Legal Protection in the UK

There are strict legal provisions which govern how Scotch Whisky is made, marketed and exported. The SWA helps to enforce these rules across our global markets.

Scotch Whisky has been defined by statute in the United Kingdom since 1933.  The current definition is set out in the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (“the UK Law”), which gives Scotch Whisky the best and most comprehensive protection that it has enjoyed to date.  It covers every aspect of the making, bottling, labelling and promotion of Scotch Whisky.

What is Scotch Whisky?

The basic definition of Scotch Whisky can be found in the UK Law.  In summary, Scotch Whisky is:

• Made in Scotland from only cereals, water and yeast
• Matured for a minimum of 3 years in oak casks
• Bottled at a minimum strength of 40% abv
• Distilled below 94.8% abv so that it retains the flavour and aroma derived from its raw materials
• No flavouring or sweetening is permitted

Categories of Scotch Whisky

The UK law defines five categories of Scotch Whisky:

Guidance on Compliance

The UK Law also contains legal requirements which specify how Scotch Whisky should be labelled.  View the SWA’s guidance for producers and bottlers of Scotch Whisky here.