There are no absolute guarantees in whisky cask ownership, just as there are in any venture. But there are times when something happens that can steer things in a very positive direction.

This is certainly true with a product that is popular all over the world, as Scotch whisky undoubtedly is. That means the demand for it is high, the recognition is widespread and the number of potential collectors and connoisseurs is that much greater.

However, this can face one obvious threat; unable to easily acquire the real thing and never able to produce it at source, some may go down an illicit route. What may have once happened in the US to try to get around 1920s Prohibition and keep the speakeasies stocked up is now a means of trying to make a quick buck with a cheap imitation of the real thing.

Thankfully, not every jurisdiction sits idle and lets this continue. Brazil has just taken steps to curb the bootleg whisky trade by granting Scotch whisky legal recognition.

What this means is that anyone walking into a liquor store in Rio, Sao Paolo, Brasilia or anywhere else in the South American country will be able to get a bottle of Scotch knowing that’s exactly what it is, and not something else being passed off as something it is not.

Given that the country has the largest population and economy on the continent, this is great news for British distillers. The government believes it could be worth £25 million to the UK whisky export sector.

Trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds, speaking on a visit to Glengoyne Distillery (surely one of the best perks of the job) said the move will give exporters to Brazil “the confidence they need to export to one of the world’s largest economies without having to compete with fake knock-offs and pale imitations”.

Chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association Mark Kent noted that this was the first time in five years that an imported drink had been given ‘country of origin’ designation in Brazil, putting it on the same footing as tequila, cognac and champagne.

“This is fundamental to ensure that millions of Brazilians can have confidence in the quality and history of what they’re buying,” he remarked.

Of course, if you are buying into cask whisky the stuff will be maturing in barrels here in the UK, so you know it’s the real thing. But what it means for the future is that it will never be forced to compete with, or have its real value confused by, some inferior knock-off product. Not in Brazil, at least.

Scotch Whisky is not alone in being given this kind of protected status. Welsh whisky may not be as famous, but it was given geographical indication status by the UK government last summer, matching produce like Welsh lamb and Caerphilly cheese.

Four distilleries were involved in the successful bid for GI status – Penderyn, In the Welsh Wind, Da Mhile, and Coles.

So when you buy into cask whisky, you can do so with increasing confidence that its value can be boosted by the recognition of authenticity that will flush out the fake stuff.