Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau was urged to establish a standard of identity for American Single Malt Whiskey.
The idea of a American Single Malt Whiskey standard of identity has been on TTB’s Semi-Annual Regulatory Agenda. Now, “the need for the development of a standard for this growing category has reached a critical moment as more distillers than ever are labeling their products with this term while there are no formal TTB requirements for the American Single Malt
Whisk(e)y category,” Chris Swonger, president, Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. and Steve Hawley, president, American Single Malt Whiskey Commission, said in a letter to David Wulf, TTB’s deputy administrator, urging TTB to release a notice of proposed rulemaking.
“We believe that by securing a formal Standard of Identity, consumers will benefit from the clear definition of what constitutes a single malt whisk(e)y produced in the U.S. This new standard will establish trust in the category, clarify label declarations, and equip consumers with the necessary information to make informed purchasing decisions,” they said.
“The formal establishment of this category would also signal to the world that not only do we believe in and support our own distilleries, but we also recognize that American Single Malt
Whisk(e)y is as unique as other American staples, such as Bourbon, and deserves to be similarly defined and protected.
“These protections have been in place for Scotch Whisk(e)y for
generations and we believe that, to protect the developing American Single Malt category here in the U.S., such regulations should be in place here as well. As DISCUS, ASMWC, and others seek to promote the protection of this category through free trade agreements with nations around the world, having an established definition in the U.S. will set a critical marker down to assist in the development of greater international recognition and protection going forward,” they wrote.