American Single Malt Whiskey: A new category by the TTB

September 2023

What is American Single Malt?

The American Single Malt Whiskey Commission (ASMWC) was formed in 2016 to address the growing need for American-based producers to define the category—both domestically and internationally—in order to protect, educate, promote and ultimately grow it.

Here are the standards for ASMW:

• Made from 100% malted barley
• Distilled entirely at one distillery
• Mashed, distilled and matured in The United States of America
• Matured in oak casks of a capacity not exceeding 700 liters
• Distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) Proof (80% alcohol by volume)
• Bottled at 80 (U.S.) proof or more (40% alcohol by volume)

Note that there is no specified requirement regarding new oak or a minimum age, a big plus today as it becomes increasingly difficult and expensive to source new oak barrels. Some distillers still use new American oak while others adopt used barrels from previous batches, or with barrels that were previously used for wine or other spirits. As for time in wood, age is just a number, so to speak, as the master distiller’s palate is the sole influence on when a barrel is ready to harvest.

These criteria – or lack of them – allows every distillery to create a unique whiskey sourced from a custom blend of barley malts, from pales to melanoidin-forward Viennas and Munichs, to dark and roasted malts. Maltsters can create unique flavor profiles using a variety of germination, kilning, curing and roasting techniques to create a broad pallet of flavors to blend and fine-tune the perfect whiskey recipe.

The standards also don’t include anything about where the barley malt is sourced, which in our view, is missing a huge opportunity to stake a claim to the unique attributes of the geography and terroir of the grain, much as with the AOC and DOC classifications of wine in Europe and AVA in American viticulture. Very different types of malt barley are grown in a wide range of climates and geographies throughout North America, and here in the Northeast, and in particular, in Pennsylvania, climate and terroir favor 2-row winter varieties that are planted in the fall and harvested the following summer. They all behave differently in the malthouse and they all produce different flavor profiles in conjunction with the maltster’s custom techniques.

For those distillers who are making products reflective not only of their brand but also of a unique place, Pennsylvania-grown barley malt delivers a distinctive statement and flavor element to differentiate their products from those of other regions.

Where to find ASMW locally

Where can you find examples of American Single Malt Whiskeys right here in Pennsylvania? These Double Eagle clients either offer whiskey now that meets the ASMW qualifications or are in process of aging them for future release:

• 8 Oaks Farm Distillery, New Tripoli
• Barrel 21, State College
• County Seat Spirits, Allentown
• Mason-Dixon Farm Distillery, Gettysburg
• Millstone Spirits, Philadelphia
• Pennsylvania Distilling, Malvern
• Red Brick Craft Distillery, Philadelphia

Advantages for the grain/malt supply chain

How does the new category affect the supply chain supporting local distilleries?

Most Pennsylvania craft distilleries are already sourcing much of their raw grain (corn, barley, wheat, and rye) from Pennsylvania growers, so it’s not a giant leap to extend that concept to malt. Expanding the list of products they buy to the malts that are also grown and processed in Pennsylvania ensures a strong, healthy and vibrant supply chain that supports the farms and economies that depend on it.

Sourcing macro-malt from low-cost out-of-state producers devalues the contribution the local supply chain makes and signals to the farmers that they aren’t that important; plus, it removes a strong flavor contribution from the terroir and malting science components that are only available from in-state craft suppliers.

When will ASMW be official?

On July 29, 2022, the Trade and Tax Bureau (TTB) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would give American Single Malt a formal, legal definition in American whiskey. These are also called the Standards of Identity (SOI). As recently as July 2023, those in the inner circle have predicted an announcement before the end of 2023. In the meantime, we encourage anyone interested in getting on the bandwagon to start making and aging new spirits based on the ASMW criteria – and doing so with local Pennsylvania-grown malt – to be ahead of the game.

Cheers!

Alan Gladish | alan@doubleeaglemalt.com

Read this recent article in Distiller Magazine on American Single Malt