According to The National, Financial Times and Independent "the UK Government unveiled plans for a legal definition of English single malt whisky". If approved, the new definition would mean that English distilleries could be able to make whisky in several different locations but call it a 'single malt' anyway.

Apparently Scottish whisky associations and politicians are very critical of this plan. An SNP MP said: "This is an act of sabotage and is yet another blatant attack on one of Scotland's key industries by a Labour Government that simply doesn't care. These plans pull the rug from beneath the crown jewel in Scotland's exports and completely undermines our world class Scotch whisky sector."

A representative of the Scottish Whisky Association said “It would be very damaging for the reputation of single malt whisky from the UK, and by extension Single Malt Scotch Whisky, if English whiskies were allowed to describe spirit as ‘Single Malt’ despite being produced in a different manner to the established process and long-standing traditions of the Scotch whisky industry.”

What could a good Scottish counter-move be? A campaign to promote "genuine Highland puddings" instead of Yorkshire ones or maybe building 'the original' Wee Ben near the Scottish Parliament?

by mayalihamur

15 comments

  1. “According to The National”

    ![gif](giphy|PfokgVplYWvLi)

  2. >maybe building ‘the original’ Wee Ben near the Scottish Parliament?

    Surely it would be ‘Beag Ben’?

  3. Storm in a teacup. Single malt refers to it being blended or not, and isn’t related to location.

    Having the Scotch tag would be the USP that our whisky has over rUK or international whisky

  4. We already have the But n Ben where the Broons hang oot fer summer, Maw Broon even got a cook book of her recipes from there on Amazon ,far better than any Big Ben.

  5. You should have stopped at “ according to The National “

  6. Irish single malt, Not a problem
    Japanese single malt , Not a problem
    New Zealand single malt , Not a problem

    English single malt , Problem

    Sounds like it’s not really the whisky you have a problem with

  7. “According to the National”

    No more words required.

  8. >Apparently

    Is there a source of  these plans? Article says plans have been “unveiled” (by who?) and “it has been reported” but nothing more in regards to source.

    Anyways…..

    What’s the current terminology? Using malt whisky from multiple distilleries in a single blend, with no grain alcohol, would be called a “malt blend” or “blended malt”?

    ***Edit*** (from added independent article) – “The controversy stems from a UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) application for protected geographic status for English single malt. The proposed definition states that English single malt must be made from “UK grain at an English distillery using water local to the distillery”. 

    Hopefully uts just a wording error. Change it from ” an English” to “a single English” and everyone will be happy.

  9. This is weird cause Single Malt Scottish Whisky is already legislated on via the Scotch Whisky Regulations, and has protected locales.

    English whisky being shite surly benefits scotland.

    Also england already has a handful of excellent single malt distilleries, as does wales.

  10. “English whiskey definition change is an attack on Scotland’s key industries” yeaaah, people buy Scotch, not English whiskey, so this is just a crybaby thing. Let me know when they want to fuck with the definition of Scotch.

    Also this redefinition is just heresay at this point and not a fact

  11. SWA are massive yoons so fuck them, they know who they’re dealing with.

  12. If it’s not mixed, then maybe call it “continuous malt” or something. But “single malt” has a specific meaning which **everyone** understands, there’s no point in muddying the waters.

    There’s nowt wrong with a blend, but it’s just *not* a single malt.

    If this is a new way of shunting the same batch of spirit around (no mixing), then it should be its own thing.

    Or if it’s a blend, then it’s a blend. Big deal.

  14. They are attempting to water down the definition just to “open it up a little”

  15. It’s the snobbery of the Scotch Whisky community in this country that puts people off it. It’s so incredibly fucking dull. Just drink your drink, nobody wants to hear its life story.

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