Nine Rivers Distillery Personal Casks are an opportunity for real serious whisky lovers to lay down an entire cask of Nine Rivers Distillery whisky, in a barrel of their choice, to mature. It can be bottled anytime after 3 years (most standards in the world actually require a minimum of 3 years in an oak cask for the final product to be called whisky or whiskey) to the ABV of your choosing.
We are only releasing 60 Personal Casks each year for owners to be able to buy. That’s 5 Personal Casks each month. All need to be booked in advance with a 5% deposit on the cask fees (there are other fees that are applicable when it comes to bottling the product, which includes a cost of glass, closures, labels, boxes and the relevant taxes and duties which are referenced on the individual pages for cask deposits and purchases.
Our Craft
We’re using some of the most imaginative distilling ideas from every industry that we have learned from and we combine this the best ingredients that the world has to offer.
We’re using longer (and slightly cooler) mashing times than traditional scotch. We are pioneering a much slower and cooler fermentation that is between 40% and 60% longer in time than traditional scotch approaches to create a wash that we believe will compare to traditional scotch wash in the same way that craft beer compares to lager.
We are of the opinion that this will carry forward a much fuller malt flavour into our new make spirit.
We have designed our own stills that will shape and define a new make spirit that suits our pre-distillation processes and appreciates our environment and maturation style. While physically resembling the shapes of traditional scotch whisky pot stills, that are subtle differences in the pot shape, the reflux ball, the neck (diameter and shape) and finally the lye pipe. The reflux we create from our design is significant.
Our distilling cut point is very high and extremely narrow. It varies from batch to batch of course, but it’s typically between 14% and 17% of the distillate that comes out of the still. This crafts a new make that we believe will create the perfect marriage with oak casks.
Finally, our casks. Every single cask is handpicked from 4 different suppliers, all of which are cooperages and not simply barrel brokers. Two are based in Europe and are responsible for our ex-wine casks, with two being based in the USA and being responsible for our ex-bourbon and our virgin American oak casks.
We have leveraged the decades of whisky and spirit making experience within our executive team and combined this with in-depth understandings of our raw ingredients, our mashing process and our fermentation approaches, our unique stills and our ageing environment. We believe that this will create smooth, rich, complex and lingering whisky.
Angels Share
The Angels Share is essentially the loss of liquid from the cask through evaporation. Depending on the actual climate (hot, cold, dry, humid etc) the amount of liquid that is lost could be mostly water, mostly alcohol, or both.
If we assume that the liquid lost is roughly balanced (consistent amounts of water and alcohol) then the loss is in the volume of the liquid in the barrel. Most standards around the world accept an average of between 1% and 5% per year is lost. However, in warmer subtropical climates, this loss could be as high as 15%.
We expect our Angels Share to be 3.5% per year or less. We are on a latitude that is consistent with sub-tropical ageing environments, however, we are located at a significant altitude where most of the extremes of heat and humidity are largely dissipated.
Expected Yield From Personal Casks
Assuming 200-litre Personal Casks filled at 65% and matured for 3 years with a 3.5% loss of both physical volume and ABV. Accepting a loss of 10 litres to the “devils cut” (whisky trapped in the wood of the cask) and no barrel rinsing process.
We could expect there to be 210 bottles at a cask strength of 58.41% or 300 bottles if the whisky was bottled at 46%. Both assumptions are based on using 700ml bottles.
Storage and Insurance
3-year storage and insurance charge is included in the purchase price; further charges will be made thereafter on an annual basis which will be charged at HK$1000 per cask per year for storage and insurance.
Export
Whisky from Nine Rivers Distillery can only be exported from China in bottled form, labelled for retail sale. Sales tax and consumption taxes can be suspended (but not avoided). Duty and VAT would be payable in the country of final destination at the rates prevailing in that country at that time. It is up to the cask owner to find a suitable importer in the destination country and to arrange the export from China.
Please note it is the responsibility of the cask purchaser to be aware of all regulations prevailing in the destination country for the final bottled product, plus any issues regarding labelling requirements to comply with laws in the final destination country.
Investment
Investing in whisky casks is a growing trend amongst whisky lovers and whisky enthusiasts. Nine Rivers Distillery is not qualified, authorised, or licensed to advise prospective Personal Cask owners on suitability for investment.
Cask Options
Over time we will add a broader range to the types of casks that we have on offer for Personal Casks so remember to check back to see if we have what you want. Alternatively, get in touch with us to discuss your requirement.
Ex-Bourbon Cask – 200 Litre
A barrel that has had a single previous use to mature bourbon that has been freshly imported to our distillery. Prices for ex-bourbon barrel Personal Casks start at HK$67500 – approximately ¥60’000.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK AN EX-BOURBON PERSONAL CASK
Virgin American Oak – 200 Litre
A Virgin Oak Cask should be chosen for an intended short maturation time (3 to 5 years) and for whisky lovers that prefer a wooded, coconut and vanilla style whisky. Prices for Virgin Oak Personal Casks start at HK$78500 (approximately ¥70’000).
CLICK HERE TO BOOK A VIRGIN AMERICAN OAK PERSONAL CASK
Sherry Seasoned Virgin American Oak
Personal Cask Sherry Seasoned Virgin Oak is a 200-litre capacity oak cask that has been handcrafted in the USA and then seasoned with sherry. Prices for Virgin American Oak Sherry Seasoned Personal Casks start at HK$112’500 (approximately ¥100’200).
CLICK HERE TO BOOK AN EX-BOURBON PERSONAL CASK