The UK Government’s plans for a legal definition of English single malt whisky are “taking advantage” of the reputation built by the Scottish industry, the head of a trade body has said.
Scotland's whisky’s reputation is worth “fighting for” and there should be “no confusion” around the single malt category for consumers, the chief executive officer of the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) Mark Kent has said.
Writing for LBC, Kent said English whisky distilleries are free to compete with Scotch whisky, but they should do so on a level playing field.
Kent's comments follow the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announcement that it is considering making an application for protected geographical status for English single malt.
The proposal defines English single malt as being made from “UK grain at an English distillery using water local to the distillery”.
However, SWA said this “only requires distillation at the single distillery location and not the creation of the spirit from malted barley at a single site”.
SWA also raised concerns that the definition is “entirely inconsistent with the reputation of single malt whisky, which is famous for its integral connection to place, and would undermine the single malt Scotch whisky category”.
Kent explained that the simple definition of "single malt" is that it is only one and not one of several.
Currently, single malts must be made in one single distillery, but the proposed new rules would mean English whisky could be made in several different locations – drastically cutting costs for whisky distillers in the country.
“Only one location. Only one site. Only one distillery where the new make spirit is created from the malted barley connected to one place, maintaining that fundamental link between community and spirit which has underpinned the single malt Scotch whisky category for decades,” Kent said.
Adding that the proposed English whisky single malt definition sets out a “one of several” category meaning several locations, several producers, and several sites at which the pre-distilled alcohol is created from barley.
Kent said that the definition that aims to have the distillery just a final stage and not the integral place of production is “not good enough to be called single malt”.
Last year, 127 million bottles of Scotch whisky were sold. Kent said the industry has built the reputation of single malt and consumers' expectations of quality along with integrity that goes with it.
SWA and Scottish Government insiders have claimed the plans could undermine the £5.4 billion whisky industry in Scotland.
Kent added that consumers may be faced with two single malts on the shelves and that they will have “no idea” that they will be produced to two very different standards.
“The definition of ‘single malt’ English whisky would undercut Scotch whisky by free riding on its hard-fought reputation, avoid the necessary investment to make single malt at one site, and undermine the quality standard which has been nurtured by communities across Scotland,” he said.
Kent added: “Innovation does not mean taking advantage of the reputation created by others to sell a different product. There should be no confusion around the single malt category for consumers.”
Following the announcement of the English single malt, a Defra spokesperson said: “No decisions have been made on whether to recognise English whisky as a Geographical Indication (GI) – the application process is ongoing.”
