“Following our acquisition of the assets of Cask88, Braeburn, and Whisky Merchants Trading, we welcome you to the Edinburgh Group Spirits Intelligence Newsletter.”
That was an unexpected email I received this week. Unexpected, as in I was surprised somebody had picked up the assets of those three Scotch whisky investment businesses, which had seemingly gone out of business in May. And with their closings, there were serious concerns that people who had purchased casks might lose their investment. This was less than two months after Taylor Costa Van Putten, president of Braeburn USA, bragged that his company was “the world’s international whisky investment experts” and had $80 million in assets.
Thankfully, a movement from the Braeburn Whisky / Cask88 / WMT – Cask Owners Group on Facebook has seemingly led to an audit that’ll help owners be matched with their casks to do whatever they please (store, sell, etc.). And that was before Edinburgh Group Spirits stepped in.
Is the Rare Whisky Auction Market Flattening Out?
A new report suggests value is decreasing in fine and rare whiskies sold at auctionWe’ve written about whisky cask investment before, but always with the caveat that we never actually recommended the practice (or not recommended it, for that matter). For me, it was an interesting idea that appeared to thrive around and just after COVID, when the booze industry seemed to be on an eternal upward path (which, um, isn’t the case anymore).
So, should you not invest in whisky at all? Mark Littler, an independent art, antiques and whisky broker in the U.K. who published a helpful seven-step guide for beleaguered Cask 88/Braebrun cask owners, still believes in the cause, but cautions against quick returns. “Cask investment is a long-term venture,” he noted in his 2025 investment guide, which predated the Whisky Merchants’ insolvency. “With the secondary whisky market feeling the impacts of the global economic downturn of the last two years this message is more important than ever. Casks increase in value slowly for the first 12 years of their lifetime. That means you can ‘shortcut’ the investment by purchasing a cost-effective young cask (around 4 to 12 years old), to hold for around 10 years and sell at 18 years old. If you are looking for a new make whisky then we suggest a 15 to 20 year commitment. We do not suggest selling a cask before it is 12 years old at the very minimum.” (Also, find a trusted company if you’re going to invest.)
As for Edinburgh Cask Management? Well, the link they provided with their introductory email didn’t work for a few days, and they never returned a message I sent them, so that wasn’t a great start. But once I found their site, I believe they’re trying to do the right thing. Their mission? “To be a trusted partner, cultivating long-term relationships with our clients and rebuilding confidence in the secondary whisky market through exceptional service and unwavering support.”
To their credit, they’ve published a lengthy explanation of how they’re going about matching up customers from the previous companies they absorbed with the casks they purchased: “Edinburgh Cask Management has welcomed several former staff members from Cask88, Braeburn and WMT who share our values and wish to help clients resolve outstanding matters and these staff make up 10% of the staff at the group. However, we would like to make it absolutely clear that Edinburgh Cask Management has received no financial support, funding, or assistance from any of these companies or their owners and is in no way legally or administratively linked to them. We have stepped in independently and at our own expense to deliver this accountability.”
Hopefully, this new company can deliver on its promises — or at least do right by the customers they’ve inherited.
Meet your guide
More Like This
Every Thursday, our resident experts see to it that you’re up to date on the latest from the world of drinks. Trend reports, bottle reviews, cocktail recipes and more. Sign up for THE SPILL now.
