American Single Malt Whiskey receives Standard of Identity
For the first time in over fifty years, a new category of alcohol has been recognized by the U.S. government. On December 18, 2024, the Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) added American Single Malt Whiskey as a new Standard of Identity in the Code of Federal Regulations. The effort behind this designation was led by the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission, which formed in 2016 to define the emerging category, and is backed by over 100 distillery member producers from throughout the U.S. Their mission is to, “Establish, promote, and protect the category of American Single Malt Whiskey.” In order for a product to be identified and labeled as American Single Malt Whiskey, it must meet the following requirements: Made from 100% malted barley Distilled entirely at one distillery Mashed, distilled, and matured in the U.S. Matured in oak casks of a capacity not exceeding 700 liters Distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume) Bottled at 80 (U.S.) proof or more (40% alcohol by volume) The ruling, which goes into effect on January 19, 2025, has the potential to put greater demand from distillers on malted barley supply if the category gains traction. Furthermore, there will likely be increased interest in malt produced with varieties that are non-producers of glycosidic nitrile (GN-), already an identified priority of the American Malting Barley Association (AMBA), a trade organization representing end users of malting barley including maltsters, brewers, and distillers. AMBA has been investing in research to identify and advance GN- lines, along with educating the entire barley supply chain on the implications of higher volumes of barley in spirit based products.
