production
Floor malting
No legal definition
The traditional method of germinating barley in a shallow bed on a stone floor, turned by hand with a shiel or malt plough to control temperature and stop the rootlets matting.
Not a legal term
No whisky regulation in Scotland, Ireland, the United States, the EU or Japan defines this. It is a trade or marketing term, so it is only actionable if its use is actively misleading.
Worth knowing
Only a handful of Scotch distilleries still floor malt any of their requirement — Springbank, Kilchoman, and Highland Park and Balvenie in part. The term is unregulated and is frequently implied by heritage imagery on labels for distilleries that buy 100% commercial malt.
Related terms
Last reviewed 2026-07-30 · All glossary terms