4 April 2024
The House of Suntory announced that its exported brands will comply with new labelling standards enacted on 1 April 2021 by The Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association (JSLMA).
The new rules mean that from 1 April 2024 bottles cannot be labelled 'Japanese Whisky' unless they are actual Japanese Whisky.
Suntory named nine of its brands that currently comply with the Japanese Whisky labelling standards: Yamazaki and Hakushu Single Malts, Chita Single Grain, and three blends: Hibiki, Toki and Kakubin (brands available in global markets) as well as Suntory Old Blended, Suntory Royal Blended, Suntory Special Reserve Blended.
20 March 2024
The sixth Noble & Co Whisky Intelligence Report, which reviews the performance of the fine and rare whisky at auction. was published, The key highlights are that volumes at auction are in decline, down by 11% in Q4 2023 vs Q4 2022. This is mostly being seen at the lower-priced bottles, with £100-£1,000 down by 11.4% and £1,000 to £10,000 down by 9.4. Volume declines worsened through December and January, even accounting for seasonality. Bottles between £100 and £200 were down by 20% in December 2023 vs December 2022, and 21% in January 2024 vs January 2023.
22 February 2024
Wisgy Weekly will draw together original whisky commentary from various writers. All of our contributors are free to be outspoken, just as long as they are able to be enlightening and entertaining too.
12 February 2024
A Bimber Distillery plot twist was widely reported in UK press after celebrated Bimber distillery founder 'Dariusz Plazewski' was arrested in London, to face extradition to Poland accused of conspiracy to murder and supply drugs. It was reported that the Bimber and Dunphail founder (named as Lucasz Ratajewski), was accused of having fled Poland in 2004 to start a new life in London under an assumed name.
Shortly after this news became public, the Bimber and Dunphail websites issued a statement saying that 'Dariusz Plazewski has relinquished all his responsibilities for both Bimber and Dunphail Distilleries and is handing over all decision-making and operational matters to the existing, experienced teams.'
30 January 2024
Diageo reported its organic net sales declined by 23% in Latin America and Caribbean driven by lower consumption and consumer down-trading due to macroeconomic pressures in the region. Diageo's total operating profit declined 11.1% and its organic operating profit declined 5.4%.
Still, it wasn't all bad, Diageo reported net sales of $11.0 billion, which generated $2,146 million net cash from operating activities.
5 December 2023
Six months after the World Health Organization published a statement that 'there is no safe amount that does not affect health' (The Lancet Public Health, April 2023) the WHO published its first global alcohol report to compare tax levels and tax policies between countries.
30 November 2023
"The lure for potential investors is that you buy a cask of whisky when it is first produced and as the whisky ages in the barrel, it becomes something worth more to the consumer and as such, your initial investment becomes more valuable."
"In 2023, there were 89 reports made to Action Fraud about alcohol investments, with losses totalling over £3 million. This shows that aside from misleading advertisements, fraudulent activity is taking place with whisky investments proving to be an enticing opportunity for unsuspecting investors."
30 November 2023
The Mirror's 'scam busting journalist' Andrew Penman tracked down fraudster Spencer Mitchell Steinberg (who was jailed in 2016 for over six years or his role in a £78million investment fraud) to whisky investment firm Cask Trade Limited, where his job title is Head of Finance.
Steinberg and accomplices claimed to have a contract to supply goods to the 2012 London Olympic Village, as well as contracts with major hotel chains, but it was all a sham to lure investors into parting with their money.
26 November 2023
Adam Herz in the 'LA Whisk(e)y Society' queries the science behind the dating attributed to the 'World's Oldest Scotch Whisky' by WhiskyAuctioneer’s publicity. The 'science, [is] peppered with conflicting claims, misleading language, and guesswork.'
20 November 2023
The world's press reported that a bottle of The Macallan 1926 became the highest selling spirit (or wine) at auction after selling for £2,187,500) in London.
8 November 2023
Whisky is investment gold - it always has been. But in the case of ‘cask investment schemes’, it’s an increasingly perfidious endeavour governed by parasitical imposters, posing as informed, knowledgeable and well connected members of the whisky trade. It’s nothing short of a stain on the industry, argue Nick Morgan and Isabel Graham-Yooll.
3 November 2023
This Enforcement Notice provides guidance to advertisers of whisky cask investments. Offers for such financial products need to be easily understood by the audience addressed, must not omit material information that consumer’s require to make informed decisions and must be socially responsible. The complete Enforcement Notice: Advertising of Whisky Cask Investments.
13 October 2023
The Gazette Official Public Record announced HMRC's petition to the High Court to wind up Whisky Advisors Ltd due to insolvency The hearing was scheduled for to be heard at the High Court, Royal Courts of Justice on or after 25 October 2023.
Director Krzysztof Maruszewski, a Keeper Of The Quaich, is better known as director of Stilnovisti and owner of Whisky Quarterly.
25 September 2023
Whisky believed to be distilled almost 200 years ago - and therefore the oldest known Scotch whisky in existence - 'and possibly sipped by a young Queen Victoria' was discovered in 2022 behind a hidden cellar door of the 750 year old Blair Castle in Scotland... to be offered for sale at auction.
The 40 bottles of whisky are believed to have been distilled in 1833 and bottled in 1841 (then re-bottled in 1932). It is announced that 24 of the bottles will be sold at auction in November 2023.
23 August 2023
The online adverts claimed that 'Cask Investment Get Returns upto [sic] 12% Per Annum'. This was misleading because not only were the claims unsubstantiated by any evidence, they also did not make clear the risks involved in whisky investment.
The ASA also challenged that the ads were misleading because they did not make clear that fees applied, or that there were terms and conditions to the service; and adverts were irresponsible because they took advantage of consumers’ inexperience and credulity by suggesting that whisky investment was a suitable choice for retirement funds or for investment of savings.
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