The role of a regauge in whisky cask investment

by Aaron Damiano Sparkes
Founder of Whisky 1901
29.04.24

What is a regauge?

When it comes to realising your whisky cask investment, the process of regauging plays a vital role.

As whisky matures in its cask, a small amount naturally evaporates into the porous wood. Known as the ‘angels’ share’, this evaporation is typically not more than 2% in ABV – alcohol by volume – per annum.

But it’s important to know exactly what’s left when evaluating your whisky cask investment, as the remaining (or regauged) litres of alcohol (RLA) will affect the value of your cask.

Why should I care?

If the percentage of evaporation is so small, is it really worth re-measuring the volume of whisky inside a cask?

In short, yes. A regauge is important for whisky cask investment for several reasons.

1. Valuation

It goes without saying that the volume of whisky in a cask directly impacts its value. But crucially, if the volume falls below 40%, the product can no longer be called Scotch and its value diminishes significantly. By regauging the cask, investors can accurately determine how much of the spirit is left and adjust the valuation accordingly.

2. Investment transparency

Regular regauging provides transparency about cask maturation and ensures investors get what they invested in. But it also helps build trust between an investor and whisky broker or cask investment company such as Whisky 1901.

3. Insurance and documentation

Accurate volume measurements are essential for insurance purposes. In the event of damage, loss, or any disputes, having up to date and accurate regauging records are crucial for any insurance claims and legal proceedings.

4. Decision making

Regauging results can influence whisky cask investment decisions. If a cask is nearing peak maturation and the volume has significantly reduced due to evaporation, an investor might decide to bottle and sell the whisky to realise profits. Or to continue maturation if the market conditions are favourable.

5. Quality control

Apart from volume measurement, regauging can also provide insights into the quality of the whisky. Colour, taste, and aroma changes can be observed and documented, which can be valuable for marketing and sales strategies.

 

Transparency and trust

At Whisky 1901, our investor relationships are built on transparency and trust. As interest in whisky as an alternative investment option continues to grow, it’s important for investors to understand the factors that affect cask value as well as the potential returns.

Our team of whisky experts and the distilleries and bonded warehouses we work with will gladly provide advice and access to your investment, so you can understand the process and how to realise the best prospects for cask appreciation.

Regauge reports are extremely important and rely on barrel samples to reveal the true value of a cask based on ABV and liquid levels. Making this process easy and the results available more quickly, is one of the main reasons why we moved more than 1,000 barrels of whisky owned by our investors from across 50 distilleries to just two located in Fife.

The move will not only improve cask management but gives investors greater transparency over the performance of their portfolios. Sample requests will take just weeks instead of months to turnaround.

Maximising cask investment returns

There are no guarantees when it comes to whisky investment returns, so having access to the very latest insights and all factors which affect appreciation are crucial.

With regauging directly impacting the financial value and management of your investment, regular and accurate regauging ensures transparency, protects your investment, and helps in maximising any whisky investment returns.

 

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