The Growing Controversy Over Blended Scotch Whisky

The scotch whisky industry is up in arms about proposals prepared for the Government by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) which say that a "blended malt" category will help consumers know what they are buying (a story we first covered back in December). Distillers and producers say that this wording change will confuse the consumer and lead to a homogenized vertical in which a few large brands hold prominence.

The Scotsman has an article on the subject that quotes producers such as John Glaser, the director of specialist Scotch whisky maker Compass Box, who says that he fears the new labeling will cause consumer confusion and then lead to a lack of product sales. For whisky producers one of the biggest concerns is protecting their biggest emerging markets, Asia and India. The term "blended malt whisky" may confuse consumer or make them feel that they are getting an inferior product.

Mark Reynier, owner of Islay's Bruichladdich distillery, said that under the new proposals, a "blended single malt" of Lagavulin could be any whisky with only a dash of Lagavulin thrown in thereby keeping its association with Lagavulin. This could fool some into thinking they were getting a Lagavulin single malt, when they were getting a whisky with just a splash of Lagavulin added in.

On the other hand, the SWA hopes that the new regulations will protect the industry in the long run by setting up strict legal definitions of Scotch whisky. They say they have the support of the majority of the industry and believe that the legislation will lead to clear, consistent and accurate product information and prevent the deceptive practices that undermine consumer confidence in Scotch whisky.

The Scotch Blog features an open letter from John Glaser that includes a link to a petition to the SWA against the idea of the "blended malt" moniker.