Single malt Scotch whisky has a long and storied history. It’s been crafted in Scotland for centuries and is beloved on the world stage. American single malt whiskey doesn’t have as long of a history, but it’s finally getting its due. That’s because the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has ratified a ruling to officially create a recognized category for the purely American take on the classic whiskey style.
There has been much lobbying for this to be finalized in the last decade. This includes a partnership between the American Single Malt Single Malt Whiskey Category (ASMWC) and the Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS). In the last year, the two groups sent over 1,000 letters to TTB Administrator Mary Ryan in an effort to finally get the recognition and official status the spirit deserves.
American single malt whiskey rules
While the rules for American Single Malt Whisky are officially scheduled to be published on December 18 (and the effective date is January 19, 2025), TTB listed them last week. The rules, like those of bourbon whiskey, are very specific.
To be called an American single malt whiskey, it must be made from a mash bill of 100% malted barley grown in the US. It must be distilled to a proof of no more than 160 at the same distillery in the US. It must be matured in used, charred new, or uncharred new oak barrels with a maximum of 700 liters for at least two years. It must be aged and stored in the US, contain no coloring, flavoring, or blending ingredients except caramel coloring, and no neutral spirits are permitted.
Distillers weight in
Since myriad brands currently craft American single-malt whiskeys, many notable distillers weighed in on the new official designation.
“An official category designation gives the ASM category an added element of legitimacy,” Old Line Spirits co-founder Mark McLaughlin said in a press release. “If we want to be taken seriously along with single malt producers from Scotland, Ireland, Japan, etc., we need to have a well-defined and official place in the American marketplace.
“As the category leader in American Single Malt Whiskey, and one of its original pioneers, Stranahan’s applauds the TTB’s designation of American Single Malt whiskey as an official category,” Lander Otegui, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Proximo Spirits, said in a press release.
