commerce
Delivery order
The document by which the owner of goods in a bonded warehouse instructs the warehousekeeper to transfer them, or title to them, to another party — the instrument by which casks in bond actually change hands.
Not a legal term
No whisky regulation in Scotland, Ireland, the United States, the EU or Japan defines this. It is a trade or marketing term, so it is only actionable if its use is actively misleading.
Worth knowing
A delivery order is not a title document in itself and confers no rights against the warehouse unless the warehousekeeper acknowledges it and updates its records. For cask buyers the meaningful evidence of ownership is the warehousekeeper's written confirmation that the cask is held in your name, plus a current regauge — not a certificate issued by the seller.
Related terms
Last reviewed 2026-07-30 · All glossary terms