Brewdog Distilling Company recently took the first steps in their whisky journey by holding an auction for their first 50 casks. It was a great success for the distilling arm of the infamous brewers, with the specialist auction house declaring it their "best performing” whisky cask auction for a distillery start up.
At the auction, hosted by Whisky Hammer, the 50 casks sold for a total of £377,000, with cask number one selling for an impressive £12,500. Overall the average price per cask was £7,546.
It’s an exciting development for the brand after their new distillery opened earlier in 2022, which increased whisky production capacity by 300%. Brewdog Distilling Co have taken their time experimenting with and perfecting their entire distillation process and now feel they have crafted the best liquid possible.
Gin and vodka have previously been sold by the distillery, but this marks their first foray into whisky.
The casks sold were a mix of ex-oloroso sherry and ex-bourbon barrels, and will be filled in early-2023 using either spirit produced from golden promise barley or a rye-forward single grain.
Following Ardbeg’s record setting cask sale earlier in the year, this sale of casks suggests that demand for cask ownership may be at an all time high. Similarly, the success of such a sale from a new distillery highlights the wide support for new distilleries in Scotland (although being attached to a renowned and often controversial name no doubt helped).
All in all, it helps paint a picture of a Scotch whisky industry in good health that continues to thrive.