Members of the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission (ASMWC), an organisation designed to define and protect the category of American single malts, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), and distilleries across the country have been celebrating the official recognition of the American single malt whiskey category by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).

Prior to the ruling, the TTB only recognised a single malt whiskey officially if it was produced in Scotland. The ruling now stipulates that for a product to be labeled as an American single malt whiskey, the product must meet the following standards:

• Fermented mash of 100 per cent malted barley produced in the United States
• Distillation proof of 160 or less (80% ABV), distilled at the same distillery in the United States
• Stored in used, charred new, or uncharred new oak barrels, with a 700-litre maximum capacity and only stored in the United States
• No neutral spirits permitted
• No allowable colouring, flavouring, or blending materials permitted, except for caramel colouring that is disclosed on the label

The final ruling also establishes a standard for straight American single malt whiskey, requiring it to be aged a minimum of two years. The rule is scheduled to be published on Wednesday 18 December and take effect on 19 January 2025.

These standards define the production standards for American single malt whiskey, and what distillers can and cannot state on product labels. The final rule is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on 18 December 2024, and the effective date is 19 January 2025. Earlier this year, ASMWC, DISCUS, and hundreds of distillers sent more than 1,000 letters urging the TTB to declare a final ruling on the official standards for the American single malt whiskey category.

Steve Hawley, ASMWC president, commented: “This is a landmark ruling from the TTB that further cements our standing on the global stage in whiskey. We applaud TTB for hearing the call from distillers, purveyors and fans of American single malt, and formalising a definition that supports and protects our producers both here and abroad. It’s a momentous day for American single malt whiskey, and this is just the beginning of a bright future for the category.”

ASMWC has worked in close partnership with DISCUS to urge the TTB to finalise these standards.

Chris Swonger, DISCUS president, added: “We want to thank the TTB for listening to the needs of U.S. distillers and working with the industry to provide an official standard for the American single malt whiskey category. This is great news for America’s distillers and spirits consumers. Having this formal definition is going to protect the integrity of American single malt whiskey and drive experimentation, creativity and innovation in this popular category.”