The Crieff, Perthshire-based Glenturret Distillery has announced a new brand protection initiative in response to increasing reputational and consumer risks associated with the mis-selling and misrepresentation of whisky casks.

The Glenturret, Scotland’s oldest working distillery, has appointed The Online Eye, a specialist online research, monitoring and security assessment business, to identify instances where casks are marketed, described or sold in ways that may mislead purchasers by incorrectly associating them with The Glenturret.

The move reflects The Glenturret’s commitment to protecting its provenance, reputation and customers from activity that seeks to benefit from the equity of its name without authorisation.

Since the engagement began, The Online Eye has identified multiple cases in which whisky casks offered for sale or investment have been incorrectly described as The Glenturret whisky. Such misrepresentation can disadvantage purchasers who may subsequently discover that a cask they have acquired is worth significantly less than expected, while also creating reputational risk for the distillery.

The Online Eye combines technical capability with strategic and tactical expertise in online investigation, monitoring and reputational risk mitigation. Its founders were responsible for creating and developing what became one of the most widely used social media monitoring solutions in UK policing. Together, they bring more than 30 years’ operational experience in gathering, assessing and managing intelligence across military and law enforcement environments.

Commenting on the news, John Laurie, Managing Director of The Glenturret, said: “The Glenturret name carries generations of craftsmanship, integrity and excellence. As our reputation has grown internationally, so too has the need to protect our customers, our partners and the wider category from those who seek to misuse that reputation for commercial gain. We take any misrepresentation of The Glenturret whisky extremely seriously. Where our name is used to mislead consumers or investors, we will act firmly and decisively.”

“Our responsibility is not only to our own brand, but also to the trust that underpins the whisky industry. Authenticity, provenance and transparency are essential in luxury single malt. This partnership with The Online Eye strengthens our ability to identify misuse early, understand the risks clearly and take appropriate action where required.”

Peter Lloyd, Senior Intelligence Strategist – Law Enforcement Advisor at The Online Eye, added: “The misuse of prestigious whisky brands in cask sales and investment propositions presents a clear reputational and consumer protection risk. The Online Eye is using its proprietary monitoring capability and extensive operational experience to identify instances of potential brand misuse affecting The Glenturret and to support a measured, intelligence-led response.”

“Our work is designed to help organisations understand online risk, identify emerging threats and take informed action. In this case, that means helping The Glenturret protect its name, its customers and the confidence that sits at the heart of the premium whisky category.”

Going forward, The Glenturret will take appropriate action against any party that uses its brand name in a way that could mislead customers, investors or consumers. The distillery is making clear to the trade that the integrity of The Glenturret name, the authenticity of its whisky and the confidence of its customers will be protected with the same care and discipline that define its craft.