Scotch Whisky Association appeals English Whisky GI approval

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has lodged an appeal against the recent approval of the English Whisky Geographical Indication (GI) by DEFRA. The SWA, joined by the Irish Whiskey, Scotch Whisky, and Welsh Whisky Associations, expressed concerns regarding inconsistencies in the approval process and the potential impact on the integrity of the single malt category.

A primary point of contention is the GI's allowance for English Single Malt Whisky to be mashed and fermented away from the distillery. The SWA argues this breaks the essential connection between single malt and a specific site. As a counter-proposal, the SWA suggested that whiskies not mashed, fermented, and distilled at a single distillery should be labeled as ‘English Malt Whisky’.

In contrast, the English whisky sector is experiencing growth, with approximately 70 distilleries currently operating across England. The new GI mandates that the product must be mashed, fermented, distilled, matured, and bottled within England. While English producers often operate on a smaller scale than their Scottish counterparts, they utilize diverse barley varieties and maturation techniques to differentiate their spirits.