Impact of new Scotch whisky legislation

New legislation which will protect whisky from cheaper foreign versions is coming into force in Scotland on Monday. This will include new rules on how the bottles are labeled and marketed in an effort to protect the product. The new legislation will cover things such as:

Five categories of Scotch Whisky are defined for the first time; Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.

New rules to prevent the misleading labelling and marketing of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies.

A ban on the use of a distillery name as a brand name on any Scotch Whisky which has not been wholly distilled in the named distillery.

Clear rules on the use of age statements on packaging.

This new legislation will have a major impact on how whisky is marketed across the world.

New Scotch whisky legislation