Whiskey Bottling – The Distiller’s Final Phase

While the individual whiskey hobbyist may not have the need to mature or even bottle their spirit (if they decide to use a cheap whiskey still kit to brew their spirits), it does make sense for anyone interested in this field to learn a little more about how distillers proceed with bottling. Fortunately for us, the whiskey industry has evolved far past the early days of patrons purchasing whiskey directly from the distillery. Indeed, the inconvenience of traveling to the local distillery in order to fill up a container would be tremendous. Instead, the modern practice of bottling liquor in specialty glass bottles has taken over completely and we are able to acquire our spirits in a more convenient way (unless you decide to buy whiskey still kit, which would make things even more convenient). While a number of single malt whiskies continue to be sold in actual casks, whiskey is usually bottled once the pre-determined aging period within the barrels has concluded.

However, to ensure that distillers are getting the most from their investment, careful consideration is made to determine the most efficient bottling to be extracted from each cask. Depending upon the size of the cask itself, on average, a 200 liter bourbon barrel which has been filled with liquor at approximate alcohol strength of 63% will likely retain roughly 175 liters of whiskey after 12 years of storage. Additionally, while the percentage of alcohol within the liquor began at 63%, it will have likely dropped to somewhere in the range of 50-60% upon the conclusion of its 12 year aging run. Thus, if you buy whiskey still kit and look to age your whiskey in a cask, don’t forget about the changes which you may see in the alcohol proof. Once the whiskey is finally diluted to roughly 42% right before bottling, distillers will likely see around 250 bottles comprising 70cl produced from their original 200 liter cask. In order to discourage the usage of too many different bottle sizes, a standard was established for the industry in 1993 at 70cl (though many distillers will also produce 1 liter bottles and/or small 5cl bottles). If the price of each 70cl bottle was to be set at 50 Euros, then what you would be looking at for an average 12 year old cask of single malt scotch whiskey would be in the range of 10,000 Euros (of course, if you’re just an independent hobbyist with a cheap whiskey still kit, then you may not have to worry about bottling a 200 liter cask).

However, before deciding to age the whiskey for any length of time, one thing to consider is that different varieties of whiskey ultimately attain their peak flavor at a variety of age lengths (even if you buy whiskey still kit and a small cask). While there are a number of other factors which play a role in the maturation process, financial issues for distillers must also be taken into account when deciding to bottle whiskey. Chief among these issues is the cost involved in the actual bottling (which includes taxes), transportation, demand (upon bottling), and a variety of other influences which could easily cause the price point for a cask of whiskey to go up or down. Of course, those who manage to secure a cheap whiskey still kit, along with a low price barrel, will be much more likely to see a better line in their profit margins.

In any case, for the duration of time during which the whiskey is bonded within the cask, taxes do not need to be paid. It is only when the actual bottling occurs that any taxes are applied to the whiskey at all. It’s also at this stage that distillers need to worry about distribution costs and the amount of money which will be put into marketing the product. All told, the decision to take a whiskey out of the cask and get it into the open market isn’t one that distillers will take lightly; it can be a costly venture and the distiller must be sure that he/she will exact the right profits from its ultimate sale. If you decide to venture into this world and someday form your own small distillery, there is nothing wrong with trying to buy whiskey still kit that makes the most sense financially. While you don’t want to sacrifice quality for cost, there is no substitute for prudent financial decisions (such as finding a cheap whiskey still kit) which will not be detrimental to your spirit’s taste.