Whisky lovers will want to snap up this unique opportunity to own your own personalised cask of Single Malt Whisky, filled on your wedding day
The Borders Distillery are releasing a limited number of private casks for sale to celebrate the first Scotch Whisky to be distilled in the Scottish Borders since 1837 – and one of them could be a reminder of your wedding day for years to come.
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THE DISTILLERY
The Borders Distillery is the first Scotch Whisky distillery in the Scottish Borders since 1837. Inspired by the spirit of enterprise and invention which pervades their hometown of Hawick – where tweed was invented and cashmere is king – The Borders Distillery have committed themselves to capturing the true spirit of the Borders in their liquid and bring whisky-making back to the region.
Since opening in 2018, The Borders Distillery have worked closely with local farmers at every step of production; the barley used to craft their New Make Spirit comes exclusively from farms within a 30-mile radius. Not only that, their dedication to sustainability has seen the Distillery regenerate the waste and energy they produce and put it back into powering the distilling process, as well as parts of Hawick itself.
This combination of industrial invigoration, community-led production and sustainable processes has sparked The Borders Distillery to take whisky to a whole new level of flavour and excitement.
THE OPPORTUNITY
We’ve heard so many happily married couples repeat the famous adage: ‘our wedding day was so great, we wish we could’ve bottled it.’ But what if you actually could bottle up your wedding day?!
Okay, so it wouldn’t exactly be your day that you’d be bottling up, but certainly an aspect of it. Not only would you be bottling up your memories, intrinsically personal to you both as a couple, but you’d also be bottling a piece of history. The Borders Distillery have released 1,837 Scotch Whisky Casks in celebration of brining whisky-making back to the region. The 1837 cask programme will be the first to leave the Borders for more than 180 years – and one of them could be yours.
How can this connect you with your wedding day for years to come, we hear you ask? Well, become the owner of your very own cask of Single Malt Scotch Whisky and you can have it filled on your special day, personalised with your own label and stored in your choice of cask for up to 10 years* – where you’ll have around 270 bottles of the good stuff to share with the family and friends who were celebrating your special day with you all those years earlier.
Pretty special, right? But we can already see you’ve spotted a potential flaw in the plan: if you have to store your whisky for up to a decade before you can drink it, what will you and your guests be sipping on your actual wedding day?
Fear not, readers, because The Borders Distillery have a wide variety of spirits already brewed for our humble consumption. Not only that, but they can also provide Puffing Billy vodka, Kerr’s Borders gin and their Lower East Side Whisky blend as miniatures for a quirky take on the traditional wedding favours. So, no matter what, our cups will definitely runneth over…
*Casks can only be released after the launch of The Borders Distillery’s own Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
THE PROCESS
1. Your journey begins by selecting your cask. You have the choice of five different casks types – Bourbon, Rye, Rum, Red Wine or Douro Wine* – which have all been carefully selected by The Borders Distillery’s whisky makers to complement the fresh orchard fruits character of their New Make Spirit.
*Subject to availability
2. Next, your cask is filled on a date of your choosing. Each cask is individually numbered, is stored under bond and bottled when you wish. Your chosen cask will be filled with Borders Distillery New Make Spirit at 63.5% alcohol by volume. Exact capacity varies by cask, but The Borders Distillery always seek to fill to the cask’s full potential, which is typically between 190–200 litres.
3. Once filled, your cask will be warehoused by The Borders Distillery and managed by them on your behalf. The first 10 years of warehousing and insurance are included in the purchase price. However, export and duty taxes will apply at the time of filling and are not included in the purchase price. You can also choose to leave your whisky to mature at the distillery for longer, should you wish (at an additional cost).
4. Once purchased, you’ll have access to your own 1837 account, where you’ll be able to download an app to follow the flavour journey of your whisky. This app is home to The Borders Distillery’s flavour graph and every year, as the spirit is sampled, their distillers will report back to you with their flavour findings – be they smoky, fruity, nutty, fresh, rich, delicate or complex – so you know which direction your spirit is taking.
5. When the time is right, The Borders Distillery will arrange bottling for you, with a selection of bottles and personalised labelling options included in the purchase price. If you would prefer, you can choose your own labels, boxes, closures and shipping cases to suit your requirements, and The Borders Distillery will advise of incremental costs incurred beyond their standard packaging offer.
6. Bottling can be at any strength from 40% alcohol by volume up to cask strength which, after 8-10 years, would be between 53% and 60% ABV. The final number of bottles will vary from cask to cask and by bottling strength, but a reasonable estimate at 10 years old and 46% ABV might be between 260 and 280 bottles (70cl). So, you’ll be able to share your cask with all the family and friends who celebrated your wedding day years later on your anniversary celebrations!
7. 1837 cask owners are also welcome to visit The Borders Distillery and will receive a complimentary tour from one of their distillers. You’ll also receive an exclusive discount on all their other products.
*subject to opening hours
There are 1,837 whisky casks available for private sale on a first come, first serve basis and at a price of £1,995 per cask (which can be bought as a group or individually).
FIND OUT MORE
To discover more about buying your own private cask of Single Malt Scotch Whisky with The Borders Distillery, or to buy any of their spirits as miniatures for your wedding favours, visit their website
The Borders Distillery welcomes guests from Monday–Friday to explore the first Scotch Whisky distillery in the Scottish Borders since 1837. If you’re going to a wedding as a guest and think a gift and tour voucher would be the perfect gift to give the happy couple, you can also find these here
To stay in the loop with all the latest news from The Borders Distillery, follow them on Facebook and Instagram
The Borders Distillery, Hawick TD9 7AQ
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