- Customers of Cask Spirits Global Limited paid almost £100,000 for whisky casks which many never legally owned
- The company targeted its customers through social media advertising and cold-calling
- Certificates were also issued in the name of a company that does not exist
Cask Spirits Global Limited used high-pressure sales tactics to sell whisky cask investments, promising customers substantial returns and tax advantages.
However, of the 17 customers the Insolvency Service identified who paid a total of £97,249, only four had valid ownership documentation.
True losses may be even higher as the company failed to provide 27 of the 29 requested accounting documents.
Some customers received certificates for casks that did not exist. Others were registered in the company’s name rather than their own or referred to warehouses with no relationship to the company at all.
Certificates also contained false storage location information.
Indeed, one customer, who had been promised returns of 120-150%, was told his cask was stored at a bonded warehouse in Scotland. When he checked, the warehouse denied any connection to the company.
Cask Spirits Global Limited was wound up at the High Court in London on Tuesday 25 August.
Mark George, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:
Our investigations identified serious concerns about the way Cask Spirits Global Limited was run and the harm caused to customers who invested in good faith.
People handed over thousands of pounds for whisky casks they never legally owned.
Despite claiming to have stopped trading, the company appeared to still be active and posed an ongoing risk to the public. We will not hesitate to act where a company cannot be trusted with people’s money.
Cask Spirits Global Limited was incorporated in June 2024.
The company operated under the name “Cask Spirits Ltd” on its website and customer-facing materials, despite no such company existing at Companies House. Customers actually paid Cask Spirits Global Limited, but their title documents made no reference to the real company.
Cask Spirits Global Limited listed two London addresses in its materials but investigators found it had no verified presence at either.
Customers had no reliable way to contact the company if they wanted to complain or seek a refund.
The company also operated multiple undisclosed bank accounts and failed to file its statutory accounts consistently.
Cask Spirits Global Limited ceased contact with customers around March 2025 and despite claiming to have stopped trading at that point, it attempted to open a new account with a bonded warehouse the following month.
The Official Receiver has been appointed liquidator of Cask Spirits Global Limited.
Further Information
- Cask Spirits Global Limited (company number 15783661)
- The Insolvency Service can investigate complaints about corporate abuse by live companies. This may include serious misconduct, fraud, scams or dishonest practice in the way the company operates. Further information on our live investigations can be found here
- Directors can find information about their obligations and responsibilities at the Insolvency Service’s Director Information Hub
- Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available here.