Scottish Distilleries Rally Against Proposed English 'Single Malt' Whisky Label

Plans by the UK government to allow English whisky makers to label their product as “single malt” have sparked significant backlash from Scottish distilleries and politicians. The proposal suggests that English whisky can be deemed “single malt” even if the mashing and fermentation processes occur at different sites, contrarily to the strict production methods followed in Scotland, which require these processes to happen at a single distillery. Graham Littlejohn, director of the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), argues that this change would diminish the integrity of single malt whisky by removing its essential connection to the geographical and procedural traditions that define Scotch. The English Whisky Guild supports the notion of innovation through collaboration with local breweries but acknowledges that the provenance of ingredients is crucial. Scottish authorities, including Scotland’s cabinet secretary for rural affairs, Mairi Gougeon, have strongly condemned the proposal, asserting that it could jeopardize the reputation of Scotland’s iconic whisky industry, which contributed £5.4 billion in exports last year. The SWA is preparing to formally contest the proposal with Defra, emphasizing the need to safeguard the uniqueness of Scotch whisky against potential dilution from the proposed English variant. Opposition voices have three months to respond to the consultation as the discussion continues.