A move to grant protected status to single malt whisky distilled in England has caused concern in the Scotch industry and across the political spectrum.

The SNP has called on the UK Government to reverse the decision by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to give English whisky, or whiskey, the same level of legal protection as Scotch Whisky.  

Under current rules, single malt scotch whisky must be mashed, fermented, and distilled at a single distillery in Scotland, but for English whisky, some parts of the process can take place outside the primary distillery. Only distillation has to happen at a single site and this is at the heart of the dispute over the ‘single malt’ designation.

The Scotch Whisky Association has warned that the English rules are “entirely inconsistent with the reputation of single malt whisky”.

It said: “We do not oppose the principle of an English whisky GI and indeed have helped in its initial drafting. But the text as approved undermines the established definition of single malt, creates confusion for consumers and jeopardises the category which the Scotch whisky industry established and built the reputation of around the world.” 

The English Whisky Guild submitted its application for the recognition over six years ago and regards the long-awaited approval a “landmark achievement” for “the quality and innovation across our growing industry.”

There are currently about 70 distilleries with about £1 billion worth of maturing stocks, and English whisky is exported to more than 30 countries.

Scotland has more than 150 distilleries and Scotch whisky is Britain’s most valuable food and drink export with £5.3 billion worth sold last year. The SWA says 1.34 billion bottles are shipped to 163 markets.

SNP MSP for Moray, Laura Mitchell, said: “The Labour government must now do the right thing, listen to the Scotch Whisky industry, and scrap this disastrous proposal.”
 
Scottish Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain secured an urgent question in the House of Commons, forcing the UK Government to answer concerns.

The North East Fife MP, who is chair of the APPG for Scotch Whisky, made it clear that she supports Geographical Indication status for English whisky, but raised concerns that the new definition weakens the established meaning of “single malt”.

She says this risks disadvantaging Scotch producers who have invested to meet traditional production standards.

During the Urgent Question, she also criticised the timing of the announcement, which was made at 5pm on Friday before recess, leaving limited opportunity for parliamentary scrutiny ahead of the 8 October appeal deadline.

Speaking after the Urgent Question, Ms Chamberlain MP said: “The Government must explain why it has approved a definition that risks undermining that reputation and creating an uneven playing field for producers.

“This is not about opposing English whisky. The issue is protecting the integrity and reputation of single malt whisky, a category that consumers around the world understand to mean a whisky produced entirely at one distillery.”

See also:

Andrew Dane, chief executive of whisky curator the Artisanal Spirits Company, comments on the debate.

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