You've been punk'd

Even in a broadly positive review published by the Scotsman in 2015, Emma Newlands made ironic reference to the fact that BrewDog founder James Watts' book Business For Punks came "modestly billed as 'the business bible for a new generation'". What's more, she noted, "[its] words of wisdom often veer a little too close to Nathan Barley territory". If that paints its author as an egomaniacal wanker, then the (flat) cap seems to fit.

The book proved to be an absolute gift to Mark Daly, who referred back to it constantly in his recent Disclosure episode The Truth About BrewDog - whether to quote Watt on the importance of being open and honest (because consumers are able to detect even a faint whiff of bullshit), or to cite his disdain for following the rules. What became abundantly clear over the course of the hour-long documentary was that Watt practises what he preaches when it comes to the latter, but not with regard to the former.

Marketing scams and exaggerated or misleading environmental claims were identified as examples of blatant dishonesty. What's more, not only are nearly a quarter of the company's shares owned by tax haven partnerships, but - as one former employee was visibly stunned to learn - Watt also personally has £500,000 worth of shares in Heineken, the multinational brewing giant he's very publicly vilified. Meanwhile, so-called "equity punks" loyal to the brand have been milked for all they're worth. Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?

The flagrant disregard for both honesty and bureaucracy was encapsulated in the way in which BrewDog - hell-bent on breaking big in America like the rock star it clearly thinks it is - refused to put transatlantic expansion plans on ice until all of the paperwork was in order and instead pressed ahead with flouting US import rules on declaring particular ingredients in its beers. Watt subsequently waffled on about "shortcuts" and "technical inaccuracies", but no one should be fooled.

And then there was the coverage of the extensive claims that BrewDog has a toxic workplace culture, especially for women - one in which pressure, sexualised language and misogyny are commonplace. Damningly, these problems were reported via a staff survey long before last summer's Punks With Purpose open letter, but no discernible action was taken. What's more, interviewees accused Watt himself of deliberately cultivating a chaotic climate and behaving inappropriately towards female staff and customers. It's a remarkable state of affairs when bar managers feel the need to shield members of their own team from the attentions of the CEO.

Even without mentioning BrewDog's bully-boy legal tactics and the way in which they increasingly like to throw their weight around, Daly's programme was a devastating dissection of the company's many misdemeanours - of which rank hypocrisy is arguably the worst.