Following months of uncertainty surrounding the collapse of Whisky Merchants Trading Ltd—the UK company behind Singapore/Barcelona based brokers Cask 88 and Braeburn Whisky—cask owners have been left searching for answers about the status of their investments. Concerns over missing documentation, unclear storage records, and a lack of verified ownership have fuelled confusion across the industry.

Now, for the first time, there is a clear and coordinated process in place to help affected cask owners establish legal title and reclaim control of their whisky.

A formal audit has begun to verify ownership of thousands of whisky casks stored under WMT storage accounts, many of which were purchased via brokers Braeburn and Cask88.

The LSS Group has been appointed by insolvency firm Griffins Ltd, administrators of WMT, to carry out the investigation. As of 27 May, all affected casks have been frozen and will not be moved until the audit is complete.

Cask owners are now being asked to submit proof of ownership via a new dedicated email address: [email protected]. This is the only email to be used for all correspondence relating to casks linked to WMT, Braeburn, or Cask88.

The audit will:

• Confirm whether each purchased cask physically exists and is accounted for
• Confirm the physical location of each cask
• Verify which storage account it is held under
• Match each cask to its legal owner

The process is expected to take one to two months. Affected owners are advised to send only one email and avoid contacting Griffins, LSS by phone, or the warehouses directly, as this may delay the verification process.

Once verified, cask owners will be contacted directly. Delivery Orders will then be issued, and owners may choose to retain storage at the current warehouse or arrange transfers. Group transfers may also be coordinated to reduce costs.

A Google Form previously used by some cask owners to report their holdings will be shared with The LSS Group unless individuals opt out by requesting data deletion.

This breakthrough has been made possible thanks to the efforts of the admin team behind the Braeburn Whisky / Cask88 / WMT – Cask Owners Group on Facebook, who have been coordinating support, publishing updates, and helping fellow owners navigate the fallout.

“This is very good news,” the group said. “Your casks are safe and will soon be under verified, documented ownership.”