A just lately opened whisky warehousing facility in Scotland has taken a digital-first strategy from the get-go with Proof 8.
Positioned simply outdoors Edinburgh, Royal Elizabeth Bond has opted to not depend on paper data. As a substitute, the warehousing facility makes use of digital data and deeds on Proof 8’s SaaS-powered platform.
The bond obtained HMRC Warehouse Keepers approval in November 2025 and has obtained planning permission for greater than 800,000 sq. ft of latest storage, which can enhance its capability to roughly 1.1 million casks.
The unbiased cask storage facility situated close to the Forth Bridge in Dalmeny has assigned a singular digital deed to each cask on its web site. These casks are held on behalf of distillers, brokers and personal homeowners from throughout Scotland.
The digital deeds present every cask with a digital identification accessible by way of a QR code. This file particulars the contents of the cask, its possession, its location within the warehouse, and all related historical past.
Not like conventional paper data, the digital format stays with the cask all through its lifetime and can’t be misplaced or fraudulently replicated, claims Proof 8.
Finlay Reid, head of operations at Royal Elizabeth Bond, mentioned: “As a result of we have been ranging from scratch, we had a selection quite a lot of established operators don’t. We might inherit the previous manner of doing issues or begin clear.
“Paper and spreadsheets are susceptible to human error, with knowledge re-keyed, two casks entered underneath the identical quantity, hours misplaced searching the discrepancy.”
“One of many issues cask homeowners care about most is realizing precisely the place their cask is and having confidence within the data hooked up to it. The digital deed provides them that, they usually can see their cask, their liquid, and the important thing info hooked up to it at any time.
“With an asset as precious as whisky, uncertainty and ambiguity are unacceptable. We needed to discover a higher manner that may stand us in good stead for the long run as we develop.”
Since its launch, the digital-first strategy claims to have diminished the processing time for a 100-150 cask consumption from a day to about half-hour.
Battling fraud
The digital strategy is claimed to coincide with a crucial time for cask possession. A BBC Scotland investigation revealed cask funding fraud, through which victims have been offered overpriced, double-sold, or nonexistent casks.
Following the reform of the Warehousekeepers and House owners of Warehoused Items Laws (WOWGR) in March 2025, which lifted the requirement for cask homeowners to register with HMRC (His Majesty’s Income and Customs), warehouse data now function the primary safeguard for cask homeowners.
Stuart Maxwell, chief working officer at Proof 8, mentioned: “Excessive-profile fraud instances have proven what occurs when the system depends on belief alone and the previous methods of doing issues. A chunk of paper might be duplicated; a digital deed can not.
“Royal Elizabeth Bond has finished what no operator at this scale has finished earlier than, shunned paper totally and recorded each cask digitally from day one. That offers cask homeowners, distillers and HMRC one thing the business has been lacking: proof.”
Royal Elizabeth Bond joins a number of companies utilizing Proof 8, together with Cockayne Programs, Lancaster Spirits Co, and Jackton Distillery.
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