The new face of whisky investment

For centuries, whisky investment was shaped by exclusivity. Distilleries worked with a small circle of private collectors and knowledge often stayed within that group. Today, the landscape is opening up.

More investors are looking at whisky as an asset with cultural roots and craftmanship behind it, and they want a clear understanding of what they hold. For many, the appeal lies in an investment that carries history and heritage, rather than just numbers on a screen.

Hackstons sits in the middle of that shift. The company helps clients understand the cask whisky market and navigate options, from investment-grade casks in Scotland to rare bottles in its Knightsbridge store. The focus is on clear information and realistic expectations.

Co-founder Alphie Valentine says: “After years in the cask whisky space, one truth stands firm: expertise only matters when it is paired with transparency. At Hackstons, we have built our reputation on both – guiding clients with real industry insight and ensuring they always know exactly what they own, why it matters and how it is protected.”

Unlike digital investments, cask ownership gives investors something tangible. Whisky has a physical presence with a location, an age, a flavour profile and a future that can be traced. Each cask is shaped by decisions made years earlier, including the distillery, the wood it is housed in and the region it comes from.

Many collectors are interested in how those factors influence maturity over time and enjoy seeing a cask develop. Others appreciate that they can taste its progress through sampling its contents as the cask matures. Hackstons supports clients with the practical side of ownership including storage, insurance, documentation and potential exit strategies, including bottling, and what this might involve.

They also explain the basics of whisky so that buyers understand the differences between regions and cask types, and can make confident informed decisions.

It is important to remember whisky is an asset to be held for the long-term, and appeals to those who are thinking beyond quick wins and want an asset that matures over time. It’s investment that requires patience, but patience that can be rewarding.

While established with a focus on investment, Hackstons evolved its offering to cater to those who enjoy the end product of decades of cask maturation by opening its Flagship fine whisky, wine and spirits store in August 2024.

Inside Hackstons’ Knightsbridge store, rare and independent releases are available to explore in person. It offers a London vantage point on a category long defined by Scotland.

The whisky room and stunning tasting library give visitors the chance to learn more about styles and flavour in order to ensure they leave with a bottle that perfectly suits their palate.

Their design-led retail experience and a consistent range of truly unforgettable events led to Hackstons being shortlisted for ‘Newcomer of the Year’ at the 2026 Drinks Retailing Awards. No mean feat in its first year of business.

The Bottling Club, Hackstons’ first range of independent bottlings, gives curious collectors a closer look at how casks become bottles and offers a way to understand the craft behind the liquid rather than relying only on a label. It’s not only about age or price, but about provenance and what makes one whisky different from another.

Whether someone is choosing a bottle to enjoy or to keep as a long-term asset, the Knightsbridge retail experience, with its WSET-trained specialists, provides clarity and context that can inform the journey into whisky.

The whisky investment industry is unregulated in the UK, and as with all investments, the value of your investment can go down as well as up. Please note other fees apply. Capital at risk