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Bulleit bourbon has been a big winner for Diageo and a prime example of how a liquor giant can grow a niche brand without sacrificing its craft-like independent spirit. Now the fast-growing brand is on the attack against a competitor that Diageo says is trying to steal some of Bulleit’s frontier vibe.

In a lawsuit filed this week in federal court, Diageo alleges the smaller Redemption bourbon brand committed trademark infringement by copying the vintage style of Bulleit’s packaging and branding. Diageo stated that similarities included the clear canteen-shaped bottle with rounded shoulders and embossed brand name above the label. The lawsuit also points to branding that referred to Redemption as a “saloon era” and “pre-prohibition” whiskey. Bulleit is marketed as a “frontier whiskey” whose packaging is meant to “evoke the rugged look and feel of the American Frontier,” according to the lawsuit.

Redemption was previously sold in cylinder-shaped bottles with a more modern look, according to the suit. Diageo alleges that Redemption was revised to mimic Bulleit after the brand was acquired by Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, a wine and spirits marketers whose brands include Yellow Tail. Deutsch bought Redemption from Bardstown Barrel Selections in 2015.

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