Traditions of whisky captured for consumers in new guidelines

September 21, 2023

Scottish, Welsh, English and Irish whisky industries partner to agree consistent method of production to help drive international trade

Herndon, VA- Consumers around the world can have greater confidence in the quality of their whisky following the development of new guidelines by BSI, setting out best practices for how to produce it and ensure a trusted supply chain for one of the UK’s most valued exports. The new British Standard will support distillers to produce whisky for local and global markets by focusing on the quality of the product rather than the minimum regulatory requirements.

Whisky is a key export product for the UK, with estimates suggesting sales to the US exceeded £1 billion in 2022 alone , out of £6.5 billion total alcohol exports . The standard has been developed by experts from across the Scottish, Welsh, English and Irish whisky industries*, who were brought together by BSI in its role as the National Standards Body and becomes the world’s first standard for whisky.

With the industry growing worldwide and new distillers appearing all the time, the standard, published by BSI, the UK National Standards Body, builds on the UK and Irish industry experts’ deep knowledge of whisky production to set out how producers can deliver the specific color, aroma and taste derived from its raw materials and production process.

The voluntary standard (BS 8636) provides a specification of the production process for the main categories of whisky traded globally. It is aimed at distillers wanting to produce a high-quality product to sell in the UK and Ireland or trade overseas and can help both established brands and new market entrants demonstrate quality and authenticity in their production processes and supply chain. It can also be used by producers globally seeking to create a high-quality spirit that meets consumers' expectations.

Scott Steedman, Director-General, Standards, BSI, said: “The new standard for whisky effectively bottles the historic tradition of whisky distilling for the benefit of consumers and the industry. We recognize that distillers take great pride in their craft and the unique characteristics that define a quality whisky, and we are delighted to have worked with whisky experts from across the UK and Ireland to produce a consensus standard on what good looks like for this world-renowned product."

“We hope the standard will create a benchmark for quality that will add value to the distillers who use it and increase the confidence of consumers everywhere. This new standard has global application and can help to facilitate the production and trade of high-quality whisky worldwide.”

The guidance in the new British Standard, the first of its kind, details the methods of analysis that should be used to establish authenticity and consistency with that production process, the expected organoleptic characteristics, the typical ranges for analytes of interest and other technical matters. 

The standard sets out details, including the desired color of the whisky, which should be caramel, ranging from pale yellow/gold to deep amber/mahogany. It advises that whisky must be matured for at least three years in wooden casks and cannot be sweetened or contain any additives. It also sets the minimum alcoholic strength by volume as 40% and says every distillation should be carried out at less than 94.8% volume “so that the distillate has an aroma and taste derived from the raw materials used.”

The standard notes that water and plain caramel are the only two compounds that can be added to matured whisky. It also describes the process of “whisky nosing,” but it stops short of prescribing a glass shape for this, advising instead that “the most popular glasses for this are tulip-shaped, as they allow aromas to collect.”

There are other important details related to packaging, such as the advice that although whisky is not produced from animal products, the use of animal products in the production of other alcoholic beverages stored in the cask prior to the whisky should be considered when it comes to product labeling.

The new standard will be managed by a dedicated technical committee* in BSI, which may revise and update the standard as required based on market feedback. BSI will discuss with the committee plans for the future, including the possibility of using the standard as a base document for an international (ISO) standard.

ENDS-

Notes to editor:

Download BS 8636 Whisky - Use of analytical parameters and methods of analysis - Specification​ here

*This voluntary standard has been developed by the consensus of whisky and industry experts for use by new and established UK distillers and regulators.

This British Standard covers whisky irrespective of the spelling both whisky or whiskey can be considered.

About BSI

BSI is the business improvement and standards company that enables organizations to turn standards of best practice into habits of excellence, ‘inspiring trust for a more resilient world’. For over a century, BSI has driven best practice in organizations around the world. Working with over 77,500 clients across 195 countries, it is a truly global business with skills and experience across all sectors, including automotive, aerospace, built environment, food and retail and healthcare. Through its expertise in Standards and Knowledge, Assurance Services, Regulatory Services and Consulting Services, BSI helps clients to improve their performance, grow sustainably, manage risk and ultimately become more resilient.

About BSI in the UK as the UK National Standards Body

BSI is appointed by government as the National Standards Body and represents UK interests at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the European Standards Organizations (CEN, CENELEC and ETSI).  BSI traces its origins to 1901 and became the world’s first National Standards Body. BSI oversees all British Standards used by government, industry and consumers, the vast majority of which are now developed in collaboration with other countries through the international and regional standards systems. Its role as the National Standards Body is to help improve the quality, safety and integrity of products, services and systems by facilitating the creation and maintenance of consensus based, market led standards and encouraging their use.  BSI manages over 1,200 technical committees working on around 7,000 standards at any one time. It publishes over 2,700 standards annually and withdraws over 1,500 withdrawn or superseded standards using a collaborative approach, engaging with industry experts, government bodies, trade associations, businesses of all sizes and consumers to develop standards that reflect good practice. To learn more about standards, please visit www.bsigroup.com/standards and for more information on BSI’s role as the National Standards Body www.bsigroup.com/nsb

[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/305054/uk-whisky-exports-leading-5-destination-countries/

[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/trade-wins-unlock-markets-worth-over-100-million-for-uk-alcohol-companies-with-more-to-come

[3] Global Whiskey Market Size, Share & Growth Analysis Report, 2022-2030 (polarismarketresearch.com)