Caskd Launches the UK’s First Dedicated Peer-to-Peer Whisky Marketplace with Rare 1981 Macallan Listing
Founded by collector and technology entrepreneur Jonathan Yates, Caskd provides whisky enthusiasts with a dedicated platform to buy, sell and manage collectible bottles outside traditional auction channels.
Caskd Launches the UK’s First Dedicated Peer-to-Peer Marketplace for Whisky Collectors, Headlined by a Rare 1981 Macallan
Founded in Harrogate by whisky collector and technology entrepreneur Jonathan Yates, Caskd offers enthusiasts a transparent alternative to traditional auction houses and fragmented collector networks.
Caskd, the UK’s first dedicated peer-to-peer marketplace built exclusively for whisky collectors, has officially launched, providing enthusiasts, collectors and investors with a new way to buy, sell and manage collectible whisky.
For many collectors, buying and selling whisky has traditionally meant auction houses, where buyer’s premiums, seller commissions and additional fees can significantly increase the total cost of a transaction. While auctions remain an important part of the market, many collectors have been left searching for a more direct, transparent and community-focused way to trade with one another.
Founded in Harrogate by whisky collector and technology entrepreneur Jonathan Yates, Caskd was created to address that challenge.
Despite the continued growth of whisky collecting, Yates found there was still no dedicated platform built specifically for the needs of whisky enthusiasts. Existing marketplaces often treat whisky as a secondary category, while private collectors frequently rely on informal networks where trust, provenance and pricing transparency can be difficult to establish.
“I spent years collecting whisky and realised that finding bottles was often easier than trading them fairly,” said Yates.
“By the time buyer’s premiums, seller commissions and other fees were added, the economics often made little sense for private collector-to-collector transactions. We built Caskd to give collectors a dedicated marketplace where they can connect directly, retain more control and keep more value within the community.”
The platform enables collectors to list bottles with detailed provenance information, condition notes and photography, while allowing buyers to browse by distillery, age, region, rarity and price. Sellers retain control over pricing and timing, allowing transactions to take place directly between collectors without bidding wars, auction deadlines or the substantial premiums often associated with auction sales.
Caskd launches with an inaugural cellar featuring bottles ranging from approximately £50 to £7,000, reflecting the diversity of today’s whisky collecting community.
Among the launch listings is a rare 1981 Macallan 18 Year Old drawn from a single Fino Sherry cask. The bottle represents the type of rare and difficult-to-source whisky that collectors often struggle to discover through conventional retail channels.
However, Yates believes the future of whisky collecting is not defined solely by high-value bottles.
“One of the biggest misconceptions about whisky collecting is that it is only for wealthy investors. The reality is that most collections start with curiosity, not capital. Some of the most meaningful bottles in a collection cost less than dinner for two. We want Caskd to be as valuable to someone buying their first collectible bottle as it is to someone searching for a rare Macallan.”
Beyond buying and selling, Caskd includes tools designed to help enthusiasts organise and manage their collections, creating a dedicated digital home for whisky collectors.
Built around the principles of trust, transparency and access, the platform aims to make whisky collecting more accessible while preserving the knowledge, stories and passion that define the collector community.
The company believes the launch reflects a growing demand for more direct collector-to-collector trading and a more modern approach to discovering, owning and exchanging rare and collectible whisky.
Caskd is now live at caskd.app.
About Caskd
Caskd is the UK’s first dedicated peer-to-peer marketplace built specifically for whisky collectors. The platform enables enthusiasts, collectors and investors to buy, sell, discover and manage collectible whisky through a trusted collector-first experience.
Founded by whisky collector and technology entrepreneur Jonathan Yates, Caskd was created to modernise the way whisky collectors connect, trade and build their collections.
