Scotland’s Rural Affairs Secretary, Mairi Gougeon, is set to challenge the UK government over its proposed definition of English single malt whisky, a move that has sparked outrage among industry leaders who warn it could significantly damage the reputation of the globally renowned spirit.
The controversy stems from a UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) application for protected geographic status for English single malt. The proposed definition states that English single malt must be made from “UK grain at an English distillery using water local to the distillery”.
