The Artisanal Spirits Company Unveils Artisan Casks, the New Luxury Private Cask Programme
(Singapore 10 July, 2025) James Mackay, Private Client Director for the Artisanal Spirits Company launched Artisan Casks, a new private cask program in Singapore at the recently opened luxury Raffles Hotel Sentosa. Featuring a curated selection of outstanding quality, aged Scotch whisky casks of impeccable provenance allow private individuals a chance to appreciate and enjoy the artisanal nature of whisky and experience first-hand the technical artistry the whisky-makers at the Artisanal Spirits Company demonstrate for the casks in their care.
James Mackay, Private Client Director for the Artisanal Spirits Company at the Asia launch of Artisan Casks.
“The Artisan Casks program brings together everything that makes single malt Scotch whisky so special to me,” James states, “the most authentic, time-honoured application of craft, with each cask the focus of years of technical artistry, patience and uncompromising attention to detail.
All Artisan Casks are of a quality to allow for immediate bottling, are aged at least 20 years old and have the potential for additional maturation, as desired, in consultation with the Artisanal Spirits Company’s whisky-makers.
Guests enjoy canapes at Presidential Villa at Raffles Sentosa
“With its pedigree, expertise and outstanding cask inventory, the Artisanal Spirits Company is uniquely placed to offer individuals access to this world. Becoming the owner of such a cask is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, one that I can't wait to share and celebrate with like-minded souls around the world”
Only a handful of Artisan Casks will be released each year. This year’s showcase includes aged casks from Laphroaig, Macallan, Mortlach and Bowmore amongst others, with prices ranging between £50,000 and £600,000, depending on age, distillery name and cask size.
James brings a wealth of international experience and connections to his position. He was formerly Global Private Client Director and Head of Rare & Exceptional Spirits for Diageo plc, managing the company’s relations with HNWI collectors and family offices globally. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland. in 2022 James was made a ‘Keeper of the Quaich’, a lifetime honour recognising outstanding contributions to the Scotch Whisky Industry, and in 2023 he became a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Distillers.
The elegant buggies that transferred guests from Raffles Sentosa lobby to the Presidential Villa.
Artisan Casks was unveiled to a small selection of private clients and media at The Presidential Villa at Raffles on Sentosa Island as part of the Asia launch. This follows the global release aboard a 125-year-old classic sailing yacht, The Black Swan, in Monaco, with further launch events planned in New York and Dubai.
James Mackay and Guests enjoy finely crafted whisky
Artisan Casks owners will join a select network with a discerning appreciation for the finest craftsmanship and luxury experiences. In collaboration with the Artisanal Spirits Company’s partners and affiliates, cask owners will receive privileged access to some of Scotland’s most renowned distilleries, sought-after bottlings and people as well as invitations to exclusive, private events.
“It is like owning a racehorse,” James relates. “It is not just about the horse, it is about becoming part of community. A community of like-minded people who share a common passion. It is a unique experience to share your whisky with friends.”
The Artisanal Spirits Company believes every cask’s story is an individual one and the underlying dedication to first class cask management, technical prowess, and artisanal vision ensures each one is skillfully guided towards the peak of its potential.
Under the custodianship of the Artisanal Spirits Company, great care is taken when pairing spirit and wood, and each cask is regularly assessed to ensure that the perfect balance between oak and distillery character is maintained. "Where we believe the whisky can be elevated even further," James notes, "no expense is spared in doing so, with the whisky-makers paying regular visits to the world’s finest cooperages and sherry bodegas to acquire casks for this purpose, upon which they receive daily care and attention from maturation to bottling.
Casks are carefully matured at the company’s custom-fitted, state-of-the-art facility in Scotland, with the express purpose of bottling them – each one individually - at the peak of their potential. The bespoke approach to cask care demands a level of technical artistry and attention to detail that goes far beyond the ordinary.
We tasted four whiskeys while enjoying a 5-course dinner curated by Cluster Director of Culinary, Michelin Chef Bjoern Alexander. It was evident that attention to plating, taste and texture went into every course starting with Japanese Tuna with Burrata, Caviar and Chives and putting an exclamation mark on the meal with refreshing Melon in Limoncello, Sago and Yogurt.
The four whiskies we were privileged to sample began with the, to me, the startling Mortlach. This single malt Scotch from Speyside, lived up to its nickname "The Beast of Dufftown". Its robust character, unlike most Speysides known for their softness and fruitiness, is strong and direct. The Macallan 1993 Artisan Cask demonstrated Macallan’s mastery of sherry cask maturation and its commitment to craftsmanship.
The 1998 Laphroaig was exactly what you would expect. While not exceeding the smokiness of the cigars that were proffered at the end of the evening, the whisky offered sherry-soaked depths that unfurled in the mouth like velvet embers, lingering long after the final taste faded into the Sentosa dusk.
Melon in Limoncello, Sago and Yogurt
Artisanal told us "The whisky of Laphroaig 1998 Artisan Cask No. #151785 spent its first 21 years in a refill bourbon hogshead cask, before the whisky makers at the Artisanal Spirits Company used their vision and experience to transfer it into a first-fill Spanish oak oloroso cask, expressly sourced from José y Miguel Martin, producers of some of the world’s most exceptional quality sherry casks. After five-and-a-half years additional maturation in this superb cask, the whisky exhibits a dark, meaty sweetness on the palate, with notes of beef jerky, dried goji berries and plum, all cloaked in smouldering peat."
Japanese Tuna with Burrata, Caviar and Chives
Drifting off in the opposite direction the Caol lla hints at its flavour and strength with its pale colour. As if created in Scottish mist curling over peaty bogs, it whispers of smoke that doesn’t shout but lingers like a northern sunset in summer.
The Artisanal Spirits Company plc is a UK-quoted company that creates and sells exceptional limited-edition whisky and experiences around the world. Over the last 40 years they have amassed an outstanding range of casks from more than 100 single malt Scotch whisky distilleries including Macallan, Bowmore, Laphroaig and other great names, sourced on account of their impeccable provenance and quality.
Through its ownership of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), The Artisanal Spirits Company also possesses the resources and expertise to deliver some of the finest whisky experiences in the world, owning and operating beautiful clubhouses in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London.
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