Next Steps If You’ve Bought a Whisky Cask from Cask 88, Braeburn, or Whisky Merchants Trading Ltd

The recent collapse of Whisky Merchants Trading Ltd—the company behind Cask 88 and Braeburn Whisky in the UK—has left many cask owners uncertain about what happens next. Whether you were promised a long-term investment, or simply bought a cask for personal interest, you may now be facing silence and confusion, and have growing concerns about whether your cask even exists.

If you bought a cask through Cask 88 or Braeburn Whisky (UK), this article is for you. It sets out practical steps you can take right now to gather information, establish ownership, and protect your interests.

This isn’t about instilling panic—it’s about helping you take back control of your whisky casks.

Step 1: Gather Your Paperwork

The first and most important step to securing your whisky cask is to collect and organise all documentation relating to your purchase. This paperwork will be critical when speaking to the administrators, contacting warehouses, or taking legal action.

Below is a list of documents to look for. You do not need everything on the list, but the more you can provide, the stronger your position will be.

Cask Investment Document Checklist:

Invoices or payment confirmations (ideally showing amounts, dates, and cask details)
Certificate of ownership (if one was issued)
Purchase agreement or contract (including terms and conditions)
Email correspondence with Cask 88, Braeburn Whisky (UK), or Whisky Merchants Trading Ltd
Any promotional or marketing material related to your purchase
Notes or confirmations stating the distillery, fill date, cask number, or warehouse location

Once gathered, keep these documents in a single digital folder and consider backing them up securely. You will refer to them at several points throughout this process.

Step 2: Contact the Insolvency Practitioner

Whisky Merchants Trading Ltd, the company behind Cask 88 and Braeburn Whisky (UK), has entered administration. The appointed administrator is Griffins, a UK Licensed Insolvency Practitioner. They will be responsible for overseeing the administration process, including attempts to identify and recover assets, and potentially assisting creditors and cask owners.

If you purchased a cask through one of the affected firms, it is important to make contact with the administrator as soon as possible.

Who to contact about your cask:

Administrator: Griffins Insolvency Practitioners
Legal representative: DLA Piper
Email for correspondence: [email protected]
Website: www.griffins.net

What to include in your message:

A brief summary of your situation (e.g. when you purchased your cask, from which company, and what you were told at the time)
Copies of any key documents (listed above), ideally including invoices, certificates, and contracts
Your full contact details

It is important to be concise and clear. Given the likely volume of enquiries, you may not receive an immediate response, but registering your claim early is an essential step in protecting your interests.

Step 3: Contact the Warehouse

If you believe you own a cask, the next step is to contact the warehouse where it is—or was—supposed to be stored. Legal ownership of a cask in the UK is only recognised if the warehouse can verify your details and confirm that the cask is registered in your name.

Warehouses are currently fielding a large number of enquiries from investors affected by the collapse of Whisky Merchants Trading Ltd, and many have expressed a willingness to assist. However, they will only be able to help if you provide sufficient information.

What to include in your email or letter:

Your full name and contact details
The name of the company you purchased the cask from (e.g. Cask 88 or Braeburn Whisky)
The distillery, cask number, fill date, or any other identifying details you have
Copies of any relevant paperwork (e.g. invoices, ownership certificates)

Important note: If the warehouse confirms that it has no record of your name against the cask, it is likely that legal title to the cask was never transferred to you. This may indicate that you do not own the cask in a legal sense, even if you were led to believe otherwise.

A list of warehouses is provided at the end of this article for reference.

Step 4: Be Cautious of Unsolicited Contact

In the aftermath of the collapse, some individuals have reported being contacted by third parties—often warehouse representatives or unaffiliated firms—offering to “help recover” casks or provide assistance. While some of these offers may be genuine, others may not be, and the way these parties obtained your contact details could represent a breach of data protection regulations (GDPR).

If someone contacts you out of the blue, especially if you have never dealt with them before, proceed with caution.

Key advice:

Do not send documents or personal information unless you are confident in the legitimacy of the request.
Ask how they obtained your details. If the answer is unclear or unsatisfactory, consider reporting the incident to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Be wary of any promises to fast-track recovery, offer valuations, or act as intermediaries—especially if they ask for payment.
If you are unsure whether an approach is legitimate, seek independent advice before responding.

You should also seriously consider sending a GDPR Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) to any company that you’re not sure how they got your details. Under Article 15 of GDPR, the sender has one calendar month to explain where they got your information and who else has seen it or face an ICO GDPR complaint.

If your data was shared without your consent, you are also entitled to raise a concern with the ICO at www.ico.org.uk. We have also included a suggested template that you can use to file the request.

Step 5: Understand What Legal Ownership Really Means

One of the most important lessons from the collapse of Whisky Merchants Trading Ltd is that a certificate of ownership is not the same as legal ownership of a cask.

In the UK, the legal owner of a whisky cask is the individual or entity named in the warehouse’s records. This is usually confirmed by a document known as a Delivery Order, which formally instructs the warehouse to transfer title of the cask to a new owner.

If you do not have a delivery order and your name is not recorded at the warehouse, then legally speaking, you do not own the cask—even if you paid for it and were told otherwise. You may still be able to claim your cask(s) providing you have the sufficient paperwork.

Key points to understand:

A “certificate of ownership” issued by Cask 88 or Braeburn Whisky is not proof of legal title.
A delivery order is the standard method of transferring legal title in the Scottish whisky cask industry.
Legal ownership relies on direct recognition by the warehouse, usually through a delivery order but some warehouses may use other documentation
If the warehouse has no record of your name against a cask, this may indicate that the cask is still owned by the company that collapsed.
Without acknowledgement by the warehouse the cask may not exist, may be different from your paperwork or have been sold multiple times.

This situation underlines why genuine cask ownership should always be underpinned by transparent paperwork and warehouse communication, not just a sales document.

Step 6: Do Not Rush to Sell

In uncertain times, it’s understandable that some cask owners may consider selling in order to recoup what they can. However, unless you are in immediate need of funds, it is usually better to wait because whisky casks are most suited to long term investment.

If you do hold legal title to a cask—confirmed via a delivery order and warehouse acknowledgement—then your cask remains a tangible asset. The secondary market for casks is currently unsettled, and values may be suppressed in the short term due to the wider fallout from this situation.

Of course, if you are facing financial pressure or no longer wish to be involved, selling may be the right decision. But if you can afford to wait, it may be in your best interest to do so.

Step 7: Report the Matter if You Believe You Have Been Defrauded

If you believe you were misled, sold a cask that does not exist, or promised legal ownership that was never transferred, you are entitled to escalate the matter.

While the administration process may provide some answers, it does not replace the role of law enforcement or regulatory bodies in investigating potential fraud.

Who to contact if you believe you have been a victim of cask fraud:

Action Fraud (UK) – The UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime
Website: www.actionfraud.police.uk
Phone: 0300 123 2040

Your local police force – Particularly if you feel you were targeted or pressured into purchasing, or if there is evidence of criminal activity

When reporting, include a concise summary of your situation, any relevant names, and copies of supporting documents. If you are unsure whether your case qualifies as fraud, Action Fraud can still log your information, which may assist ongoing investigations into the wider situation.

How to Contact Whisky Warehouses to Verify Cask Ownership

Below is a list of warehouses in Scotland that store casks of whisky. Ideally your paperwork (see step one) will include a location for your cask. You can then use the information to contact the warehouse about your cask—see step three for information to include.

Please be polite and patient as these warehouses are likely receiving a high number of enquiries at this time.

ACEO Ltd – Coleburn Distillery, Speyside
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: +44 (0)1343 554 801
Address: Coleburn Distillery, Longmorn, Elgin, Moray IV30 8SN

Braeside Bond (Fife)
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: +44 (0)1337 616 009
Address: Near Ladybank, Fife (full address upon registration)

Caley Casks Ltd – Craigellachie, Speyside
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: +44 (0)1340 220 322
Address: Craigellachie, Speyside, Scotland

Campbell Meyer & Co. Ltd – East Kilbride, Glasgow
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: +44 (0)1355 579 900
Address: 3 Peel Park Place, College Milton, East Kilbride, Glasgow G74 5LW

Castlelaw Bonded Warehouses – Edinburgh
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: +44 131 556 5000
Address: 13 Great King Street, Edinburgh EH3 6QW

Chivas Brothers – Willowyard (Balgray) Bond
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: +44 1505 504784
Address: 1 Willowyard Road, Beith, Ayrshire KA15 1JG

Claxton’s – Dalswinton Bond (Dumfries & Galloway)
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: Not publicly listed
Address: Dalswinton Bond, Dalswinton, Dumfries DG1 1TG

Diageo – Blackgrange Bond (Alloa, Clackmannanshire)
Email: Contact via Diageo general: [email protected]
Contact Number: +44 20 7947 9100 (head office)
Address: Blackgrange Bond, Blackgrange, Alloa FK10 2PH

Diageo – Cluny Bond (Kirkcaldy, Fife)
Email: Contact via Diageo general: [email protected]
Contact Number: +44 20 7947 9100 (head office)
Address: Cluny Bond, Kirkcaldy, Fife KY2 6AR

Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Ltd – Huntly
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: +44 1466 795105
Address: 36 Gordon Street, Huntly AB54 8EQ

Edrington – Macallan Warehouses (Easter Elchies, Speyside)
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: +44 1340 318 000
Address: The Macallan Distillery, Aberlour, Moray AB38 9RX

Ian Macleod Distillers – Glengoyne Warehouses
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: +44 1360 550254 (distillery), +44 1506 852205 (HQ)
Address: Glengoyne Distillery, Dumgoyne, Glasgow G63 9LB

John G. Russell (Cask Warehousing) – Glasgow & Alloa
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: +44 141 810 8200
Address: Various sites including Rutherglen and Alloa

Lowland Bond (Edinburgh Whisky Ltd, Fife)
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: 01592 801 801
Address: Viewfield Road, Viewfield Industrial Estate, Glenrothes KY6 2RD

North of Scotland Bonding Co. – Glasgow
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: +44 141 406 4660
Address: 14 New Way, Rutherglen, Glasgow G73 1DH

The Single Cask
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: Not publicly listed
Address: Not publicly listed

Volpe & Castello Ltd (Fife)
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: Not publicly listed
Address: Units 2 & 4 Stirling Road, Southfield Industrial Estate, Glenrothes KY6 2ST

Whisky Broker Ltd – Creetown
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: +44 1671 820 666
Address: Barholm Works, Creetown, Newton Stewart, DG8 7EN

Young Spirits Ltd – Edinburgh
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: +44 (0)131 453 6837
Address: 47 Bankhead Crossway South, Edinburgh EH11 4EP

Suggested DSAR Template

To whom it may concern,

The email below, sent to me by [INSERT NAME OF SENDER], on [INSERT DATE], was unsolicited. I don’t recall having ever expressed an interest in your company or its services. I suspect that my personal data has been obtained illegally. Please supply the information requested within 1 calendar month of this date. In particular I require precise information about how you obtained my personal data and where it has been shared. I would also like to see information that shows when and where I expressed an interested in your company and its services.

NB This is not a request to unsubscribe, it is a DSAR.

Subject Access Request – General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)

I am writing to formally make a Subject Access Request for a copy of all information about me to which I am entitled under the General Data Protection Regulations (2018).

Please supply all the information about me which I am entitled to under Article 15 of the GDPR.

Please note, you must comply with my Subject Access Request without undue delay and at the latest within one month of receipt. The time limit starts from the day after you received this request (whether the day after is a working day or not) until the corresponding calendar date in the next month.

If you need advice on dealing with this request, the Information Commissioner’s Office can assist you and can be contacted on 0303 123 1113 or at ico.org.uk