The UK government has granted English single malt whisky protected Geographical Indication (GI) status for the first time, giving it legal recognition alongside Scotch, Welsh and Irish whisky. The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) says it is "profoundly concerned" by the decision, arguing the English rules are looser than those governing Scotch and could undermine the established definition of "single malt", confuse consumers and damage the reputation the Scotch industry has built globally.

The dispute centres on production standards: Scotch single malt must be entirely produced at one distillery, whereas English rules only require whisky to be "distilled in England" using water from a local supply. The SWA, which represents over 90 firms including Diageo and Glenmorangie, says it backed the principle of an English GI but not the final wording, and notes that over 90% of single malt worldwide is Scotch. English whisky bodies welcomed the move, with more than 70 English distilleries now operating (up from 46 in 2023), exporting to over 30 countries, and holding maturing stock estimated at £1billion; Scotch exports were worth £5.3billion last year.