ProtectYourCask.com Helps Cask Whisky Investors Avoid Scammers
Whisky writer and Keeper of the Quaich Felipe Schrieberg and whisky broker and consultant Mark Littler have launched ProtectYourCask.com, a website resource dedicated to providing clear, transparent information about purchasing and owning a cask of Scotch whisky while minimising the risk of becoming a victim of fraud.
In recent years, the Scotch whisky industry has been concerned about the recent proliferation of whisky cask investment firms offering consumers the chance to make money by buying and reselling casks of Scotch whisky. Some of these companies have made misleading claims about potential return on investment, provided incorrect information to prospective clients, or even committed outright fraud where investors were swindled out of their money.
Alarmed by this disturbing trend and the lack of information available on safely purchasing, owning and selling casks in an unregulated market, Whisky writer and Keeper of the Quaich Felipe Schrieberg and whisky broker and consultant Mark Littler have launched ProtectYourCask.com, a website resource dedicated to spreading awareness on safely purchasing and owning a cask of Scotch whisky while minimising the risk of becoming a victim of fraud.
The site draws attention to and amplifies the excellent guidance on Scotch whisky cask investment written by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), the industry body representing the vast majority of Scotch whisky producers (ProtectYourCask.com is not affiliated with the SWA).
Designed to be accessible and easy to understand for anyone who is thinking about buying or who already owns a cask of whisky, information on ProtectYourCask.com includes a helpful summary of the legal framework governing the purchase and sale of Scotch whisky casks, suggests red flags to watch out for when Scotch whisky cask investment firms are pitching their services and details stories covering historical Scotch whisky cask investment scams.
To Schrieberg, the promises of potential profits on Scotch whisky casks carry disturbing echoes of the past:
“Every few decades, there’s 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” he says,
“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 warns that the Scotch whisky cask investment market is far from a rosy opportunity and stresses the importance of genuine 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.”
About Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a whisky writer, musician, author, and tastings host. He is the co-director of independent bottler/record label Rhythm and Booze Records and he is also a Keeper of the Quaich.
For his work, he was awarded the 2022 Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year and the 2021 Alan Lodge Young International Drinks Writer of the Year. He was named in the shortlist for the 2022 Fortnum and Mason Drinks Writer of the Year and the 2022 IWSC Spirits Communicator of the Year awards.
As a musician, he is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia.
About Mark Littler
Mark Littler is an independent whisky broker, market analyst and consultant with over a decade of experience in the industry. He is the owner and Editor in Chief of The Whiskey Wash (an award winning US whisky blog) and a regular contributor to Forbes.com.
Mark founded his own firm in 2016, creating Mark Littler Ltd after a 10 year career as an auctioneer where he founded the whisky and wine department of a prominent UK auction house. Mark Littler Ltd provides advice around and arranges the sale of whisky bottles and casks as well as collectables, watches, and other luxury goods through auction and private sales.
For more information contact Mark Littler at info@protectyourcask.com
