production
Malting
No legal definition
The controlled steeping, germination and kilning of barley that develops the enzymes needed to convert starch to fermentable sugar, then arrests germination before the plant consumes the starch itself.
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
Scotch and Irish law require saccharification by the malt's own endogenous enzymes. Irish and US rules permit other enzymes at the brewing stage, which is one reason Irish grain whiskey and US bourbon can run very low malt percentages.
Related terms
Last reviewed 2026-07-30 · All glossary terms