Why Labour's redefining of 'single malt' for English whisky is a threat to Scotch – Alistair Carmichael
Scotch whisky is the jewel in the crown of UK food and drink exports but Labour may have just undermined that status
When it comes to methods of single-malt whisky drinking, as in politics, I am a liberal. Everyone has the right to drink whisky the wrong way, if that is what they prefer.
The right way, of course, is to add just a few drops of water. Those few drops help to release the flavour without chilling, distorting or weakening the whisky – allowing you to savour the experience all the more.
A little dilution in the glass is one thing. The UK government agreeing last week to dilute the basic meaning of “single-malt” whisky is quite another – and risks undermining both the reputation of Scotland’s greatest export, and the rural communities which rely upon it.
The meaning of ‘single malt’
At the heart of this problem is the question of what “single-malt” whisky really means. For Scottish, Welsh and Irish producers the matter is clear – it is a product mashed, fermented, and distilled at one single distillery. It is part of how whisky is rooted in particular locations up and down the country – each product distinctly ‘owned’ by its home community.
However, in the English application for geographical indication (GI) status – as approved by Defra last week – only the final process of distilling needs to be at one single site. By removing the requirement for the whole process to be carried out on a single distillery, they risk confusing the definition for Scotch, Welsh and Irish whisky, and loosening the public’s respect for single malt as a product.
To be clear, I have nothing against English whisky. Some of my favourite whiskies are English (this is not actually true, but I have had some perfectly serviceable drams from distilleries south of the Border).
No one wishes to oppose English whisky itself – particularly those producers who have already invested in using the traditional methods. It is about maintaining the level playing field on which single-malt Scotch whisky has built its reputation over decades.
The last thing we need
Whether the government is able to understand the problem at play is another matter entirely. Defra minister Stephen Morgan, in responding to an urgent debate secured by my colleague Wendy Chamberlain, seemed unwilling or unable to engage with the basic concern that was put to him repeatedly by MPs – that in allowing a looser definition for single-malt whisky from England, the government risked weakening the entire industry’s reputation in the long term.
I have some skin in this game, hailing from Islay and representing the Northern Isles in the House of Commons – between them, two areas with some of the most highly regarded single malts in the country (I say this with no bias, of course). Protecting the international reputation of single-malt whisky, however, should be a priority wherever you come from.
Scotch whisky is the jewel in the crown of UK food and drink exports. It drives tourism, jobs and investment, and supports the economies of some of our most fragile rural communities. The last thing we need, whether for those communities or for our economy as a whole, is to undermine the rock-solid reputation of single-malt whisky.
The government must think again. A little watering down is fine in the glass – but not for a whole industry.
Alistair Carmichael is the Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland
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