise on the tax benefits of asset investment. If you require tax advice on asset investment, you should seek the advice of a qualified tax advisor.
6. Information provided by Hackstons is of a purely general nature, and it does not always relate to trades, sales or returns carried out or achieved by Hackstons.
7. All casks are stored within HMRC-bonded warehouses and are subject to strict rules and regulations set by HMRC. Hackstons may occasionally require certain information from you to comply with HMRC requirements.
8. Hackstons do not represent or warrant the accuracy of the data which we quote from third party sources.
9. All testimonials featured on our website, landing pages and marketing materials are just a sample of our Trustpilot reviews and it is worth noting all reviews can be found on our Trustpilot page.
10. All references to tax-free or tax efficiency refers to the exemption of Capital Gains Tax on wasting assets, which includes whisky casks as they’re considered to have a predictable life not exceeding 50 years. This exemption only applies to whisky in casks, once bottled duty and VAT will need to be paid.
11. Cask whisky investments are likely to be more recession-resilient than other types of more traditional investment, due to the fact that the whisky industry is led by consumer demand which tends to hold up better for numerous reasons, including but not limited to, the fact that the primary purpose of whisky is the consumption of the liquid, not the returns generated from the liquid.
What Our Clients Say
This is just a sample of our Trustpilot and Google reviews, you can find all of our reviews on our Trustpilot and Google Business pages.
![Screenshot_5 Screenshot_5](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hubfs/Screenshot_5.png)
![comment-1](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-1.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-1.png)
![comment-1](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-1.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-1.png)
![comment-2](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-2.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-2.png)
![comment-2](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-2.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-2.png)
![comment-3](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-3.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-3.png)
![comment-3](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-3.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-3.png)
![comment-4](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-4.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-4.png)
![comment-4](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-4.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-4.png)
![comment-5](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-5.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-5.png)
![comment-5](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-5.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-5.png)
![comment-6](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-6.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-6.png)
![comment-6](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-6.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-6.png)
![comment-7](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-7.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-7.png)
![comment-7](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-7.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-7.png)
![comment-8](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-8.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-8.png)
![comment-8](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-8.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-8.png)
![comment-9](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-9.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-9.png)
![comment-9](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-9.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-9.png)
![comment-10](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-10.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-10.png)
![comment-10](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-10.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-10.png)
![comment-11](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-11.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-11.png)
![comment-11](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-11.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-11.png)
![comment-12](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-12.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-12.png)
![comment-12](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-12.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-12.png)
![comment-13](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-13.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-13.png)
![comment-13](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-13.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-13.png)
![comment-14](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-14.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-14.png)
![comment-14](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-14.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-14.png)
![comment-15](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-15.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-15.png)
![comment-15](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Review/comment-15.png?width=442&height=332&name=comment-15.png)
Why Invest in Whisky?
In our opinion, whisky casks are a good alternative investment and constitute a solid base in a balanced investment portfolio because investments in whisky have no correlation to the stock market.
- An asset class that is free from Capital Gains Tax while it's in the cask.
- Own a physical asset stored in HMRC bonded warehouse.
- Non-correlated to the stock market.
- Unprecedented growth of whisky industry.
NOTE: If you decide to bottle your cask, duty and VAT will need to be paid. See more details and other risks to consider and disclaimers about how we trade that you should know about before investing in cask whisky, here.
![HMRC-Emblem (1)](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/HMRC-Emblem%20(1).png?width=151&height=85&name=HMRC-Emblem%20(1).png)
![barrel](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/barrel.png?width=85&height=85&name=barrel.png)
the whisky investment process
The whisky investment world runs off a simple principle: supply and demand. In our experience, the greater the demand for the liquid within the cask, the more the overall value of the cask tends to increase. Whilst there are no guarantees, as a general rule, the longer you hold onto your cask, typically the greater in value it becomes as whisky matures in the cask. NOTE: Like with all investments the value of your asset can go up and down.
![Strategy](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Landing/_%C3%AB%C3%8E%C3%93%C3%88_1.png?width=77&height=74&name=_%C3%AB%C3%8E%C3%93%C3%88_1.png)
![Procurement](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Landing/_%C3%AB%C3%8E%C3%93%C3%88_1%20(1).png?width=66&height=77&name=_%C3%AB%C3%8E%C3%93%C3%88_1%20(1).png)
![Holding](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Landing/icons.png?width=71&height=62&name=icons.png)
![Exit](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Landing/Layer_1.png?width=60&height=66&name=Layer_1.png)
![Strategy](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Landing/_%C3%AB%C3%8E%C3%93%C3%88_1.png?width=77&height=74&name=_%C3%AB%C3%8E%C3%93%C3%88_1.png)
![Procurement](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Landing/_%C3%AB%C3%8E%C3%93%C3%88_1%20(1).png?width=66&height=77&name=_%C3%AB%C3%8E%C3%93%C3%88_1%20(1).png)
![Holding](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Landing/icons.png?width=71&height=62&name=icons.png)
![Exit](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Landing/Layer_1.png?width=60&height=66&name=Layer_1.png)
Why Hackstons?
- We own all of the casks that we sell.
- We offer an extensive and bespoke insurance policy to all our cask owners.
- Fully licensed as required by HMRC
- Minimum investment from just £5000
- Hundreds of satisfied clients and 5-star reviews
- Wide selection of premium casks from renowned distilleries
There are added annual costs for storage and insurance, as well as regauging your cask to check it's contents have not dropped past the required 40% ABV, all of which can be discussed with one of our Account Managers.
A Growing Market
In modern times, the demand for individual bottles of single malt has exploded, with exports rising by 30% in 2022, according to the newest figures by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).
With an export value of £6.2 billion per annum presently, Scotch whisky now accounts for 70% of all Scottish food and drink exports. This translates to 53 bottles of scotch whisky exported every second.
Frequently Asked Questions
As with all investments, values can go up or down. It is also worth noting that Scotch whisky is an unregulated industry, despite a number of strict controls on supply and demand with careful protections for investors and consumers alike.
Please note, there are risks to consider when investing in cask whisky, you can find more information around other risks relating to whisky cask investment, as well as our business terms, here.
Risks to Consider Around Whisky Investment
We understand how important it is to understand all of the risks associated with investing, and at Hackstons we pride ourselves on our transparency. As such, below you will find the main risks to consider and the key considerations to understand when investing in cask whisky.
1. Whisky cask-investments are unregulated in the UK
2. Investment value can go down as well as up
3. A whisky cask is not a regulated financial product carrying a cancellation-right for a cooling-off period following its purchase. However, every contract to purchase a cask with Hackstons is accompanied by a cancellation form which gives you the right to cancel your order within 14 days of purchase for no fee. NOTE: Outside of this 14 day cancellation period you are unable to cancel your purchase
4. Cask-owners must arrange and pay for:
I. bonded-warehouse storage of casks
II. services for periodic maintenance whether provided by Hackstons or another service-provider, including testing and regauging-services to identify the degree of decrease in spirit-volume caused by evaporation over time
III. insurance cover when taken out against the risk of damage to casks or contents
5. Casks can be realised by re-sale for onward storage in bonded warehousing, or (subject to VAT and liquor duty becoming payable on the original purchase price) by removal for bottling or owner-retention/consumption;
6. The time a cask can be retained as an investment with prospects of meaningful realisation may depend on market factors and on its retention of the minimum 40% spirit-volume required for classification as “scotch whisky”
Other industry-specific risks and factors to consider that could impact the value of your investment are:
1. A slowdown of global demand for whisky.
2. The oversupply of whisky.
3. Changes to legislation involving the sale of whisky.
4. Certain countries implementing a prohibition of alcohol.
5. Outbreak of global conflict or a natural disaster catastrophic enough to shut down global supply chains.
These risks typically can be managed by working with a brokerage such as Hackstons.
The final 'risk' is to understand our disclaimer that outlines our terms of business with you. Below is our full disclaimer regarding cask whisky investment with Hackstons:
Full Disclaimer
1. You must be 18 years or older to purchase alcohol-based products from Hackstons.
2. Hackstons is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and we do not offer any specific financial advice on the use of assets as investments.
3. All information about asset purchases on our website and social media sites is for information purposes only. No information provided should be taken as financial advice on asset investment. If you wish to obtain financial advice on asset investments, you should seek the assistance of a qualified financial advisor before carrying out your purchase through Hackstons.
4. Hackstons is not responsible (to the extent permitted by law) for (i) any loss or reduction in value of the investment, (ii) any costs of managing the investment or achieving an exit or (iii) achieving for the investor an exit on acceptable terms, or at all.
5. Hackstons employees are not tax advisors and cannot advise on the tax benefits of asset investment. If you require tax advice on asset investment, you should seek the advice of a qualified tax advisor.
6. Information provided by Hackstons is of a purely general nature, and it does not always relate to trades, sales or returns carried out or achieved by Hackstons.
7. All casks are stored within HMRC-bonded warehouses and are subject to strict rules and regulations set by HMRC. Hackstons may occasionally require certain information from you to comply with HMRC requirements.
8. Hackstons do not represent or warrant the accuracy of the data which we quote from third party sources.
9. All testimonials featured on our website, landing pages and marketing materials are just a sample of our Trustpilot reviews and it is worth noting all reviews can be found on our Trustpilot page.
10. All references to tax-free or tax efficiency refers to the exemption of Capital Gains Tax on wasting assets, which includes whisky casks as they’re considered to have a predictable life not exceeding 50 years. This exemption only applies to whisky in casks, once bottled duty and VAT will need to be paid.
11. Cask whisky investments are likely to be more recession-resilient than other types of more traditional investment, due to the fact that the whisky industry is led by consumer demand which tends to hold up better for numerous reasons, including but not limited to, the fact that the primary purpose of whisky is the consumption of the liquid, not the returns generated from the liquid.
If you hold an account with a warehouse then it doesn’t impact you since you directly hold an account with the casks.
Under the Ultimate Beneficiary Owner Model if Hackstons were to cease operating then your casks would be protected, since they do not appear on our balance sheet. Instead the end user (customer) who holds the rights to the cask, would be contacted by the UK insolvency practitioner which has been appointed on the companies behalf, and by providing proof of ownership (Invoice, Proof of payment, Cert of Ownership) the practitioner would liaise with the relevant warehouses where your stock is stored in order to ensure the end user maintains their ownership.
But what if the warehouse goes into liquidation?
We own all of the casks that we sell, and ensure all stock is situated within a HMRC approved warehouse. This ensures all liquid is genuine and registered accordingly. All whisky in casks have a unique cask ID which is generated when originally filled at the distillery where it was produced. This information is stored on a centralised system which all warehouses have in place which links directly to HMRC, and means that detailed records are kept of your cask, and they verify that it is owned by you. This means that should there be any liquidation issues for any warehouses, your cask and investment will be safe.
![Component 94](https://whisky.hackstons.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hackstones_2023/Images/Landing/Component%2094.png?width=808&height=648&name=Component%2094.png)
Start a Conversation With Our Team Now
You will also receive your free whisky guide direct to your email which covers:
- What are the key risks to consider around cask whisky investment?
- How does cask whisky investing work?
- Why is whisky free from Capital Gains Tax while it's in the cask?
- How is whisky stored?
- An FAQ to answer your questions...