The CWA is made up of two boards of members and advisors, including cask whisky businesses, distilleries, independent bottlers, whisky experts and authors as well as legal and insurance professionals working within the sector.

Chairman of the advisory board and spokesman for the CWA, Colin Hampden-White, said: “The CWA exists to protect private customers from unscrupulous business practices and traders and safeguard independent bottlers from over-inflated pricing.” 

The association aims to set the best practices in cask whisky ownership and sale to protect customers and the wider whisky industry.

The Association is in discussions with the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), the Worshipful Company of Distillers and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), seeking cooperation and collaboration to address issues in the sector. 

It is also petitioning The Bonded Warehousekeepers Association (The BWA) to gain its support.

Whisky expert and author Hans Offringa, who sits on the CWA’s advisory board, said: “If you want to buy whisky, go to a trusted company and get some advice, that way you will avoid any pitfalls. That’s why I think certification and licensing is so important.

“The CWA provides a quality hallmark for people looking to buy and invest in whisky. There are a lot of cowboys out there and we don’t want them to discredit good companies and ruin good business,” Offringa added.

Membership to the CWA is open to UK-based, financially-stable companies who uphold quality standards and retain all appropriate licences.

The CWA is a voluntary organisation open to all cask whisky companies. Applications will be reviewed semi-annually by the executive board and overseen by the independent advisory board.