A St Andrews-based distiller producer has launched its first-ever cask ownership programme, giving whisky lovers the chance to purchase their own barrel of whisky through a secure and transparent process.
K ingsbarns Distillery has introduced the initiative with a strong focus on safety and trust, offering what it describes as the highest possible standards for purchasing and storing casks.
Owned by Wemyss Family Spirits, the distillery describes the new Kingsbarns Private Cask Programme as a gold-standard model, offering full traceability, secure on-site storage, and in-house oversight.
William Wemyss, Director of Kingsbarns, said: “For some time, we’ve wanted to launch our own programme, but we wanted to ensure that in doing so, we developed a robust programme that is the gold standard and delivers nothing but the best quality whisky.
“With our Kingsbarns Private Cask Programme, we’ve kept things simple and straightforward. Buyers are purchasing directly from the distillery, not through a third-party or secondary market.
“Unfortunately, what we’ve seen in recent weeks with fraudulent cask programmes is people being misled into spending their life savings, sometimes in the most vulnerable moments of their lives, on cask schemes that are either wildly overpriced or entirely fictitious.
“Change is needed, and new standards need to be enforced as the actions of those committing these awful acts of fraud are massively damaging the whisky industry during what is an already challenging period.
“With Kingsbarns Distillery, you know exactly what you’re getting, where it’s stored, and who’s looking after it.
“Those who choose to buy our whisky will be registered as the official owner in our warehouse records and given access to our system to track and virtually view your cask at any time. That level of openness should be the minimum people can expect when buying a cask.”
Kingsbarns Distillery will ensure that each cask is stored on-site in the distillery’s very own bonded warehouse, under direct control of the Kingsbarns team, with no third-party involvement.
Buyers are officially registered as the legal cask owner and given a secure login to track their cask’s progress, request samples, and stay informed with regular updates.
Buyers can choose between a First-Fill Bourbon Barrel £3,800 or a First-Fill Oloroso Sherry Hogshead £5,850, each selected to complement the light, fruity character of Kingsbarns’ award-winning new make spirit, filled at approximately 63.5% ABV.
Those who purchase a cask will receive six complimentary distillery tour vouchers in their first year, reinforcing the direct, transparent relationship buyers will have with both the makers and the spirit’s true home.
Crucially, this is not an investment scheme, there are no projected returns or speculative promises, ensuring buyers have total transparency and confidence in their cask under the watch of seasoned experts.
Production Director, Isabella Wemyss said: “Our priority has been to create something that’s clear, honest and reassuring. We want people to feel genuinely excited about owning a cask, and to know exactly what they’re getting.
“Everything is looked after by our team here at Kingsbarns, from filling the cask to storing it securely on site. From the moment a sale is complete, those who choose to buy from us can rest easy that their cask is being looked after by seasoned experts.
“We hope that by launching this programme, we’re doing our bit to rebuild consumer confidence by offering a robust and transparent programme that gives the customer as much information as possible.”
Siblings William and Isabella embarked on their spirits journey in 2005 with the founding of Wemyss Malts.
The Wemyss spirits family grew again in 2014 with the establishment of Kingsbarns Distillery, a small, family-run distillery and visitor centre near the village of Kingsbarns in Fife.
Kingsbarns Single Malt is a light, delicate Lowland whisky, crafted from locally grown barley, pure water from the aquifer beneath the distillery, and two types of yeast, before maturing in the finest fresh oak barrels.