1. Who we are
Hidden Cask is a personal whisky project made available to fellow enthusiasts. For questions about this policy or your information, contact webgeeze@hiddencask.co.uk.
2. Information we collect
- Profile details: your player name and email address.
- Game and tasting records: games joined or hosted, bottle selections, scores, aroma or tasting notes, results and preferences.
- Paid-plan information: private collection entries, bottle details, values and images; venue profile and branding details; and feature requests you choose to send.
- Security information: one-time verification codes, access tokens, IP address, browser information and security logs used to protect accounts and prevent abuse.
- Usage information: privacy-limited page and interaction events used to understand and improve the service. Private access tokens, names and email addresses are not intentionally included in analytics events.
- Business outreach information: public business names, locations, websites and contact addresses for relevant distilleries, whisky venues, clubs, retailers and event organisers. For an outreach message we may record delivery, opens reported by the email provider, link clicks, visits through a recipient-specific information link, replies, bounces, complaints and unsubscribe requests.
3. Why we use your information
We use this information to create and validate player profiles, run tasting games, save personal bottle catalogues, collections and results, provide venue tools, respond to feature requests, provide game messages and result emails, secure the service, investigate misuse and improve Hidden Cask.
Sign-in and result emails are service messages, not marketing. Hidden Cask does not operate a promotional mailing list.
Where permitted, a limited one-to-one introduction may be sent to a relevant public business contact address to invite the organisation to try Hidden Cask or discuss a suitable partnership. Every prospect is reviewed before first contact, only one introduction is permitted per address, and each message includes a permanent opt-out.
4. Our lawful basis
We process information where it is necessary to provide the service you request and for our legitimate interests in operating, securing and improving Hidden Cask. Where permitted, relevant business outreach is considered under our legitimate interest in introducing and developing the service, balanced against the recipient’s rights and expectations. We do not send where consent is required unless that consent exists. Where consent is legally required—for example for non-essential analytics or similar technologies—we will ask before using them.
5. Who receives your information
Information may be processed by trusted hosting, email-delivery, security and analytics providers only where needed to operate Hidden Cask. Business discovery may use Google Places, outreach messages and engagement events may be processed by Brevo, and replies may be matched through a dedicated Gmail mailbox. We do not sell personal or business contact information. We may disclose information when required by law or to protect the service and its users.
6. Retention
Verification codes expire after a short period and can only be used once. Player profiles, games and catalogue records are retained so that players can return to their history. Security records are kept only for as long as reasonably necessary. Outreach activity is retained to maintain an accurate contact history and avoid repeat messages. Suppression records are retained so that an opt-out, complaint or invalid address is respected permanently. You may ask for your profile or relevant contact information to be corrected or deleted, subject to retaining the minimum suppression record needed to honour an opt-out.
7. Cookies and device storage
Hidden Cask uses browser storage and essential security mechanisms to keep a game or signed-in profile available on the current device. Google Tag Manager may deliver privacy-limited analytics. Outreach messages may contain an opaque recipient-specific link so Hidden Cask can record which invited business visited the partnership information page; the token does not expose the email address, and the outreach tracker does not store the visitor’s IP address. Email opens reported by Brevo can be affected by privacy-proxy activity and are treated as indicative rather than definitive. If non-essential cookies or similar tracking technologies are enabled, appropriate information and choices will be provided.
8. Your rights
Depending on the law that applies, you may have rights to access, correct, erase or restrict the use of your personal information, object to processing, or request a portable copy. Contact us to make a request. UK users may also raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
9. Security and age
We use one-time codes and private access links to reduce unauthorised access. No online service can guarantee absolute security, so please do not share codes or private game links. Hidden Cask is intended only for people of legal drinking age in their location.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as Hidden Cask develops. The latest version and revision date will remain available on this page.