‘American single malt whisky’ has been made an official category in the US by the national Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).
The ruling will be effective from 19 January, according to an official document viewed by Just Drinks.
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The move follows on from a series of calls for the establishment of a special category from a mixture of industry players over the past few years.
In 2017, the TTB said it had received petitions from French distilling major Remy Cointreau, and local US businesses XO Alambic and Westland Distillery, calling for a “standard of identity” for American single malt whisky.
Businesses told the TTB that consumer interest in the spirit was “at an all-time high” and that creating an official category for American single malt “would benefit consumers”, helping them “establish trust in the category, clarify label declarations, and equip consumers with the necessary information to make informed decisions so they can have confidence in the products they are choosing to buy”.
In 2022, the TTB asked for feedback on plans to develop a legal standard for American single malt whisky.
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By GlobalDataThe definition proposed by TTB said that for whisky to qualify as American single malt, it must be made at one US distillery. This includes the mashing, distillation and ageing process.
TTB’s proposed definition also said that the spirit had to be aged in oak barrels no larger than 700 litres, distilled at no less than 80% abv and bottled at no less than 40% abv.
The US Treasury bureau’s definition remains unchanged following the call for feedback, aside from two changes.
The first, allows the designation “straight” to be used for American malt whisky which has sat in barrels for at least two years. The second permits the use of caramel colouring if it is made clear on the label.
Alongside outlining its designation of the American single malt whisky category, the TTB said it “would consider any future petitions from interested parties for the creation of additional standards of identity for other products made primarily or
entirely from other malted grains”.
It added, however, that it would not “finalise any such standards” before receiving public and industry feedback.
Industry bodies have praised the decision. In a joint statement, the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission (ASMWC) and Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) said the TTB’s latest move would “protect and promote this growing category”.
“This is a landmark ruling from the TTB that further cements our standing on the global stage in whiskey”, ASMWC President Steve Hawley said in the statement.
“We applaud TTB for hearing the call from distillers, purveyors and fans of American Single Malt, and formalising a definition that supports and protects our producers both here and abroad. It’s a momentous day for American single malt whiskey, and this is just the beginning of a bright future for the category.”
DISCUS and ASMWC joined up in 2022 to send a letter to the TTB urging it to establish a category for American single malt whisky. In July, both groups then called on the TTB administrator Mary Ryan “to finalise the official standard”.
Speaking on the latest decision, DISCUS president and CEO Chris Swonger said: “This is great news for America’s distillers and spirits consumers. Having this formal definition is going to protect the integrity of American single malt whiskey and drive experimentation, creativity and innovation in this popular category.”
The final ruling is due to be published in the Federal Register on 18 December.
