production
Spirit safe
No legal definition
A sealed brass-and-glass box through which distillate flows so the stillman can observe strength and clarity and divert the flow between foreshots, spirit and feints receivers without touching the spirit.
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
Historically padlocked under Crown lock so excise officers controlled access; that regime ended when resident excise officers were withdrawn from Scotch distilleries in 1983. The regulations do not require a spirit safe — it survives as an operational and cultural fixture.
Related terms
Last reviewed 2026-07-30 · All glossary terms