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TTB passes rules for American single malt whiskey
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has officially recognised American single malt as a whiskey category.
The final ruling comes after more than two years of consideration and significant lobbying by the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission (ASMWC).
The TTB delivered on its promise to reach a final decision on the proposed guidelines for American single malt before the end of the year, solidifying it as a government-recognised and protected style.
Guidelines were initially submitted in July 2022, with a 60-day commenting period that ended in September that same year.
Since then, American single malt producers have crossed their fingers and continued to deliver on their message that formal guidelines would help the style grow and gain legitimacy.
“This is a landmark ruling from the TTB that further cements our standing on the global stage in whiskey,” American single malt whisky commission president Steve Hawley said. “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.”
Key provisions from the standard include: the whiskey must be made from a fermented mash of 100% malted barley produced in the US; it must have a distillation proof of 160 [80% ABV] or less, distilled at the same distillery in the US; the whiskey must be stored in used, charred new, or uncharred new oak barrels, with a 700-litre maximum capacity and only stored in the US; no neutral spirits permitted; and no allowable colouring, flavouring, or blending materials permitted except caramel colouring that must be disclosed on the label.
The final ruling also establishes a standard for straight American single malt whiskey, requiring it to be aged a minimum of two years. The rule is scheduled to be published on Wednesday 18 December and take effect on 19 January 2025.
Spirits industry welcomes ruling
In the immediate aftermath of the decision, American single malt brands issued statements expressing their joy and celebrating the significance of the moment.
“Americans have been distilling whiskey for centuries, and I’m so thrilled to see that the TTB has finally announced American single malt as an official and protected category of American whiskey,” said Virginia Distillery Company (VDC) CEO Gareth H Moore and ASMWC treasurer. “As one of the co-founding members of the ASMWC, this monumental moment is very important to me.
“The American single malt category will further broaden the view of the American whiskey consumer and fuel innovation and premiumisation across domestic products.”
In July, a coalition of more than 100 distillers, the ASMWC, and the Distilled Spirits Council of the US (Discus) sent a letter to the TTB urging for a final ruling. In August, it was reported that more than 1,000 letters had been sent to the TTB advocating for guidelines.
“We want to thank the TTB for listening to the needs of US distillers and working with the industry to provide an official standard for the American single malt whiskey category,” 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.”
American single malt has been on the rise in recent years, fuelled by distillers dedicated to the style such as VDC, Westland, Westward, Stranahan’s, St George, Balcones, and Cedar Ridge. More recently, bigger names like Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam, and Bulleit have released American single malts, giving the category wider exposure.
“One of our biggest challenges has been educating whiskey consumers on what American single malt is, especially without a legal definition to rely on. This new framework provides the foundation we need to establish a clear and consistent identity for the category,” said Cedar Ridge master distiller Murphy Quint.
“We’ve had little control over where our American single malt bottles end up on the retail shelf – sometimes they’re placed with Scotches, other times with Bourbons, or even in the dreaded ‘other’ category.
“It will be a nice change to finally see American single malt represented with its own dedicated signage in retail spaces.”
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