Artisan Casks has revealed its next batch of Scotch whisky casks with prices starting at £60,000 ($80,000).
Fronted by James Mackay and powered by the owners of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Artisan Casks launched last year to rival Diageo’s Casks of Distinction ownership program. Mackay set that program up during nine years of good work in Diageo’s private client team before joining The Artisanal Spirits Company in 2025.
Following a successful launch, Artisan Casks has made a second batch of casks available for sale, including big names Bowmore and The Macallan. All of the casks are mature and ready to bottle, but owners are entitled to age the cask for as long as they like without incurring extra cost.
That means the buyer of the 32-year-old Macallan cask can turn it into a 40-year-old Macallan if they’re patient enough. And Artisan Casks will even siphon two bottles per year for them to enjoy while they wait.
That sounds very generous in theory, particularly as Casks of Distinction puts a five-year limit on additional aging. In practice, it’s a token gesture. Those buying and those managing the casks will not extend aging much beyond the liquid’s peak. Artisan Casks has offered these because they are at or nearing that moment.
But speaking to The World of Fine Spirits last year, Mackay said it was one of the things he was keen to change following his time with Diageo. “Something I learned from listening to clients over the last nine years is that they want to be treated like grown-ups, not dictated to,” he said. “We encourage people to get involved with the whisky-making process, speak to the whisky-makers and decide on the right time to bottle together. That’s something we can do in a company like Artisan Casks. All the casks are in one warehouse, fully controlled, and we can manage the relationships over the long term without worry.”
One worry he will have is asking anyone who bought a cask from round one to come back for more, particularly if their cask is still aging. Only a few people globally are willing and able to spend six figures on a cask. Mackay’s black book is the envy of whisky’s private client world, but there’s only so much one ultra-high-net-worth individual can drink and/or give away.
Though Artisan Casks doesn’t just do casks – that would be silly. It also does experiential, as all good UHNW companies should these days. Owners gain access to events, where they can meet other owners, talk spirits, and perhaps swap a bottle or two. For a group of people who tread carefully into any social situation, knowing you’re entering a room with like-minded people may be worth the price alone.
Mackay told us last year: “These people can be very private, so it’s important to have a clear point that connects them. The first time we did this kind of thing, we weren’t sure if they were going to get along, but it was the reverse. Even coming from very different backgrounds, they got along fantastically well because they all knew that they were lovers of beautiful whisky. They all desperately want to share their casks with people who appreciate it for what it is.”
If you want in, you’ll have to pick a cask. Luckily, there are some very good ones to choose from…
Artisan Casks 2026 Program
Bowmore 2004 (52.6% ABV)
Maturation profile: 17 years in a refill American oak bourbon barrel, followed by four years in a first-fill Pedro Ximenez ex-bodega barrique.
Bunnahabhain 1989 (43.9% ABV)
Maturation profile: 28 years in a refill American oak bourbon hogshead, seven years in a refill sherry hogshead, one year in a second-fill American oak bourbon barrel.
Caol Ila 1990 (49.3% ABV)
Maturation profile: 35 years in a refill sherry hogshead.
Glen Garioch 2003 Artisan Cask No. 161411 (55.3% ABV)
Maturation profile: 22 years in a first-fill American oak bourbon barrel.
Glen Grant 1993 (57.0% ABV)
Maturation profile: 29 years in a refill American oak bourbon barrel, followed by three years in a first-fill Spanish oak Pedro Ximenez hogshead.
Laphroaig 1995 (52.9% ABV)
Maturation profile: 22 years in a refill American oak bourbon barrel, followed by eight years in a second-fill American oak bourbon barrel.
Macallan 1994 (52.2% ABV)
Maturation profile: 28 years in a refill American oak bourbon hogshead, followed by three years in a first-fill Spanish oak Pedro Ximenez hogshead.
Mortlach 1991 (43.7% ABV)
Maturation profile: 32 years in a refill American oak bourbon hogshead, followed by two years in a second-fill American oak Pedro Ximenez hogshead.
North British 1991 (51.0% ABV)
Maturation profile: 33 years in a refill American oak bourbon hogshead, followed by one year in a first-fill Spanish oak Pedro Ximenez hogshead.
‘Speyside Symphony’ 1992 (54.1% ABV)
Maturation profile: 25 years in a refill American oak bourbon hogshead, followed by eight years in a second-fill Pedro Ximenez hogshead.
