Written by RICH MANNING
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A CLEARER PATH The TTB’s Definition of American Single Malt Whiskey Opens Several Possibilities
hen I talk to distillers about the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)’s pending-but-expected decision to officially recognize American single malt whiskey as its own category, the word “guardrail” comes The proposed TTB standards for American single malt whiskey are relatively up quite a bit. It’s a fitting term, straightforward. It must be mashed, distilled, and aged in the U.S. The mash must because the freshly minted catebe 100 percent barley. The juice must be completely distilled at a single U.S. disgorization shapes the boundaries tillery at a distillation proof of 160 or less. Finally, it must be stored in oak barrels and contours of an exciting road no larger than 700 liters. These guardrails essentially mirror the self-policing prothat’s steering toward countless cesses most creators of American single malt were already using. Their regulatory possibilities. nature puts these unwritten rules on paper, something that distillers that played “The TTB’s decision is a win for within these parameters appreciate. “Some producers didn’t follow ‘the rules,’ so us and consumers,” said Christian to speak. They’d produce whatever and just slap American single malt on the Krogstad, founder and master label,” explained Mark Vierthaler, head distiller for Whiskey Del Bac in Tucson, distiller emeritus of Westward Arizona. “What makes the TTB’s decision important is that [it] holds distillWhiskey in Portland, Oregon. ers that say they want to make American single malt to a higher standard. It “Their decision codifies things, keeps them honest.” giving the category a definition At the same time, the standards’ elemental nature deliberately leaves an and reducing confusion about abundance of room for distillers to innovate within the category withwhat it is.” out going overboard. “It adds legitimacy to the category, but it’s not It’s also a win for the restrictive to where we can’t play around and push the boundarAmerican Single Malt Whiskey ies,” explained Vierthaler, who uses mesquite-smoked barley Commission. The dedicated colto produce their signature smoky Dorado American sinlection of distilling industry progle malt label. “It makes it possible to make sure fessionals spent six years tirelessly all the whiskies won’t taste the same.” advocating for American single malt’s “The TTB’s decision categorical recognition. The journey’s is a win for us not technically over yet — it won’t be made official until this spring or summer and consumers. — but the TTB’s expected official stamp Their decision codifies feels less like crossing the end zone and more things, giving the category a like a post-score football spike. There’s reason to celebrate, too. Their diligence directly led to a newdefinition and reducing confusion about what it is.” ly defined category poised to inject even more creative — CHRISTIAN KROGSTAD elasticity within the country’s already malleable brown FOUNDER AND MASTER DISTILLER EMERITUS OF spirits landscape. WESTWARD WHISKEY IN PORTLAND, OREGON
A LOOK AT THE GUARDRAILS
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