IN recognition of the growth of virtual whisky collections, Alastair Brown, who runs Fife-based The Whisky Barrel with brother Chris, has pioneered a revolutionary whisky authentication process that harnesses blockchain technology.
The Whisky Barrel’s Digital Provenance Certificates (NFTs) securely transmit essential product information on a public ledger, helping collectors and connoisseurs alleviate the risk of investing in counterfeit whisky.
Whisky Barrel founded Alastair Brown commented: “Using blockchain technology offers our customers a continuously updated, secure record of ownership for each individual bottle, adding a layer of provenance that’s unrivalled in the Scotch whisky industry.”
Developed in conjunction with Aberdeen-based tech start-up CD Corp., this is the world’s first Scotch whisky collection to use digital certification to verify provenance. Each Digital Provenance Certificate is minted on the Solana (SOL) blockchain platform, chosen for its verified carbon-neutral, low-energy consumption.
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Ryan Aitken, Managing Director of CD Corp. Ltd., said: “Alastair and Chris trusted us to execute our vision of immutable digital provenance certificates correlating with each bottle in a collection. They are at the forefront of this new process of authentication for rare Scotch whisky, and I believe their openness to a more inclusive integration of blockchain technology will reap rewards for their business long term”
Today sees the release of the first bottling — a 30-year-old distilled at the Glen Moray distillery in Elgin. Each of the 152 individually-numbered bottles feature a unique QR code that links to its corresponding Digital Provenance Certificate. This token provides digital proof of ownership, as well as the provenance of each bottle.
The Whisky Barrel’s 30-year-old Glen Elgin with Digital Certificate of Authenticity Owners of the first bottles are granted VIP membership to The Whisky Barrel Scotch Club hosted by Solsea. The first 30 NFTs feature a unique graphic representation of the bottle, enhancing their collectability.
Alastair Brown added: “Blockchain technology is not just for the big companies, it’s for small companies like ours. It is the future. Applying a certified digital history to a physical bottle of premium Scotch whisky is the ultimate provenance for our barley-to-bottle approach.”
The Glen Moray is the first release from The Whisky Barrel’s 15th Anniversary Portfolio Series, that will culminate in the bottling of a 50-year-old cask whisky at the end of the year.
