Shipping & Delivery Policy

Once you complete your purchase at Shop Whisky Online, your order enters our fulfilment process immediately. Orders placed before 2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on business days (Monday through Friday, excluding federal public holidays) are typically picked, packed, and despatched the same day.

Orders placed after 2:00 PM EST, or on weekends and public holidays, will be processed and despatched on the next available business day.

You will receive an order confirmation email immediately after purchase, followed by a separate despatch confirmation containing your tracking details once your order has been shipped.

We ship to all 50 US states, subject to local and state alcohol shipping regulations (see the Age Verification and State Restrictions section below). Delivery timescales and costs vary depending on the service selected at checkout.

Delivery estimates are provided by our carrier partners and reflect typical transit times. They are not guaranteed delivery dates. Delays caused by carrier disruptions, extreme weather, or other factors outside our control may occasionally affect timescales — we will always notify you promptly if we become aware of a significant delay affecting your order.

Shop Whisky Online ships internationally to a wide range of countries, subject to applicable import regulations and alcohol shipping legislation in the destination country. International shipping options and delivery timescales are displayed at checkout based on your delivery address.

Duties, taxes, and customs fees applicable in the destination country are the sole responsibility of the recipient and are not included in our shipping charges. These charges are levied by your local customs authority and are entirely outside our control. We recommend that you research your country’s import regulations and applicable duties before placing an international order.

We accurately declare all shipments on customs documentation in full compliance with US export regulations and international trade law. We are unable to mark shipments as “gifts” or under-declare the value of goods.

A rare or premium whisky deserves to be treated with the same respect in transit as it was afforded in the distillery. That’s why we take the packaging of every single order seriously — not as an afterthought, but as an integral part of our commitment to you.

Every bottle is wrapped individually in specialist protective material and placed within a rigid outer box designed to withstand the rigours of carrier handling. Multi-bottle orders are packed with individual dividers to prevent bottles from making contact during transit.

For rare and exceptionally high-value bottles, we use additional reinforced packaging and may require specific signature-on-delivery services at no extra cost to you. We want your bottle to arrive exactly as it left us.

We know the anticipation of waiting for a bottle you’re genuinely excited about — so we make sure you’re never left wondering where your order is.

As soon as your order is despatched, you will receive a despatch confirmation email containing your tracking number and a direct link to the carrier’s tracking portal. You can use this to monitor the progress of your delivery in real time, including estimated delivery windows provided by the carrier.

If you have not received your despatch confirmation within 2 business days of placing your order, please check your spam or junk mail folder first. If you still cannot locate it, contact our customer support team and we will investigate immediately.

In accordance with United States federal and state law, all alcohol orders require an adult signature upon delivery. The recipient must be aged 21 years or older and must be able to provide valid government-issued photo identification confirming their age and identity at the time of delivery.

Our carriers are instructed to obtain an adult signature on all alcohol shipments. If no adult is available to sign for the delivery at the time of the carrier’s first delivery attempt, the carrier will typically make additional attempts or leave a collection notice.

By placing an order with Shop Whisky Online, you confirm that you are aged 21 or older and that the intended recipient of the order is also aged 21 or older. We reserve the right to cancel any order where we have reasonable grounds to believe these conditions are not met.

We do everything in our power to ensure smooth, timely delivery — but occasionally issues can arise with carriers that are outside our control. Here is how we handle the most common scenarios:

Late delivery: If your order has not arrived within the estimated delivery window, please first check your tracking information for the latest status update. If the tracking shows no movement for more than 3 business days, contact us and we will raise an investigation with the carrier on your behalf.

Missing deliveries: If your tracking shows “delivered” but you have not received your order, please check with neighbours and any secure locations on your property before contacting us. If you genuinely cannot locate the parcel, contact us within 5 business days of the marked delivery date and we will work to resolve the matter.

Returned to sender: If your order is returned to us due to failed delivery attempts, an incorrect address, or inability to complete age verification, we will contact you to arrange re-delivery. Additional shipping charges may apply for re-despatch.

Whisky makes an extraordinary gift — and we make it easy to send a bottle to someone special. At checkout, you can enter a separate delivery address for the recipient and include a personalised gift message, which we will print and include inside the package.

Please note the following important considerations for gift orders:

Age verification still applies. The recipient of a gift order must be aged 21 or older and will be required to present valid ID to the carrier upon delivery. Please ensure your recipient is aware that a signature will be required, and that they meet the legal age requirement.

Pricing information. We do not include a packing slip with itemised pricing in any of our shipments — your gift recipient will not be able to see what was paid for their bottle. Order confirmation and invoicing documentation is sent only to the email address provided at checkout.

While rare, damage in transit or packing errors can occasionally occur. We take full responsibility for any order that arrives damaged, broken, or does not match what you ordered.

If your order arrives damaged or incorrect, please contact us within 48 hours of delivery and provide the following:

— Your order number
— A clear description of the issue
— Photographs of the damaged bottle(s) and outer packaging

Upon receipt of this information, we will assess the situation and arrange either a replacement shipment, a credit to your account, or a full refund — whichever is most appropriate to the circumstances. We aim to resolve all damage claims within 3 business days of receiving your report.

Please note that due to the nature of alcohol products, we are unable to accept returns of undamaged goods for reasons other than a packing error on our part, as this is a legal requirement under applicable US alcohol retail regulations. If you are unsure about a bottle before purchasing, we encourage you to contact our team for guidance — we’re always happy to help you make the right choice.

If you have any questions about this shipping policy, your specific order, or anything else related to delivery, our customer service team is here and ready to help. We are real people who care about your experience — not automated systems.

You can reach us via the contact page on our website, and we aim to respond to all enquiries within 1 business day. For urgent matters relating to a delivery in progress, please mark your message clearly and we will prioritise your case.

Shop Whisky Online reserves the right to update this shipping policy at any time. Any changes will be reflected on this page, and significant changes will be communicated to customers via email where appropriate.