A New Whiskey Style?
Well, sort of, as American whiskey gets its first new category in 50 years
This week, something happened that was is sort of a big deal for the US whiskey industry.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, or TTB, published a rule officially recognizing American Single Malt Whisky.
That means it now has an official status like bourbon, which is pretty cool for a number of American distillers who have planted their flag with the style of whiskey.
So we’ll dive in to see what that means!
An American single malt
As the American distilling industry has matured, new distillers have exploded nationwide.
Some of them have pushed into the market by pinning their hopes on a style of whiskey they deemed American Single Malt. But until now, that’s meant relatively little.
Back in 2017, the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission, made up of more than 70 distilleries, began asking for a standard set by the TTB. Notably, XO Alambic, Remy Cointreau and Westland Distillery each submitted petitions on the commission’s behalf, according to the TTB brief.
This week, the TTB published a new rule establishing a standard for the whiskey style. The new rule goes into effect in January.
“This final rule amends the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulations that set forth the standards of identity for distilled spirits to include ‘American single malt whisky’ as a type of whisky that is produced in the United States and meets certain criteria,” the TTB wrote. “TTB proposed the new standard of identity in response to petitions and comments submitted by several distillers and the American Single Malt Whisky Commission. TTB is finalizing the amendments to the regulations to establish the standard of identity with some changes to reflect comments received.”
So what does this mean?
Well, it’s not unlike what a Scotch Single Malt Whisky is. Or the definitions that make bourbon and rye whiskies what they are.
It must:
Be made at one U.S. distillery
Feature a mash bill of 100% malted barley produced in the U.S.
Aged in oak barrels of less than 700 liters
Distilled to no more than 80% alcohol by volume
Bottled at no less than 40%
If it is in the barrels for at least two years, the distillery can also add “Straight.”
(As a refresher, bourbon must be produced in the U.S. and be at least 51% corn and aged in new, charred oak barrels.)
Single malts can be extraordinarily fun, as 100% single malt mash bills can express themselves in unique tastes that fully express the terroir of where it’s grown. (Waterford in Ireland does a great job of demonstrating this, with single farm origin whiskies that vary greatly in flavor. The distillery, sadly, might not be around much longer.)
“This is a landmark ruling by TTB and validation for years’ worth of work by American distillers to define American Single Malt,” American Single Malt Whiskey Commission President Steve Hawley said in a statement. “It has been over 52 years since a new type of whiskey was added our federal regulations. We applaud TTB for formalizing the category which will signal to the world that not only do we believe in and support our own distilleries, but we also recognize that American Single Malt Whiskey is unique and deserves to be defined and protected as other American whiskey categories are. Most importantly, this new definition ensures that consumers worldwide can have every confidence that what they think is in a bottle of American Single Malt Whiskey actually is.”
Recently, major distilleries like Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam and Bulleit have released Single Malt Whisky brands. But the push has been by smaller makers, like the founding members of the Single Malt Commission: Balcones, Headframe Spirits, Virginia Distillery, Copperworks Distilling, Santa Fe Spirits, Westland Distillery, Few Spirits, Triple Eight Distillery and Westward.
(Note: I’m most familiar with Colorado’s Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, a relative staple in my whiskey rotation. It’s been making single malt whiskey for 20 years. Stranahan’s just released Mountain Angel 12 Year Old, which appears to be the oldest American Single Malt ever released.)
“Twenty years ago, Stranahan’s had the vision to focus solely on American Single Malt, perfecting one recipe and one recipe alone since 2004. Stranahan’s is made with 100% malted barley, Rocky Mountain spring water and time in an American White Oak barrel, distilled and aged entirely one mile high here in Denver,” Stranahan’s Head Blender Justin Aden said. “Two decades after Stranahan’s sold its first bottle of American Single Malt whiskey, we continue to carry the torch for the category. It’s why we could not be more proud to see American Single Malt become an official category all its own. We celebrate with everyone who has bottled their passion and stayed the course, and with all of our Stranafans, without whom we wouldn’t be here today.”
The rule probably doesn’t change much for drinkers, although it is one of the fastest-growing categories. Now, it will likely soon have its own sections in retailers, helping it stand out further and help consumers understand.
Great reads of the week
I’m a big fan of Jose Andres, who along with being a tremendous chef, is a fun guy with a big heart. He also has a great newsletter! This week he tackled “What Goes Into a Cocktail Menu.”
Inside Hook dove into challenges the spirits industry went through 2024, including Stoli US filing bankruptcy and declining sales. It also hints at a very tough early 2025, thanks to a promise of tariffs.
Dave Infante, a great beer writer, chronicled the top beer stories of 2024 for VinePair. Most notably is probably “macrobrewers giving up on craft brewing.”
While the World Health Organization says no alcohol consumption is safe, the USDA and National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine said moderate drinking is still OK! The study was funded with $1.3 million from Congress, so it has to be trustworthy. Right? … Right?
What we’re drinking
At Whiskey Friday, I cracked open a Mary Dowling Tequila Barrel Whiskey. The rye was delightful, but did not have much of a tequila note at all.
TinCup Whiskey sent over a package of its new collaboration with Alpine Start. The two companies released a set of three cocktail mixes made for the trail. They’re cocktail crystals that mix with whiskey and water! The three flavors are Spiked Cider, Old Fashioned and Hot Toddy. They’re available at REI stores nationwide and TinCup’s website.
Thank you for the good story about the new category. I will taste the one from Colorado. It's funny how TTB finally gets around to things.