Investor Assurance
We prioritise transparency, security, and compliance to protect your investment every step of the way.
How Your Whisky Investment is Safeguarded:
Why buy-back assurance gives you true peace of mind
Most whisky investments leave you on your own when it’s time to sell. You’re expected to find a buyer, negotiate a fair price, and navigate a market often dominated by seasoned professionals.
That’s a lot of pressure—and risk—for any investor.
At Coburns, we buy your barrel back once the whisky has matured, at your original purchase price plus your fixed return.
This gives you a clear exit in 3 to 5 years, without the stress of selling or negotiating. Just a straightforward investment with a defined outcome.
Barrel investing might be new to you, but it’s built on centuries of tradition
While the concept may be unfamiliar, investing in whisky barrels is a time-tested strategy with proven returns—rooted in Scottish tradition.
We take your investment seriously, with safeguards in place to help protect your capital and manage risk.
How can we offer a 9.50% p.a. return?
When you invest in a barrel, the whisky is valued at $42–45 per litre in its unmatured state. After maturation, we buy it back from you for around $65 per litre.
We then sell the bottled whisky to our buyers at prices up to double that—making our model financially sustainable and allowing us to offer you a fixed return with confidence.
How whisky investment works:
Whisky Barrel Ownership Tiers
1 × 225L Barrel
3 × 225L Barrels
6 × 225L Barrels
11 × 225L Barrels
Frequently asked questions
What is buy-back assurance?
We will buy your whisky back once we have determined that your barrel has reached maturation (no earlier than 3 years and no later than 5 years). We will pay out the purchase price + the compounded return.
When will you buy-back the barrel?
Within 3 to 5 years, once the barrel has reached maturation.
Who stores the barrel?
We store the barrels in our ATO monitored bond store. The location of the bond store will be disclosed upon purchase of your barrels. The Australian Taxation Office can conduct an audit at any point without providing notice to make sure our records are up to date and barrels are being managed and maintained properly. We cannot relocate or remove your barrel from the bond store without requesting permission from the ATO.
Are there any ongoing costs?
No.
Can I try the whisky before I buy a barrel?
You can experience Coburns whisky at home through the Coburns Trunk Club. Join and purchase bottles from our online whisky store: coburns.co.
You are also welcome to visit the Barrel Store for a private tour and tasting, simply contact Brad to arrange a time.
How do I know that Coburns will honour the buy back?
The quick answer is that the whisky in the barrel is worth about double the buy-back price. We have wholesale opportunities to supply our spirit to international and national markets each wanting all of the whisky we can produce.
Who determines when the barrels come to maturation?
Every barrel goes through sampling and testing. When a barrel is getting closer to maturation (between 3 to 5 years) we will then test it every 6-12 months until we determine that it has reached the perfect flavour profile.
Can I keep some of my whisky?
All barrels come with a buy-back contract attached. This contract allows you to keep up to half the whisky in the barrel and the distillery will buy the remainder back. For example: If you keep 10% of the matured whisky, we will buy the remaining 90% of the whisky, and pay you 90% of the buy-back amount on a pro rata basis. or If you keep 50%, we will buy the remaining 50% of the whisky and pay you 50% of the buy-back amount. Note: You do not have to keep any whisky at the end if this is just an investment for you.
What happens if my barrel leaks?
It is rare, but if your barrel were to leak, we have several options to rectify the issue at no additional cost to you. We can either fix the barrel and top it up with spirit from one of our barrels, replace it with one of our barrels or we could make an insurance claim.
How is this investment protected?
We have a number of protections in place:
- Every barrel is registered through a national register managed by the federal government called the Personal Property Securities Register
- Your barrel is stored in an ATO monitored bond store, which means we can not relocate your barrel without permission from the ATO and they can audit us at any point
- Your barrels are fully insured
- Our contract offers fixed, compounding returns
- The legally binding buy back contract means you will be cashed out within 3 to 5 years without having to find a buyer yourself.
Is there a limit on how many barrels I can buy?
Minimum investment is a single barrel purchase. There is no maximum limit you can own.
How do I know I'm investing in high-quality whisky?
Don’t take our word for it! We’ve won awards from the world’s most prestigious competitions recognising Coburns as producing ultra-premium whisky.
Share a Dram With Us
As a Coburns barrel owner, you’ll be welcomed to join us at tastings we host throughout the year. A chance to share a dram, meet the makers, and taste what you’re part of.
