You don’t have to be a whisky drinker to appreciate its value, according to Nigel Kippax, aged 60, from Saddleworth in Greater Manchester.
In the third blog of our investor spotlight series, we meet Nigel who, thanks to whisky cask investment, is on a clear path to early retirement.
An accountant by trade, Nigel is accustomed to providing sound advice when it comes to investing money wisely.
Over the past 30 years, he has worked for a large engineering group where, in his current role as Commercial Manager, he is responsible for growing profitability by overseeing budget and managing finances.
Fortunately, Nigel has been able to apply his expertise to making his own finances work for him.
This saw a whisky investment of £18,000 in Ardmore, Aultmore, and Deanston whisky casks and a cut to his working days to four, three and then two days a week as a result, since April 2023, as part of his retirement plan.
At a time when Nigel was already considering alternative investment options, he heard about the potential of whisky investment returns and the rest is history.
He understood that his current investments, including regular savings accounts and ISAs producing returns of around two percent, were not the return he was hoping for to see him through his retirement. After reading lots of positive articles about whisky cask investment, Nigel decided to take the leap.
Nigel plays golf and enjoys a celebratory drink after a round or, as is customary, when a player scores a hole in one and must buy a round for the clubhouse. But, by his own admission, he is not an avid whisky drinker.
“When it comes to drinking whisky, I’d usually opt for a blended rather than a single malt whisky – so not what I’d call the real deal. I have a lot of friends who enjoy whisky and they’ll recommend a certain brand or distillery to invest in but they’re often basing this on a whisky they like to drink because of its taste,” he explains.
“But this doesn’t always equate to a great investment so there can be advantages to separating the love for the drink (or otherwise) with its investment potential if you’re in it for resell rather than bottling.”
Despite his taste in whisky, Nigel does however recognise the potential for financial benefit from single malt Scotch, with returns of 10% and upwards, as well as appreciating the kudos and glamour associated with whisky.
To help him make the right whisky investment which aligns with his goals, Nigel chose to work with whisky investment partner Whisky 1901.
“I trust Whisky 1901’s advice and will take guidance from their consultants on when it is a good time for me to sell to maximise returns. I understand that whisky is a long-term investment and would not expect to sell again for at least another five years. When the time comes, I would look at reinvesting the profits from any sales into further investments to grow my portfolio, based on Whisky 1901’s recommendations.
“At one point I had to sell a couple of barrels to free up cash for personal reasons. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly this was handled. I was informed that it could take up to six or seven weeks to receive the money, but the funds appeared in my account within three weeks. Although I had only had the casks for around three months, I did make a small profit, which I was really pleased about.”
“I would not personally want to go it alone when it comes to whisky investment – if you don’t know what you’re doing you could easily end up purchasing the wrong cask,” Nigel says.
“I really value the advice I get from Whisky 1901 and would always advise people to speak to a trusted and knowledgeable consultant who is able to advise on which casks can bring in the best financial returns. They can also advise on what to avoid, as well as providing the right paperwork, including a signed contract to ensure legal ownership of the cask.
“Above all, I would recommend whisky investment to anyone looking to diversify their portfolio. I believe a small risk is worth the potential of greater returns than many other types of investments.”
