Complete Whisky Casks

The jewel in the Chivas crown, Aberlour has been a lynchpin of the Speyside landscape since its founding by James Fleming in 1879. Situated in the eponymous village of Aberlour between the River Spey and Ben Rinnes, Aberlour is as decorated a distillery as they come, winning 58 titles at the IWSC and ISC for their various expressions, presenting quality and consistency matched by few if any distilleries in Scotland or around the world.

Aberlour is one of the most popular Speyside single malts for very good reason. Known and beloved for its classic, richly sherried style and incredible balance it is, for many, the first point of contact with both heavily sherried whisky and cask strength whisky in the form of the ever-popular A'bunadh expression. Single cask renditions are however increasingly rare as the distillery's profile raises to such levels that more and more of the spirit is dedicated to distillery bottlings. Those that are found on the market are highly coveted and jealously sought-after.

A rare find on the cask market, this 8-year-old refill hogshead is a relative bargain given the strength of the brand and full naming rights. Sold with OLA numbers rather than RLA, it comes at a solid discount presenting the savvy investor with added upside along with the looming landmark age statements of 10 and 12 years. Suited for the long term as Aberlour's spirit ages exceptionally well, look for this to take on a softened bourbon sweetness and gentle orchard fruit characteristic over the years which will lend itself well to either finishing or to secondary maturation in Sherry or even Madeira wood.

The Glen Spey distillery is one of the last true hidden gems of Speyside because although it has been operating since the 1870s in the heart of Scotland’s whisky country, it is only recently that it has developed a cult following of malt connoisseurs and devotees.

One of just a handful of distilleries to use spirit purifiers, which are in essence condensers which recharge a portion of the distillate beach into the pot still, Glen Spey has a reputation for producing a delicate, light-bodied spirit that ages with style and grace rather than power and richness. While only a few bottlings of Glen Spey have been released from the distillery (under the much-beloved Flora & Fauna series for instance) it is quickly gaining traction among independent bottlers and as such the reputation is on the rise.

With more than a decade already built into the age of this hogshead and a solid ABV pushing 60%, there is plenty of time to see this through to the 20-year mark and realise some impressive returns, or bottle a phenomenal whisky. Alternatively, you could just bottle it at 12-15 years (perhaps with a judicious cask finish) and have a spectacular, classy Speyside Single Malt on your hands.

The Glen Spey distillery is one of the last true hidden gems of Speyside because although it has been operating since the 1870s in the heart of Scotland’s whisky country, it is only recently that it has developed a cult following of malt connoisseurs and devotees.

One of just a handful of distilleries to use spirit purifiers, which are in essence condensers which recharge a portion of the distillate beach into the pot still, Glen Spey has a reputation for producing a delicate, light-bodied spirit that ages with style and grace rather than power and richness.

While only a few bottlings of Glen Spey have been released from the distillery (under the much-beloved Flora & Fauna series for instance) it is quickly gaining traction among independent bottlers and as such the reputation is on the rise.

With more than a decade already built into the age of this hogshead and a solid ABV pushing 60% there is plenty of time to see this through to the 20-year mark and realise some impressive returns, or bottle a phenomenal whisky. Alternatively, you could just bottle it at 12-15 years (perhaps with a judicious cask finish) and have a spectacular, classy Speyside Single Malt on your hands.

One of the hottest commodities on the cask market over the past year is assuredly The Glenrothes. Stablemate to Macallan and Highland Park and under the masterful guidance of Gordon Motion who took the reins in 2009, there are few Speysiders which have the reputation for longevity and excellence as The Glenrothes. After a rapturous reception to our recent offering of the 2011s and a follow up of 2012, we are pleased that we can offer a last butt of 2013 to our customers as well.

Glenrothes is best known as a sherry-aged Speysider and this cask shows why that reputation is so justified; taking the best elements of the wood and developing into a thoroughly impressive malt. Having spent the last decade in first fill butts and taking on some remarkable characteristics as well as impressive depth of colour, they are nothing short of blue chip casks in the early days of their trajectory.

Stored at Glenrothes distillery since distillation, this has not been regauged hence the cask being listed with OLA details but a sample drawn has indicated excellent colour extraction and a recent regauge of the 2011 casks we purchased registered RLA 262.5 which is par for the course on a 1st fill Sherry butt and we would expect this to be regauged in the coming weeks between 262 and 285 RLA or thereabouts with an ABV in the low to mid 60s, indicating excellent longevity.

The Holyrood Distillery is the first malt distillery to open in Edinburgh in nearly 100 years and its founding comes amidst a truly exciting time for the whisky industry in Scotland. With an innovative and ambitious spirit sweeping the country buttressed by steadily growing global demand for the world’s most famous distillate, Scotch whisky has been reinvigorated by new start-ups and micro distillers placing the ancestral homeland of whisky back at the forefront of this global industry.

Founded by Canadians Rob & Kelly Carpenter and Scot David Robertson, it is in many ways remarkable that Holyrood is the first malt distillery for so long to make a home in Edinburgh (Glenkinchie is well out of town in Pencaitland and North British is single grain only). The city has a long and proud history of brewing and distilling (legal and otherwise) and the city’s natural underground water supply is known through history as “the Charmed Circle” for its purity and abundance.

The focus in this casks is the barley variety; distilled from a mash bill of 100% pure Golden Promise barley - the same type used in the distillation of The Macallan and Glengoyne single malts, and filled them into 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry hogsheads (in which Golden Promise has shown excellent success at both the aforementioned distilleries) of the highest possible quality.

Filled in April of this year, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to follow the development of a new distillery with one of their earliest distillations. Imagine having a cask of 2001 Port Charlotte bought for under £17 IB per bottle when casks now go for £60,000-plus! The one difference being that Port Charlotte is just a sub-brand from the Bruichladdich distillery which had been running for many years already; here we have a new distillery entirely founded with a commitment to making the best possible whisky in the heart of Scotland’s capital.

The Holyrood Distillery is the first malt distillery to open in Edinburgh in nearly 100 years and its founding comes amidst a truly exciting time for the whisky industry in Scotland. With an innovative and ambitious spirit sweeping the country buttressed by steadily growing global demand for the world’s most famous distillate, Scotch whisky has been reinvigorated by new start-ups and micro distillers placing the ancestral homeland of whisky back at the forefront of this global industry.

Founded by Canadians Rob & Kelly Carpenter and Scot David Robertson, it is in many ways remarkable that Holyrood is the first malt distillery for so long to make a home in Edinburgh (Glenkinchie is well out of town in Pencaitland and North British is single grain only). The city has a long and proud history of brewing and distilling (legal and otherwise) and the city’s natural underground water supply is known through history as “the Charmed Circle” for its purity and abundance.

The focus in this casks is the barley variety; distilled from a mash bill of 100% pure Golden Promise barley - the same type used in the distillation of The Macallan and Glengoyne single malts, and filled them into 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry hogsheads (in which Golden Promise has shown excellent success at both the aforementioned distilleries) of the highest possible quality.

Filled in April of this year, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to follow the development of a new distillery with one of their earliest distillations. Imagine having a cask of 2001 Port Charlotte bought for under £17 IB per bottle when casks now go for £60,000-plus! The one difference being that Port Charlotte is just a sub-brand from the Bruichladdich distillery which had been running for many years already; here we have a new distillery entirely founded with a commitment to making the best possible whisky in the heart of Scotland’s capital.

Linkwood's 200th year distilling since it's foundation in 1821 sees it making the best whiskies in its history, thanks in part to a reinvigorated interest in the distillery's spirit as a single malt, though this Speyside gem wouldn't have made it to 200 years old if not for the essential role it played in the Johnny Walker blended whiskies.

An undeniably finessed whisky that responds equally well to sherry as it does to bourbon wood, giving those who invest in casks of its spirit a multitude of options further down the road when it comes to finishing and bottling.

We are pleased to have secured a number of 2021s in a year when many distillers are severely cutting their allocations of casks to the market and it is a particular coup barrels previously used to mature high-quality Bourbon whiskey in the United States. This is a cask that is destined for a very long life indeed and the gathering scarcity of young new make, in particular in high-quality new wood rather than refill barrel gives this tons of added value.

Linkwood's 200th year distilling since it's foundation in 1821 sees it making the best whiskies in its history, thanks in part to a reinvigorated interest in the distillery's spirit as a single malt, though this Speyside gem wouldn't have made it to 200 years old if not for the essential role it played in the Johnny Walker blended whiskies.

An undeniably finessed whisky that responds equally well to sherry as it does to bourbon wood, giving those who invest in casks of its spirit a multitude of options further down the road when it comes to finishing and bottling. That being said, there is a decided benefit to having aged since distillation in a single cask, in particular if that cask is 1st fill Oloroso sherry.

We are pleased to have secured a number of 2021s in a year when many distillers are severely cutting their allocations of casks to the market and it is a particular coup barrels specially selected for us; bourbon-sized barrels previously used for top-grade Oloroso sherry giving a smaller surface area than ex sherry hogsheads, butts or puncheons. Therefore the whisky will develop relatively quickly, rewarding the years more profoundly than lower-quality, lower cost refill barrels.

As single malt casks take off around the world with investors looking for something more engaging than traditional assets, the natural step for those who got in early is to look for the next big thing. For many in the cask investment world, that is Rum. With a variety of origins spanning the globe, Rum is an age worthy, highly-regarded product that is increasingly on the radar of investors looking for prestigious bottles as well as casks.

Cru is pleased therefore to have secured a partnership with the award-winning North Point Distillery on the northern coast of the Scottish Highlands (that’s right, Highland Rum!) and we are able to present a number of casks offered directly from the distillery and filled to our specifications in the finest casks available.

Matched perfectly to the Caribbean-styled spirit, we have selected a number of 1st Fill Port and Madeira casks filled with high ABVs in order to ensure a lengthy window for extended maturation. Given the sweeter nature of Rum’s sugar-based spirit, it is easy to be tempted to bottle young and indeed white rum is in essence new make rum spirit, but as they sage and take on the character of the casks we anticipate they will become truly thrilling spirits indeed.

This 1st Fill Ex-Madeira cask is practically a match made in heaven for North Point's robust spirit. Madeira casks given incredible richness, intense dried fruit and soaring complexity to which interacts perfectly with top-flight rum. Madeira aged rum is the core of the world-famous Foursquare Redoubtable Rum released last year to thunderous enthusiasm. The upside here is immense for someone looking to hold onto this Rum for the long term. Filled at 65% rather than 70% for the Port Casks, this is a carefully tailored spirit that will gently extract the intense richness of the Madeira cask without losing the intrinsic, nuanced beauty of North Point's spirit.

North Point Distillery, founded in 2020 on the Northern Coast of Scotland, is already a multi-award winning distillery. Garnering awards from the likes of the Scottish Food and Drink Awards, the Gin Guide, and most recently IWSC for their Rums and Gin.

North Point Distillery's flagship product, Pilot Rum, is a young Caribbean Styled Rum aged in Highland Whisky Casks for between 6 and 8 months. The young distillery is also working on a number of different cask finishes and ageings, including Port, Madeira, Bourbon, Islay malt, Bordeaux, Champagne, and Sherry.

As single malt casks take off around the world with investors looking for something more engaging than traditional assets, the natural step for those who got in early is to look for the next big thing. For many in the cask investment world, that is Rum. With a variety of origins spanning the globe, Rum is an age worthy, highly-regarded product that is increasingly on the radar of investors looking for prestigious bottles as well as casks.

Cru is pleased therefore to have secured a partnership with the award-winning North Point Distillery on the northern coast of the Scottish Highlands (that’s right, Highland Rum!) and we are able to present a number of casks offered directly from the distillery and filled to our specifications in the finest casks available.

Matched perfectly to the Caribbean-styled spirit, we have selected a number of 1st Fill Port and Madeira casks filled with high ABVs in order to ensure a lengthy window for extended maturation. Given the sweeter nature of Rum’s sugar-based spirit, it is easy to be tempted to bottle young and indeed white rum is in essence new make rum spirit, but as they sage and take on the character of the casks we anticipate they will become truly thrilling spirits indeed.

This 1st Fill Port Hogshead will add rich red fruit to the nose and bouquet while the subtle auburn reddish hue that one finds in port-aged whiskies will be evident here as well. When bottled we can expect this to be a glorious, complex rum with bright flavour profile and excellent concentration. Given the high fill ABV there is no hurry to bottle this at all.

North Point Distillery, founded in 2020 on the Northern Coast of Scotland, is already a multi-award winning distillery. Garnering awards from the likes of the Scottish Food and Drink Awards, the Gin Guide, and most recently IWSC for their Rums and Gin.

North Point Distillery's flagship product, Pilot Rum, is a young Caribbean Styled Rum aged in Highland Whisky Casks for between 6 and 8 months. The young distillery is also working on a number of different cask finishes and ageings, including Port, Madeira, Bourbon, Islay malt, Bordeaux, Champagne, and Sherry.

As single malt casks take off around the world with investors looking for something more engaging than traditional assets, the natural step for those who got in early is to look for the next big thing. For many in the cask investment world, that is Rum. With a variety of origins spanning the globe, Rum is an age worthy, highly-regarded product that is increasingly on the radar of investors looking for prestigious bottles as well as casks.

Cru is pleased therefore to have secured a partnership with the award-winning North Point Distillery on the northern coast of the Scottish Highlands (that’s right, Highland Rum!) and we are able to present a number of casks offered directly from the distillery and filled to our specifications in the finest casks available.

Matched perfectly to the Caribbean-styled spirit, we have selected a number of 1st Fill Port and Madeira casks filled with high ABVs in order to ensure a lengthy window for extended maturation. Given the sweeter nature of Rum’s sugar-based spirit, it is easy to be tempted to bottle young and indeed white rum is in essence new make rum spirit, but as they sage and take on the character of the casks we anticipate they will become truly thrilling spirits indeed.

This 1st Fill Port Hogshead will add rich red fruit to the nose and bouquet while the subtle auburn reddish hue that one finds in port-aged whiskies will be evident here as well. When bottled we can expect this to be a glorious, complex rum with bright flavour profile and excellent concentration. Given the high fill ABV there is no hurry to bottle this at all.

North Point Distillery, founded in 2020 on the Northern Coast of Scotland, is already a multi-award winning distillery. Garnering awards from the likes of the Scottish Food and Drink Awards, the Gin Guide, and most recently IWSC for their Rums and Gin.

North Point Distillery's flagship product, Pilot Rum, is a young Caribbean Styled Rum aged in Highland Whisky Casks for between 6 and 8 months. The young distillery is also working on a number of different cask finishes and ageings, including Port, Madeira, Bourbon, Islay malt, Bordeaux, Champagne, and Sherry.

As single malt casks take off around the world with investors looking for something more engaging than traditional assets, the natural step for those who got in early is to look for the next big thing. For many in the cask investment world, that is Rum. With a variety of origins spanning the globe, Rum is an age worthy, highly-regarded product that is increasingly on the radar of investors looking for prestigious bottles as well as casks.

Cru is pleased therefore to have secured a partnership with the award-winning North Point Distillery on the northern coast of the Scottish Highlands (that’s right, Highland Rum!) and we are able to present a number of casks offered directly from the distillery and filled to our specifications in the finest casks available.

Matched perfectly to the Caribbean-styled spirit, we have selected a number of 1st Fill Port and Madeira casks filled with high ABVs in order to ensure a lengthy window for extended maturation. Given the sweeter nature of Rum’s sugar-based spirit, it is easy to be tempted to bottle young and indeed white rum is in essence new make rum spirit, but as they sage and take on the character of the casks we anticipate they will become truly thrilling spirits indeed.

This 1st Fill Port Hogshead will add rich red fruit to the nose and bouquet while the subtle auburn reddish hue that one finds in port-aged whiskies will be evident here as well. When bottled we can expect this to be a glorious, complex rum with bright flavour profile and excellent concentration. Given the high fill ABV there is no hurry to bottle this at all.

North Point Distillery, founded in 2020 on the Northern Coast of Scotland, is already a multi-award winning distillery. Garnering awards from the likes of the Scottish Food and Drink Awards, the Gin Guide, and most recently IWSC for their Rums and Gin.

North Point Distillery's flagship product, Pilot Rum, is a young Caribbean Styled Rum aged in Highland Whisky Casks for between 6 and 8 months. The young distillery is also working on a number of different cask finishes and ageings, including Port, Madeira, Bourbon, Islay malt, Bordeaux, Champagne, and Sherry.

As single malt casks take off around the world with investors looking for something more engaging than traditional assets, the natural step for those who got in early is to look for the next big thing. For many in the cask investment world, that is Rum. With a variety of origins spanning the globe, Rum is an age worthy, highly-regarded product that is increasingly on the radar of investors looking for prestigious bottles as well as casks.

Cru is pleased therefore to have secured a partnership with the award-winning North Point Distillery on the northern coast of the Scottish Highlands (that’s right, Highland Rum!) and we are able to present a number of casks offered directly from the distillery and filled to our specifications in the finest casks available.

Matched perfectly to the Caribbean-styled spirit, we have selected a number of 1st Fill Port and Madeira casks filled with high ABVs in order to ensure a lengthy window for extended maturation. Given the sweeter nature of Rum’s sugar-based spirit, it is easy to be tempted to bottle young and indeed white rum is in essence new make rum spirit, but as they sage and take on the character of the casks we anticipate they will become truly thrilling spirits indeed.

This 1st Fill Port Hogshead will add rich red fruit to the nose and bouquet while the subtle auburn reddish hue that one finds in port-aged whiskies will be evident here as well. When bottled we can expect this to be a glorious, complex rum with bright flavour profile and excellent concentration. Given the high fill ABV there is no hurry to bottle this at all.

North Point Distillery, founded in 2020 on the Northern Coast of Scotland, is already a multi-award winning distillery. Garnering awards from the likes of the Scottish Food and Drink Awards, the Gin Guide, and most recently IWSC for their Rums and Gin.

North Point Distillery's flagship product, Pilot Rum, is a young Caribbean Styled Rum aged in Highland Whisky Casks for between 6 and 8 months. The young distillery is also working on a number of different cask finishes and ageings, including Port, Madeira, Bourbon, Islay malt, Bordeaux, Champagne, and Sherry.