Andrew Rooney
Director of The Whiskey Expert, Andrew Rooney is indeed an expert on all things whiskey. Hear his thoughts what’s happening in the Irish whiskey market, how a potential Irish whiskey drought could actually be positive, and why now is the time to consider cask whiskey ownership.
‘It’s the fastest-growing spirits category in the world’
Director of The Whiskey Expert, Andrew Rooney is, well, a whiskey expert. He knows the market better than just about anyone, and that’s why both we and the Bohann distillery family asked him to join us on a recent distillery tour and share his views on Irish cask whiskey ownership.
According to Andrew, Irish whiskey is,’an emerging industry with 26 distilleries on the island of Ireland today, but we’ll have about 40 in only about five or six years’ time.’ Many of us at Whiskey & Wealth Club are lifelong Irish whiskey aficionados, and we’ve been proud to see the spirit experience this renaissance of late. Irish whiskey was once regarded as the best in the world, and though it fell out of favour in the early 20th century, it’s steadily regaining the popularity and acclaim it once held.
And with this new reputation has come a dedicated contingent of new converts. ‘We’re now selling ten and a half million cases of Irish whiskey every year, and within five years’ time we’ll be selling double that,’ Andrew predicts.
Of course, selling double the current rate of consumption may be difficult if distillers are only able to produce whiskey at their current scale. Especially in the case of more premium, aged stock, it’s likely to become increasingly difficult for producers to meet demand, and that’s a significant component of why experts like Andrew see such great potential for cask whiskey ownership.
‘What’s going to happen over the next couple of years is we’re not going to have enough product to sell,’ Andrew explains. ‘There’s going to be an Irish whiskey drought on the market.’
Cask whiskey ownership could be a way to hedge against potential future shortages – and ensure you’ll be about to enjoy your favourite whiskeys for years to come.
You’ve heard from the whiskey expert, why not get in touch with one of our Account Managers? They’ll be able to talk you through every stage of the cask whiskey ownership process, and answer any questions you may have.
Read more of our articles about investing in whiskey on our blog.