Recognising and endorsing the value of Artisanal’s whisky stocks, Ferovinum provides drawdown optionality and further financial flexibility.

The Artisanal Spirits Company (AIM: ART), the owner of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (“SMWS”), the leading curator and provider of premium single cask Scotch malt whisky and other spirits for sale primarily online to a discerning global membership, is pleased to announce that it has, through a new partner, Ferovinum, agreed a new financing facility of £15m, giving the Group further financial flexibility and optionality to develop its business via recognition of the significant appreciating cask spirit asset base.

As part of the initial agreement, Ferovinum have extended to ASC £2.6m in cash, through a cask spirit parcel valuation of £3.8m at 70% loan to value ratio, for a maximum period of 2 years with the same headline interest margin as ASC’s existing RBS banking facility.

The Ferovinum platform allows ASC to convert their maturing stock into a just-in-time asset at a truer market valuation. Of the casks within the initial transaction, the Net Book Value held on the Balance Sheet is £0.8m, the current bank valuation is £1.3m and Ferovinum’s valuation, using market, external and internally generated intelligence is £3.8m, representing a 380% and 191% incremental valuation on the net book value (“NBV”) and bank value respectively.

The facility allows the Group additional financial headroom and a larger financial pool from which to draw, rather than an increase in the overall debt level, as we balance this new facility and the existing RCF facility. The Group’s debt position therefore remains as previously guided.

Andrew Dane, CEO of The Artisanal Spirits Company, commented:

“This is an exciting development giving the Group further financial flexibility without increasing gross debt whilst demonstrating the value of the Group’s assets. ASC has two value streams: the core trading business and its inventory where the value of our spirit casks has been proven by Ferovinum extending capital at retail valuations underpinning the worth of our inventory, providing financial flexibility and giving us further confidence in the Company’s investment strategy and asset base.”