FAQs

Whisky FAQs

  • Where Is My Whisky Stored?

    When stepping on board with Liquid Opulence, we will help you set up a storage account with an independent bonded warehouse facility. Where this facility is situated will be dependent on which distillery the cask was purchased from.

  • What is ABV?

    ABV stands for 'Alcohol By Volume' and is a standard measure of the alcohol content in a given volume.

  • Why Is Cask Whisky Capital Gains Tax-free?

    Whisky casks are considered 'wasting assets' by HMRC, which exempts them from Capital Gains Tax. Due to evaporation, the lifespan of a cask is typically less than 50 years, making it unlikely to exceed the threshold for taxation.

  • What Is The Angel's Share?

    "The Angel's Share" refers to the small amount of whisky that evaporates through the cask during maturation. This evaporation, usually around 2% per year, contributes to the unique flavour profile of the whisky.

  • What Do OLA And RLA Mean?

    OLA stands for 'Original Litres of Alcohol,' representing the initial amount of pure alcohol in the cask. RLA stands for 'Regauged Litres of Alcohol' and indicates the remaining amount of pure alcohol after a regauge has been conducted to assess the cask's health, contents, and value.

  • What Are Bulk Litres?

    Bulk litres refer to the total volume of liquid in a cask, including both pure alcohol and other substances. For example, a cask filled with 100 bulk litres at 34% ABV would contain 34 litres of pure alcohol.

  • What Is Duty Suspension?

    Duty suspension refers to the storage or transportation of a cask between bonded warehouses without paying the required duty tax. Duty is only levied by HMRC when the cask is removed from bond.

  • What Is A Bonded Warehouse?

    A bonded warehouse is an HMRC-controlled facility where goods can be stored without duty or VAT charges. These warehouses are authorised under the WOWGR licence and allow businesses to store and transfer goods with duty payment suspended.

  • What Is A WOWGR?

    A WOWGR licence, Warehouse keepers and Owners of Warehoused Goods Regulations, is a certificate granted by HMRC to companies that meet strict requirements for storing spirituous beverages and intermediate products in excise warehouses. This licence ensures compliance with HMRC regulations and establishes the company as a duty representative or custodian for the cask(s) in the eyes of HMRC.

  • How Long Should I Hold My Cask?

    The duration of cask maturation is flexible and depends on your preference. Typically, we recommend a minimum holding period of 5-10 years, but the longer you hold the cask, the more the whisky matures, becomes rarer, and potentially yields higher returns.

  • What Happens If I Die?

    In the event of your passing, your whisky casks will be included in your estate and evaluated by HMRC. If you have a will, you can designate the beneficiaries of your estate and specify their shares. It is advisable to seek professional independent financial advice regarding estate planning.

  • Is There A Minimum Purchase Price?

    No, there is no fixed minimum purchase price. The minimum investment will be determined by the lowest-value cask available at the time of your inquiry.

  • Is Cask Whisky Regulated?

    Cask whisky is regulated by HMRC but not by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which governs regulated financial investments. If you have any concerns, it's important you seek independent legal and financial advice before making any cask whisky purchases.

  • What Happens If Scotland Gains Independence?

    Scotland has been part of the United Kingdom since 1707, and the majority voted against independence in 2014. In the event that Scotland does leave the union, there could be legal and trade barriers affecting exports. In the long run, there is a possibility that whisky could become cheaper for consumers.

Wine FAQs

  • Where Is My Wine Stored?

    At liquid opulence, we will help set you up with a private account at an independent bonded storage facility. This ensures you have full ownership and control of your asset throughout the lifetime of your investment.

  • What Are The Storage Costs?

    Dependent on where you choose to store your wines and the size of your portfolio, will determine the annual costs. Members of our onboarding team are always happy and available to help you arrange the best option.

  • What Regions Do You Work With?

    We work with a variety of different regions but we are specifically focused on Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Tuscany, Napa Valley

  • What Is OWC?

    OWC stands for Original Wooden Casing, and it refers to the original wooden packaging that wine was shipped in from the place of production.

  • How Many Bottles Are In A Case Of Wine?

    A full case is 12 bottles, but you can also buy half or quarter cases, 6 or 3 bottles respectively.

  • What Is Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée?

    AOC stands for Appellation D'origine Controlee, which is a French classification to regulate the production of agricultural products by region. This is in relation to things like cheese, butter and most importantly wine. To be granted AOC, a wine has to be of a certain quality and produced in specific quantities.

  • Who Is Robert Parker?

    Robert Parker is a famous American wine critic who was the pioneer of a wine grading score for Bordeaux wines.

    This scoring system grades wines anywhere from 50-100 points. Anything over 90 is considered to be investment grade.

  • What Is The 1855 Classification?

    The 1855 classification of the Medoc was put in place by Napoleon III in 1855 as a way to class and distinguish wines produced from the left bank of Bordeaux according to quality.

  • What Is The Growth System?

    The Growth system was put into place after the 1855 classification of the Medoc was created in 1855, The classification separates 61 red wines from the left bank of the Bordeaux region into five ‘growths’.

  • What Are The First Growths?

    Under the 1855 classification, there are five first growths, signifying the highest quality of wines Bordeaux has to offer. They are as follows: Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Château Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Latour, Château Margaux and Chateau Haut Brion.

  • What Is The Volume Of A Bottle Of Wine?

    Wine bottles are typically 75cl, however, there are many different variations and bottle sizes.