Whether you are looking at casks or bottles, whisky investment is largely an unregulated market. This can create barriers to entry for some investors and institutions, but makes the importance of working with trusted partners even more apparent.
Limited protection
While there is no governing body for whisky investment, consumers received some additional protection in 2024 when the Advertising Standards Agency introduced new legislation around the advertisement of cask investment.
The rulings bring promotional material for the sale of casks in line with the advertisement of other investment opportunities. They provide more transparency for those considering whisky casks as an asset; and ban the use of misleading figures that are often used to entice investors away from more stable, regulated investments.
There remain significant areas that are not explicitly covered in the guidance and these omissions mean there are still risk areas that consumers need to be aware of.
The co-founder of Longspey, Mark Littler has attempted to address some of the imbalance of information with a free online resource ProtectYourCask.com. The site is based upon the free but difficult to find advice supplied by the Scotch Whisky Association, and the content has been produced with fellow whisky enthusiast, independent bottler, journalist and Keeper of the Quaich Felipe Schrieberg.
The aim is to create an environment of education and trust around whisky investment so that patient investors can benefit from the long term potential of whisky investments.
Education and Trust
Mark Littler has always worked with an open and education led approach to whisky investment, and this is an ethos he has carried into Longspey. Of course, not everyone has the time to make themselves an expert on all aspects of cask investment. In which case, working with a trusted partner who understands the real world needs of investors becomes the single most important consideration when deciding to invest in whisky.
Charter Financial Planner and Fellow of The Personal Finance Society, Katy Littler spent 15 years in the financial planning industry and has joined forces with Mark to co-found Longspey. Katy’s experience and training in the highly regulated world of traditional investments makes her perfectly positioned to understand the needs of institutional investors, Family Offices and experienced personal investors.
Whether it is sourcing and verifying individual bottles, or building and managing a legacy maturation programme, the combination of expertise between Mark and Katy allows Longspey to expertly meet the needs of all types of whisky investor.
Longspey’s combined expertise in both whisky and finance gives our select clientele a unique advantage. Our team creates the foundations for long term sustained returns, and if you think we may be the right fit for you they please get in touch for an initial consultation.