Felipe Schrieberg
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schriebergfr.bsky.social
Felipe Schrieberg
@schriebergfr.bsky.social
Whisky writer and author, musician, indie bottler, tastings host.

My job is blending music and whisky together in as many weird and wonderful ways as possible.
It's brilliant to see The Scotsman taking whisky cask investment scams seriously.

You'll see my op-ed on page 8 from yesterday's paper covering why the whisky industry needs to take on this problem sooner rather than later!

Link here (paywall) and piece below: www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...
November 10, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Want the full lowdown on Scotch whisky cask investment scams?

I break it all down on @forbes.com, and why it's so dangerous not just to our industry but to so many who think they're getting a good deal.

www.forbes.com/sites/felipe...
Don’t Buy Scotch Whisky Casks As An Investment. Here’s Why.
A stream of misinformation and a lack of transparent data means the general public should stay away from this high-risk and unregulated sector.
www.forbes.com
November 6, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Whisky pals, I need your help!

I was surprised to see that no cohesive list exists covering new releases every month.

So I started doing it. Lists are below covering 50+ whiskies. If you know of a whisk(e)y that I've missed please do let me know and I'll add it!

www.forbes.com/sites/felipe...
Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe Schrieberg's stories. I mostly write about the water of life, better known as whisky.
www.forbes.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:15 PM
I’m thrilled to have been shortlisted for the IWSC Spirits Communicator of the Year Award!

It’s an honour to be nominated alongside some real impressive people, which includes some good pals too.
September 17, 2025 at 6:46 AM
Scotch whisky cask investment for the general public is a cancer on our industry. Don't trust any 'investment' firms that offers 'opportunities' to the general public.

If you want to see why, have a look at this interview I just published on @forbes.com!

www.forbes.com/sites/felipe...
Meet A Whisky Bandit Hunter From The BBC: Interview With Laurence Cook
An investigative producer behind a groundbreaking BBC series covering whisky cask investment fraud reveals how deep the problem is for the industry.
www.forbes.com
September 8, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Deeply grateful for the kind words from the legendary Dave Broom about The World of Whisky.

Absolutely buzzing.

Full piece here featuring some other great books: thewhiskymanual.uk/the-weekly-m...
August 9, 2025 at 3:44 PM
If you open up the pages of The Scotsman today, you'll see that Rhythm and Booze Records #1 has been declared Best Whisky at their Scran awards!

A huge thanks to the panel for appreciating our dream of combining music and whisky together in a bottle.
July 10, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Ok this was a blast to write up for @forbes.com. I report here on the superb work done by The Liquid Antiquarian, which makes the bold claim that the Dutch played a crucial part in the development of Scotch whisky.

Read here:

www.forbes.com/sites/felipe...
Are The Dutch Responsible For The Creation Of Modern Scotch Whisky?
New historical research suggests yes, upending traditional narratives covering the early history of Scotch whisky.
www.forbes.com
July 8, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Rather proud of this live session we just released with Mojo:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8fo...
LumoFonic Session - MOJO
YouTube video by Lumofonic
www.youtube.com
June 29, 2025 at 9:10 AM
When Topaketa organizer Manu Iturregui asked if I could hold a lecture about the many, many risks associated with this dodgy sector of course I immediately said yes.

I believe it is the first ever whisky festival to host an event warning about the dangers and risks of cask whisky investment.
June 19, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Yep, what's going on now with whisky cask investment is almost exactly the same as the scams that happened 25 and 50 years ago.

www.forbes.com/sites/felipe...
How Similar Are Whisky Cask Investment Firms To Scammers Of The Past?
There's a lot of disturbing parallels between the promises made by whisky cask investment firms and ugly schemes of the past.
www.forbes.com
June 11, 2025 at 6:44 AM
Thank you to the team at 88 Bamboo for giving me a soapbox to stand on and shout about Scotch whisky cask investment scams, illegal and grey-area-legal.

I examine what the issues are, how curious would-be investors get sucked in and how these operations work.

88bamboo.co/blogs/featur...
How Investing In Whisky Casks (Somehow) Became A Bust
By Felipe Schrieberg     In recent months, reports of questionable Scotch whisky cask investment schemes have moved from quiet whispers in the industry to front-page investigations. The New York Time...
88bamboo.co
June 9, 2025 at 8:41 AM
IT'S MY NEW WHISKY BOOK. My new chonky baby.

Today marks the official USA launch of The World of Whisky. Very cool to now see it out in the world.

I profile in detail several dozen whisky distilleries and brands that I think give an indication of where whisky is headed for the future.

#BookSky
June 3, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Ahead of a mini UK tour playing across Edinburgh and Manchester, we've put up a new video with my Polish band Mojo:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU2Z...
Mojo - Those Lonely Lonely Nights (Tiny Kitchen Sessions)
YouTube video by Mojo
www.youtube.com
May 14, 2025 at 5:52 PM
If you or someone you know has been burned by the Braeburn Whisky/Cask 88 fiasco we've just released a helpful guide on next steps with Protect Your Cask. Also useful if you've purchased a cask from a Scotch whisky cask investment firm!

protectyourcask.com/next-steps-i...
Next Steps If You’ve Bought a Whisky Cask from Cask 88, Braeburn, or Whisky Merchants Trading Ltd - ProtectYourCask.com
The recent collapse of Whisky Merchants Trading Ltd—the company behind Cask 88 and Braeburn Whisky in the UK—has left many cask owners uncertain about what happens next. Whether you were promised a lo...
protectyourcask.com
May 6, 2025 at 5:40 PM
I've just broken the story on Forbes that Scotch whisky cask investment 'firms' Cask 88 and Braeburn Whisky have gone bust.

This is going to be an utter mess for a lot of innocent people who will lose a lot of money.

www.forbes.com/sites/felipe...
$80 Million Scotch Whisky Cask Investment Firm Goes Bust
Sister Scotch whisky cask investment firms Braeburn Whisky and Cask 88 have both folded, leaving investors panicked and scrambling to find their casks of whisky.
www.forbes.com
May 2, 2025 at 5:26 PM
I'm honoured to be quoted in @nytimes.com talking about cask whisky scams.

However, the world's top media organisations are publishing stories about the problem while the industry collectively twiddles its thumbs. Another indicator of how bad things are getting.

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/25/d...
A New, Full-Bodied Fraud Comes in a Whisky Barrel
Small investors in Britain and Ireland have fallen prey to companies selling casks that turn out to be untraceable or nonexistent.
www.nytimes.com
April 28, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Ok this is cool - I'm one of the featured presenters at the upcoming Whisky Topaketa festival happening in Bilbao in June. I'll be running my first ever tastings in Spanish too.

More info on the festival here: bilbaowhisky.com
Bilbao Whisky Topaketa – Encuentro internacional del Whisky en Bilbao
Bilbao Whisky Topaketa - Encuentro internacional del Whisky en Bilbao
bilbaowhisky.com
April 27, 2025 at 10:07 AM
This may be the best interview I've ever done.

We chatted to Laurence Cook, producer for the incredible Hunting The Whisky Bandits series, about whisky cask scams.

Industry pals - please listen to him. This is a massive threat to the industry we love.

Link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeUt...
Inside 'Hunting the Whisky Bandits' with BBC Producer Laurence Cook
YouTube video by Mark Littler
www.youtube.com
April 24, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Whisky pals! Tomorrow I'll be hosting a live webinar with a producer from the brilliant BBC specials on whisky cask investment scams.

If you want to know what the scammer hullaballoo is about, join us!

We kick things off at 19:30 pm, UK time. Info below.

www.facebook.com/events/36155...
Webinar - An interview with the whisky bandit hunters
Event by Protect Your Cask and Felipe Schrieberg on Tuesday, April 22 2025
www.facebook.com
April 21, 2025 at 12:07 PM
When it comes to all things Scotch whisky cask investment, this is spot on and actually not an exaggeration at all.

Sourced from Wisgy Weekly.
April 1, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Ok yeah this is mandatory viewing for anyone into whisky or working in the industry. I'll also note that this programme covers only 3 firms - there's many more operating in similar ways.

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
Disclosure - Hunting the Whisky Bandits
Reporter Sam Poling goes undercover to investigate the shadowy world of scammers selling fraudulent investments in Scotland’s national drink.
www.bbc.co.uk
March 31, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Hopefully the BBC specials on whisky scammers will lead to meaningful change in the industry.

If you want to understand how they work and do their dirty business I wrote about it here on Forbes:

www.forbes.com/sites/felipe...
Is This The Beginning Of The End For Whisky Cask Scammers?
A story from the BBC reveals how Scotch whisky cask investment scammers do their dirty business. It also marks the first time victims have come forward to warn others.
www.forbes.com
March 28, 2025 at 9:50 AM
When I was interviewed about whisky cask investment fraud on The Spirits Business almost a year ago, I predicted a bloodbath. It's now here. The BBC show and podcast coming out on cask scammers is going to be a must-watch.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Hundreds lose life savings in whisky barrel scam
Investors were duped into ploughing millions of pounds into casks that were overpriced or did not exist.
www.bbc.co.uk
March 27, 2025 at 6:46 AM