Tesco issues bizarre denial after 'Scotch whisky' blunder in Scottish store

TESCO has issued a statement after a National reader raised concerns about a Scotch whisky blunder in one of its Scottish stores.

Images shared with this paper showed shelves stocked with spirit at the Tesco superstore in Keith, which is described as the “eastern gateway to Moray Speyside” – one of Scotland’s prime whisky-producing areas.

However, the images showed that the shelves were labelled “Scotch Whiskey” – while American bourbons were labelled as “Imported Whisky”.

An image shared with The National showing the 'Scotch whiskey' sign in the Keith Tesco (Image: NQ) The National reader who spotted the mistake said: “It might sound like a small thing, but it’s an important distinction – and a shocking mistake to see when visiting Speyside of all places!

“Considering Moray’s whisky links, it’s hard to believe that no one in the store noticed the mistake before.”

That Scotch whisky is spelled without the “E” is linked to cultural traditions and translation from the word’s Scottish Gaelic form.

The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 embedded the spelling into law and laid out how a spirit had to be produced at a single distillery in Scotland and aged in oak casks in Scotland for at least three years in order to qualify as "Scotch whisky".

US bourbon and Irish whiskey are both spelled with an “E”, allowing consumers to easily spot the difference on shelves.

Asked for comment, a Tesco spokesperson suggested that the photo was “signage from several years ago”. They said that staff at the Keith store had checked and the signage was not currently on display.

In response, The National was told: “These pictures were taken on March 30, 2025, and I have the phone data to prove it. The suggestion that I kept these images for years is simply ridiculous.

Screenshots shared with The National show the date and time the photos were taken (Image: Supplied) “I expected Tesco to quickly change the signs – not suggest some long-running conspiracy.”

Asked for proof that the signs are not up in the Keith whisky aisle, Tesco provided a single image of a sign saying “Malt whisky”.

However, this image shows a different shelf to the ones originally pictured.

An image shared by Tesco showing a 'Malt whisky' sign on a different shelf to the one in the original images (Image: Tesco) “I feel like going back to Keith to check if they’re telling the truth, to be honest,” The National reader said. “But I live in Glasgow so it’s too long a drive.”

Asked for a response, a Tesco spokesperson stood by their initial statement. It said: “This appears to be some signage from several years ago which contained an error and should not be on display in any of our stores. 

“Our colleagues at the Keith Moss St Superstore have checked the alcohol aisle and we can confirm that it is not currently being displayed.”