Britain grants Welsh single malt whiskey protection from knock-offs

Paul Godfrey
·2 min read
UPI
Penderyn Distillery, pictured here, became one of four whiskey distilleries in Wales that can call their product "Single Malt Welsh Whiskey" under protections announced by the British government Monday. File Photo by JTreg62/Wikimedia Commons

July 24 (UPI) -- Single malt Welsh whiskey became the first British hard liquor to receive official "geographical identification" status Monday, protecting the product and its location-linked name from counterfeits.

The status means just four firms who distill whiskey of 100% Welsh-origin malted barley and water in Wales can call their product "Single Malt Welsh Whiskey," the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Department said in a news release.

The new post-Brexit scheme, developed to replace a similar mechanism run by Brussels, aims to ensure consumers can be confident products named for the place they originated from are genuine and authentic.

Other protected "Welsh" fare includes Gower Salt Marsh Lamb and Welsh Leeks, but the bulk of protected food and drinks are from England and Scotland including Scotch Whiskey, Melton Mowbray Pork Pies, and Cornish Clotted Cream.

"Single Malt Welsh Whiskey is widely acclaimed for its lightness of character and I am pleased to announce it will be the first protected spirit under our UKGI scheme," said Food and Farming Secretary Therese Coffey.

"It shows how the U.K. government is ready to get behind the best of British food and drink from across the nation -- to boost sales at home and abroad, create jobs and grow our economy."

Every step of the production process must use Welsh-sourced ingredients and be carried out in Wales where its mild, damp climate and mountain water are said to result in an even maturation rate that gives Welsh whiskey a "smooth and refreshing flavor".

"The achievement of UKGI status for Single Malt Welsh Whisky is a significant milestone for Penderyn as a producer but also for the wider Welsh whiskey industry," said Penderyn Whiskey CEO Stephen Davies.

"It assists in safeguarding both the quality of the product and also its source of origin. It's an exciting step forward and one that puts focus on an industry that has been growing steadily over the last 20 years."

Penderyn and the other three Welsh distilleries export their whiskeys to more than 45 countries around the world including the United States, France, Germany and China.