Whisky scam of the 1990s

JulieM

I wonder if anyone remembers this whisky scam or was involved in it and if so could they give me some advice please.

My husband bought 2 casks of whisky from a company called Ewart Mclaren Ltd. This company went into liquidation in 1997, leaving the whisky in storage in the warehouse of Ben Nevis Distillery. Each year he pays £24 warehouse rent. He has a title deed certifying ownwership (for what it's worth).

From what we've read on the internet it's clear that this was a bad investment but what I would like to know is

a. Is there any way he can get his hands on the whisky, either for his own use or to sell it on and how should he go about it. Presumably there would be duty to pay.

b. Or should he just cut his losses and accept that he has lost the money he invested, if so, is there any need to carry on paying the warehouse rent?

Admittedly he's let this drag on for years but we're getting no younger and I would just like to get the matter sorted once and for all.

Can anyone offer any suggestions please?

fluffnutter

Has he tried contacting Ben Nevis Distillery? Even if the whisky's not worth what he paid for it (plus the storage costs) it might still be worth (perhaps) actually getting it...? You need to find out whether it can be bottled I guess. You can give it to all your rellies as Christmas present. I love whisky!

Either way (whether he tries to get hold of it or just cuts his losses) he needs to contact the distillery that's storing it.

Jeff_Bridges_hair

You will also have to pay tax on it if you take it out of the distillery as it will be stored in a bonded warehouse

fluffnutter

It's not necessarily a scam if it was a legit company that just went bust. These things happen. Doesn't mean the intention was to rip people off.

Hintza

http://www.bennevisdistillery.com/

By the way if you need an offer and the stuff is there pm me. I'm sure I can drag up a bid.

Hintza

Areyou sure they have gone out of business?

Ewart McLaren Ltd
McClaren Court, Willow Court, Moorgate, LONDON, EC2A 4QB
020 7550 3000

HappyMJ

I think that's a different company...A check on companies house webcheck reveals the following

EWART MCLAREN LIMITED
8 BENTNICK STREET
LONDON
W1M 6BJ
Company No. 03138599


Status: Dissolved
Date of Incorporation: 15/12/1995

Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Dissolved 22/10/2002

Freddie_Snowbits

Just a note, most whisky is decasked at the 8 year point, apart from the aged varieties. As time goes on, the contents of the cask become less and less, through evaporation and leakage.

One may find at the end of the day, not much whisky for £24 a year storage, hence, to me not a very good investment, apart from paying for company x to store what technically is their whisky.

Still at the Dog and Duck, Brenda does do some nice hot toddy's with that cheap Black Bells Teach and Whyte, for me, tis the real stuff of men