CBP Professional Ethics & Standards 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which statement best describes the ethical obligation of a CBP professional regarding social media content about bourbon?
- Paid partnerships must be disclosed using clear language such as #ad or #sponsored (Correct answer)
- Only posts that reach 10,000+ followers require disclosure of paid relationships
- Sharing a brand's content on personal accounts never requires disclosure
- Disclosures are only required for video content, not static posts
Correct answer: Paid partnerships must be disclosed using clear language such as #ad or #sponsored
FTC guidelines require clear and conspicuous disclosure of material connections, including paid partnerships, regardless of follower count or content format.
Question 2: A bourbon distillery asks a CBP professional to write tasting notes claiming their product has 'twice the flavor complexity of competitors.' This claim is ethically problematic because:
- Comparative claims are prohibited by all state alcohol boards
- Flavor complexity is subjective and the comparison lacks substantiation (Correct answer)
- Only master distillers are authorized to write official tasting notes
- The TTB requires all tasting notes to be submitted for pre-approval
Correct answer: Flavor complexity is subjective and the comparison lacks substantiation
Unsubstantiated superlative comparative claims about subjective qualities like 'flavor complexity' are misleading and violate professional standards for honest representation.
Question 3: When a CBP professional is consulted by media about industry practices, the ethical standard regarding confidential employer information is to:
- Share all information requested to promote industry transparency
- Disclose confidential information only if it exposes illegal activity
- Refuse all media inquiries to protect the employer unconditionally
- Share non-proprietary information while protecting trade secrets and confidential data (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Share non-proprietary information while protecting trade secrets and confidential data
Professionals may speak to media about general industry matters but must protect confidential business information, trade secrets, and proprietary processes.
Question 4: A CBP professional notices that a distillery's quality control records have been falsified to cover up a contaminated batch. The appropriate ethical action is to:
- Report the falsification internally and, if unresolved, to the TTB (Correct answer)
- Stay silent to protect colleagues and company reputation
- Fix the records yourself to reflect the truth without disclosure
- Inform only the sales team so they can avoid selling the affected batch
Correct answer: Report the falsification internally and, if unresolved, to the TTB
Falsified quality control records pose consumer safety risks; the ethical obligation is to report internally first and escalate to regulators if the issue is not resolved.
Question 5: In the context of CBP professional standards, 'responsible service' at a tasting event most critically means:
- Ensuring guests sample at least five different bourbons to maximize education
- Monitoring guest consumption and refusing service to visibly intoxicated individuals (Correct answer)
- Keeping pour sizes consistent regardless of the guest's apparent state
- Charging for additional pours after the first complimentary tasting
Correct answer: Monitoring guest consumption and refusing service to visibly intoxicated individuals
Responsible service requires active monitoring of guest consumption and the obligation to refuse further service to guests who show signs of intoxication.
Question 6: A bourbon professional working for a distillery is approached by a competitor offering to pay for information about proprietary mash bills. The ethical response is to:
- Negotiate a non-disclosure agreement before sharing
- Decline immediately and report the approach to their employer (Correct answer)
- Share only information that is publicly available
- Agree only if the competitor offers a formal consulting contract
Correct answer: Decline immediately and report the approach to their employer
Sharing proprietary employer information to a competitor violates duties of loyalty and confidentiality; the approach itself must be reported to the employer.
Question 7: Which of the following best exemplifies the principle of 'truth in labeling' as it applies to CBP professional ethics?
- Labeling a 3-year-old bourbon as 'aged' without specifying the duration
- Accurately disclosing on the label that caramel coloring was added (Correct answer)
- Omitting the state of distillation when bottled under a different state's brand
- Using the term 'handcrafted' for a bourbon produced entirely by automated equipment
Correct answer: Accurately disclosing on the label that caramel coloring was added
Accurately disclosing additives like caramel coloring on the label upholds the standard of truthful representation that professional ethics and TTB regulations require.
CBP Professional Ethics & Standards 3
Which statement best describes the ethical obligation of a CBP professional regarding social media content about bourbon?