legal
Scotch whisky
Defined in law
Whisky produced in Scotland from water and malted barley (whole grains of other cereals may be added), converted only by endogenous enzymes and fermented only by yeast at a single distillery, distilled below 94.8% ABV, matured at least three years in Scotland in oak casks not exceeding 700 litres, and bottled at no less than 40% ABV with nothing added but water and plain caramel colouring.
Where it is defined
Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3(1); Regulation (EU) 2019/787, Annex I, category 2
Worth knowing
Reg. 3(1)(c) says oak casks, which is stricter than the EU category's 'wooden' — chestnut or cherry casks are lawful for EU whisky but not for Scotch. The three-year clock is not reset by re-racking.
Related terms
Last reviewed 2026-07-30 · All glossary terms