CCL Label has announced the launch of SmartCask by Checkpoint, a digital identification and data platform that integrates data chips onto whisky casks, designed to provide ‘secure, long-term traceability’ in response to growing demand for trust, transparency and verified ownership in the Scotch whisky market.
SmartCask integrates long-life data chips directly onto individual casks, creating a unique digital identity engineered to ‘endure for decades’. Under standard storage conditions, the technology can last for up to 30 years, with lifespans of up to 50 years when stored within a temperature range of –20°C to +40°C.v
According to CCL, each chip functions as a permanent digital passport, securely storing verifiable information relating to cask origin and filling details, liquid contents, ownership records and movement history across warehouses and supply chain partners. SmartCask is designed to provide distilleries, bonded warehouses and brand owners with scalable oversight of their cask inventories. From filling and maturation through to bottling or transfer of ownership, each stage can be authenticated and audited.
CCL adds that ‘more than 22 million’ whisky casks are currently held in storage across Scotland, often relying on manual records or fragmented digital systems. The company says limited traceability and inconsistent oversight have created vulnerabilities that the industry ‘can no longer afford to ignore’.
SmartCask aims to support the sector’s shift toward digital traceability, aligning with emerging digital passport frameworks and strengthening ownership verification processes. The solution is said to enable producers to transition from paper-based documentation and siloed databases to a secure, interoperable system.
Last month Stirling Distillery revealed it has been working with scientists from the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences at Heriot-Watt University to investigate whether aluminium could replace glass bottles for its Scotch whisky. The company is seeking to minimize its footprint and become ‘as sustainable as possible’ before the release of its first mature whisky in 2027.
More recently, US company Maker’s Mark and artist Ashley Longshore unveiled a new limited-edition bourbon label for Womens’ History Month, pledging to donate $1 to non-profit Vital Voices every time a customer personalises the label with the name of an inspirational woman in their lives. Inspired by the brand’s Kentucky homeplace, the new label features bee-pollinating blooms with nods to jewels such as diamonds, pearls and gems that have been ‘worn by Southern women for generations’.
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