The UK government’s consideration of proposals to allow English whisky producers to use the term “single malt” has sparked strong opposition from Scottish distilleries and politicians. The proposed changes would permit whisky made at a single English distillery to be labeled as “single malt English whisky,” a move that the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) argues would undermine the established definition of single malt and devalue the category.
According to the SWA, traditional Scotch whisky production requires malting, mashing, fermentation, and distillation to take place at the same site. However, under the English proposal, only the distillation process would need to occur at one location, while mashing and fermentation could take place elsewhere. Graham Littlejohn, SWA’s director of strategy and communications, stated in an interview with BBC Good Morning Scotland that this approach strips away key production steps and weakens the connection to place that is fundamental to single malt Scotch whisky.
The English Whisky Guild has defended its position, stating that its distilleries collaborate with local breweries that are not on the same site, allowing them to benefit from brewing expertise and create distinctive whisky expressions. While acknowledging the importance of provenance, the guild emphasized that English whisky distillers source their grain from within the UK.
Despite these assurances, the SWA remains firm in its opposition, warning that granting English distilleries the right to use the term “single malt” would damage the category’s integrity and harm Scotch whisky’s global reputation. The proposal is part of a broader application by the English Whisky Guild to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) for geographical indication (GI) status for English whisky, which would grant it protected designation, restricting the term’s use to whisky produced in England.
The controversy has also drawn criticism from the Scottish government. Mairi Gougeon, Scotland’s cabinet secretary for rural affairs, described any attempt to dilute the meaning of “single malt” as “wholly unacceptable” and warned that it could have serious economic repercussions for Scotland’s whisky industry, which generated £5.4 billion in exports last year. First Minister John Swinney reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting Scotch whisky’s identity and pledged to take necessary action to oppose the proposal.
Opponents have a three-month window to submit responses to Defra’s consultation process. The SWA has confirmed that it will formally object to the proposal, arguing against any move that could diminish the global prestige of single malt Scotch whisky.
