Bought a barrel

by **Droog** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 5:12 pm

I just ordered a fresh bourbon barrel of Bruichladdich.

What do you guys think about that?

by **Lawrence** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 12:21 am

The good news is you can always sell shares in the cask to your friends abd at the end of the day you have a unique bottling. Let us know how it turns out in 10 years.

by **Droog** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 12:29 am

I've already sold shares, we're five guys owning the barrel now. £775 for the whole barrel will give us around 55l in ten years (we'll probably sell 2/3 back to the destillery to avoid Tax, Vat and bottling fee), if the barrel turns out well it's a really good investment.

Just 10 more years :wink:

by **Mike Ralston** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 4:05 pm

I think that buying your own barrel is one of the most pleasurable things one can do! Genuinely life enhancing!

Five years ago I bought my own small cask (54 litres) from Springbank, and the sheer feeling of enjoyment that I get from thinking of that little barrel quietly maturing in No.3 warehouse is well worth the price I paid for it (c.£350) even before I start drinking the contents.

Mind you, the wife put her foot down and made me stop sending it birthday cards every anniversary of the distillation date... Women are so insensitive to the finer things in life!

by **Droog** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 4:30 pm

Mike, what a great idea, I have to send it birthday cards or maybe anniversary gifts?

by **Mike Ralston** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 5:06 pm

Well, I used to send postcards when on holiday every year, but eventually my dear wife grew tired of this so-called 'insanity' and asked me to stop. I was allowed one little card on the grand occasion of the cask's 3rd birthday (when it became MALT WHISKY rather than spirit) but since then I've had to suffer in silence...

Send cards by all means Droog, but not gifts. What would a whisky barrel do with gifts?

by **Admiral** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 11:55 pm

The same thing it would do with a card, I suppose! :wink:

by **Deactivated Member** » Mon Apr 25, 2005 5:41 am

Admiral wrote:The same thing it would do with a card, I suppose!

Tape it to the wall of the warehouse?

What kind of gifts are we talking about, anyway? Lingerie, maybe? "I'd like to see your butt in this...."

by **Admiral** » Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:25 am

Maybe the gifts are an apology for verbal abuse?

After all, who are you calling a hog's head?

by **Deactivated Member** » Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:47 am

Or physical abuse, if you've been puncheon your whisky. You may have to jump through hoops if you want to stave off disaffection. To be cask off is a bung deal. A gift of intimate abbarrel might be just the thing. (Try to top me, will you?)

by **richard** » Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:13 pm

my reply might be a bit wooden but i can stave off your reply
this might be my first attempt to make a cask of myself
i also like hoola hoops as well as making ends meet
id like to refill your butt but i could be a fake
for me to carry on you will have to give me a bung

richard

by Ed » Tue Apr 26, 2005 9:33 am

What kind of gifts are we talking about, anyway? Lingerie, maybe? "I'd like to see your butt in this...."

Mr TattieHeid! You are slipping. That wasn't a groaner, that was funny!
Ed

by Ed » Tue Apr 26, 2005 2:35 pm

Hello All,
I took a tour of the Yoichi disttilery here in Japan a while back. When we were in the warehouse looking at the barrels age I asked the young lady that was giving us the tour how much it would cost to buy a barrel. I think she said that they don't sell them, but that they would cost in the neighborhood of US $20.000. I kind of put the idea out of my mind then. However, the price you mention sounds a little more doable.
Ed

by **Lawrence** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 3:14 pm

It's all good until you add in the UK taxes and then it's not such a fun time. However if it's exported then it's VAT etc free, until it land on your shores. Hopefully you have a better tax regime than the UK.

by **Deactivated Member** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 7:38 pm

Ed wrote:
What kind of gifts are we talking about, anyway? Lingerie, maybe? "I'd like to see your butt in this...."

Mr TattieHeid! You are slipping. That wasn't a groaner, that was funny!
Ed

Why, thanks, Ed. Except it occurred to me that the accompanying card should read "I'd like to see my butt in this"--but that was just too weird to contemplate!

by **Deactivated Member** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 1:27 pm

Lawrence wrote:It's all good until you add in the UK taxes and then it's not such a fun time. However if it's exported then it's VAT etc free, until it land on your shores. Hopefully you have a better tax regime than the UK.

I recall seeing this offer and there are lots of charges, including, I suspect:

cost of the whisky
storage
duty
VAT
bottling charge
delivery

The cost of the whisky is very little. After all, it is basically just a bit of barley, yeast and water and the labour of giving it all a bit of a stir and a bubble. The later costs vastly exceed the cost of the whisky.

Whether it is a good deal depends on how well the whisky turns out. If it is a good barrel and a good distillation, then you have a very good deal. If the barrel is dull and the distillation poor, you will have a very large number of bottles of mediocre whisky to get rid of. Since Bruichladdich Distillery is selling off a lot of these casks right now, I would imagine the market is likely to be full of private investors trying to flog off their surplus bottles in 10 years time.

I do worry about the current Bruichladdich strategy of selling casks, producing endless numbers of limited edition bottlings and novelty bottlings. I have never been that impressed by the quality of the distillery's product anyway, but this looks like a sure fire recipe to get a reputation for variable and unreliable quality.

by **Crispy Critter** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 2:54 pm

Nick Brown wrote:I do worry about the current Bruichladdich strategy of selling casks, producing endless numbers of limited edition bottlings and novelty bottlings. I have never been that impressed by the quality of the distillery's product anyway, but this looks like a sure fire recipe to get a reputation for variable and unreliable quality.

Part of the problem is that they still have to make do with widely variable old stock from previous owners. They have to do a fair bit of mixing and matching to get things onto the shelf. IMHO, I think limited releases are a good idea in this situation. Once "new owner" whisky starts getting old enough, things might settle down.

Ardbeg also shares this problem to some degree, although Glenmorangie-era Ardbeg is approaching ten years old now. I'm looking forward to a comparison of their current 10yo with new-era 10yo.

While I've only had the 'Laddie 15 so far, I quite liked it. Sweet, slightly floral, some maritime notes, and a light touch of peat. Islay doesn't have to mean peat monster (though I do like peat monsters). I have an '05 release 3D waiting to be opened as well.

by **Deactivated Member** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 5:50 pm

C_I - that is an interesting posting. I hadn't the heart to be quite so blunt.

by **Deactivated Member** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 10:47 pm

Let's jump to my side of the pond. I've known several retailers and individuals (or groups of individuals) who've purchased ready-to-bottle barrels of bourbon to obtain a unique, personalized single-barrel product. In fact, I will be among a group of a dozen or so aficianados to do so this fall.
In our case, the distillery will select 5 barrels from the taste profile (brand), age and originating distillery (in our case, a long-defunct one) from which we will sample and choose a favorite for bottling. The distillery will dilute it to the brand's proof, bottle it, send it through a distributor to the retailer of our choice, with some sort of medallion/label signifying our group's selection. We'll each wind up with 15-20 bottles of personally selected whiskey for around $18US per bottle.
So, sounds like you'd all be better off with bourbon :lol:

.

by **S_tan_De_mon** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 12:39 am

Hello Fellow Dramsters:

I am a member of a group which purchased five casks of Springbank (2 fresh bourbon, 1 fresh sherry, 1 fresh port, and 1 fresh rum) just before they terminated their private cask purchase program. Several members of the group visited and sampled our casks in Campbeltown last week before joining in the festivities at Feis Ile. At four years of age each, they have matured very nicely and all are reported to taste surprisingly good already at so tender an age. It appears that all five of our casks are good ones, so the malt gods may have been looking down favorably upon us when our casks were filled. Barring any unforseen developments, we may indeed be batting 5 for 5.... I'm anxiously awaiting my samples in a week or so to confirm the positive news. Needless to say, I much prefer 5 for 5 over 1 of 10! :-)

Slainte!

S'tan

by **Lawrence** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:49 pm

I don't think you'll have to worry about having bought a bad cask of Bruichladdich with Jim McEwan in charge of distilling and maturation. He is fully aware of what's needed and will not be fuilling whisky in bum casks, IMHO.

I am part of a group that bought Port Charlotte and I have no fears.

by **ikendal** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:12 pm

I've also bought a 'laddie so we all in it together.

by **Sándor** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 2:04 pm

Mike Ralston wrote:I think that buying your own barrel is one of the most pleasurable things one can do! Genuinely life enhancing!

Five years ago I bought my own small cask (54 litres) from Springbank, and the sheer feeling of enjoyment that I get from thinking of that little barrel quietly maturing in No.3 warehouse is well worth the price I paid for it (c.£350) even before I start drinking the contents.

Mind you, the wife put her foot down and made me stop sending it birthday cards every anniversary of the distillation date... Women are so insensitive to the finer things in life!

Hahaha!!! Very funny

!
Nice you could once buy such a small cask; I would prefer a smaller cask over a bigger for sure.

In general, I certainly agree that a cask with your name on it is something very special. My whisky friends and I are still considering to do this; maybe the Kilchoman offer would be a good choice?

Kind regards

,

Sándor

by **Mike Ralston** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 2:58 pm

Sandor,

Yes, one of the advantages of a small cask is that the contents mature much more rapidly - more contact with the wood, I suppose.
For me, the major influence on buying a small cask was the reduced time I would have to wait until I could drink it! I just do not have the patience to buy a cask and leave it maturing for 20 - 25 years.
With a bit of luck, my 55 litre cask should be ready for bottling in about 4 years, - my game plan is to then go on bended knee to Mr McHardy and ask him to refill the cask with (gulp) Kilkerran... fingers crossed...

I think the only disadvantage to a small cask is that that there is more evaporation. (i.e. the angels like it so much they take an even greater share!)

Mike

by **cowboyweaver** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:02 am

In Germany you would be considered a Weisenheimer. In England you would be considered Brilliant. Dont think that buying bottles of whisky you are getting barrel quality goods. Taste that wood ole boy! Taste that malt my man! No water in yur exilir, VAVOOM!
You have choosen a world class, renowned distiller and distillery and an independant. This is all to your credit you will probably end up with a whisky(if handled properly) that no retail buyer will ever be able to compete with or buy commercially. Careful with that axe Eugene. Take care of your product and you will be very happy! Dont let any cool fool tell you different.

by **Leonidych** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 7:53 pm

(1) Speaking in investment terms, this might be a very good idea if you are whisky expert and have chosen your barrel as well as tasted - and okayed - the fresh spirit at the distillery, i.e. you were in the control of the terms of your investment. However, some stocks may give better yield as some market analysts state...

(2) Speaking in whisky-lover terms, I would not share your enthusiasm. Say, in 10 years your barrel will turn out great, may even getting a score of 9.5. Will you be happy in having a dram of your great whisky every evening of the rest of your life? Doubt it. What's more, I suspect, in half-year you will find its taste averting. Too good is bad if it is the same all the way. Life is wonderful in its diversity.

by **Deactivated Member** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:18 pm

Definitely a wise investment and hopefully a good few bottles to drink too!

by **Janieclare** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:27 pm

Anyone want a butt of 10 year old Springbank?

by **Aidan** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:01 pm

Can't afford a whole butt, but I'd take a few bottles off your hands.

by **irishwhiskeychaser** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:18 pm

So would I....

by **Dubois** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 2:42 pm

Don't know,but I hope we'll still all be here in a few years so you'll share your experience with us.
Keep us updated :!:

by **Deactivated Member** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 4:02 pm

Oh, how low we've sunk...is it allowed to peddle your butt on this forum?

by **Jan** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:53 pm

Has'nt it always been...? :wink:

by **Matt2** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 10:57 pm

MrTattieHeid wrote:is it allowed to peddle your butt on this forum?

If it's filled with whisky and in good condition, I don't see why not. Can't wait for the bottling to start

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