Whisky aficionado and esteemed Keeper of the Quaich, Felipe Schrieberg, alongside renowned whisky broker and advisor Mark Littler, have inaugurated ProtectYourCask.com. This online portal serves as a bastion of clear, forthright information for those interested in acquiring and possessing a Scotch whisky cask, all the while significantly reducing the peril of falling prey to fraudulent schemes.
Of late, the Scotch whisky realm has voiced concerns over the burgeoning influx of whisky cask investment enterprises enticing enthusiasts with the prospect of lucrative returns through the acquisition and subsequent sale of Scotch whisky casks. Regrettably, a number of these entities have been implicated in disseminating exaggerated claims regarding potential profits, furnishing clients with inaccurate data, or, in extreme cases, engaging in outright deception, resulting in investors being defrauded.
Disturbed by this troubling phenomenon and the dearth of reliable information on securely buying, holding, and vending casks in an unregulated marketplace, whisky scribe and Keeper of the Quaich, Felipe Schrieberg, along with whisky broker and consultant, Mark Littler, have unveiled ProtectYourCask.com. This website is dedicated to enlightening individuals on the secure acquisition and stewardship of a Scotch whisky cask, thereby curtailing the hazard of fraudulence.
The platform highlights and endorses the exemplary advisories on Scotch whisky cask investment drafted by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), the conglomerate embodying the majority of Scotch whisky manufacturers (Note: ProtectYourCask.com operates independently of the SWA).
Crafted for intelligibility and ease of use by prospective or current cask owners, ProtectYourCask.com presents an insightful overview of the statutory regulations governing the trade of Scotch whisky casks. It advises on cautionary signs to heed when approached by Scotch whisky cask investment firms and recounts historical instances of investment scams within the industry.
Schrieberg reflects on the promises of financial gains from Scotch whisky casks as a troubling reverberation of bygone eras, stating: “Every few decades, there have been waves of new companies, many of them incompetent at best or perpetrating fraud at worst, promising fast and profitable returns on the purchase of Scotch whisky casks using aggressive sales tactics. We’re seeing more than a few such firms today using similar techniques to generate enthusiasm and sales as fraudsters from over 20, 50, and even 100 years ago. We think it’s important to fight the misleading claims that have been going around in order to protect the integrity of the Scotch whisky industry.”
Littler cautions that the landscape of Scotch whisky cask investment is fraught with risks, highlighting the critical aspect of authentic ownership: “Investing in whisky casks is inherently risky as it is an unregulated and volatile market. When it comes to cask investment, one of the fundamental issues we’ve come across is ensuring an investor actually owns their cask rather than having rights to a cask through a third party. This is something that the SWA itself affirms in its own advice on the matter. We hope ProtectYourCask.com can help others successfully navigate this precarious landscape or decide they’re better off investing in something safer.”
