DramMaster Daily Whisky News — 15 September 2026

By Murray

English Whisky Wins GI Status After Six-Year Campaign

English Whisky has been granted Geographical Indication status by DEFRA, legally protecting the names "English Whisky" and "English Whiskey." The decision places England alongside Scotland, Wales, and Ireland under the UK Spirit Drinks Geographical Indications Scheme. All four UK nations now hold equivalent legal protection for their national whisky.

The English Whisky Guild submitted the application in February 2022 after more than six years of groundwork. Under the approved specification, English Whisky must be made from UK-grown cereal grain and English water, distilled in England at less than 94.8% ABV, matured for a minimum of three years in wooden casks no larger than 700 litres, and bottled at no less than 40% ABV. Only plain caramel (E150a) is permitted, for colour. The 100% UK-grown cereal grain requirement is unique to English Whisky. Scotch has no equivalent grain-origin rule.

More than 70 distilleries now operate in England, with over 40 already selling to consumers. Exports reach 32 countries including Canada, the US, Japan, and China. The GI is voluntary, applying only to producers who choose to describe their whisky as English Whisky. Dan Szor, chair of the English Whisky Guild, called it "a defining moment" that "sends a powerful signal to consumers and markets around the world."

Murray's take: Six years is a long time to wait for a legal definition of something you are already making and selling. The interesting detail is the cereal grain rule. Scotch does not require Scottish barley. English Whisky requires UK grain. That is a tighter provenance chain than the category it sits alongside. Whether consumers care is a separate question. Distillers who want GI on their label when they walk into a buyer's office in Tokyo or Toronto will.

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Chichibu Releases Four New Japanese Whiskies for the UK

Speciality Brands is bringing four new expressions from Chichibu to UK shelves from 1 October 2026. The line-up spans sherry cask, peated malt, a two-distillery blend, and the ninth London Edition.

Ichiro's Malt Chichibu Distillery II Hint of Sherry is the second release from Chichibu II, which opened in 2019. Aged five to six years in sherry casks and ex-bourbon barrels with a touch of peated malt. The Peated 2026 is the first standalone release of Chichibu's heavily peated single malt since 2022, crafted from malt peated to 50 PPM during the distillery's annual month-long peated run. Double Distilleries combines single malts from Chichibu I and Chichibu II for the first time, marrying the fruit-forward character of the original with the fuller-bodied style of its successor.

The London Edition 2026 is the ninth in the series, created exclusively for the UK. It is a marriage of 16 casks of Japanese single malt distilled at Chichibu I, including two wine casks from New Zealand and California. The label is the third and final instalment of the Warrior Series, designed by Elixir Distillers' creative director Raj Chavda. It features a glow-in-the-dark finish depicting a warrior confronting a serpent, or Hebi, symbolising protection and transformation. Chichibu was founded by Ichiro Akuto, whose family has distilling roots dating back to 1625.

Prices range from £110 ($148) to £211 ($284). All four will be available at selected trade partners and at The Whisky Show 2026, running 2 to 4 October at Old Billingsgate, London, on stand 25.

Murray's take: Four releases at once from a distillery that produces roughly 150,000 litres of spirit a year is a statement of intent, not a clearance sale. The Double Distilleries expression is the one to watch. Combining spirit from two still houses on different equipment is where a blender's skill becomes visible. The London Edition's glow-in-the-dark label is a marketing flourish. The 16-cask marriage with wine cask influence is the actual product.

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Scottish Whisky Awards Reveals 130-Plus Finalists for Eighth Year

The finalists for the 8th Annual Scottish Whisky Awards have been announced, with 41 distillers and more than 130 Scotch whiskies selected following an intensive judging process. The awards span business and taste categories, from Distillery of the Year to Single Cask Scotch aged 21 and over.

Six distilleries are shortlisted for Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year, sponsored by Howden: Ardnahoe, Borders, Cabrach, Dornoch, Glenmorangie, and Loch Lomond. Business categories include Newcomer of the Year, Independent Bottler of the Year, Product Launch of the Year, Tourism Destination of the Year, Excellence in Branding, and Scotch Whisky Retailer of the Year. The taste competition runs across 11 categories, from Blended Scotch through to Single Malt Scotch Aged 21 and Over, where Glenmorangie holds four finalist slots including The Altus 25, The Aureum 21, The Thirty, and an unannounced release.

Glenmorangie appears across multiple taste categories, with the Harrison Ford Limited Edition in the NAS unpeated section. Ardbeg secured four finalist positions in the NAS peated category. Loch Lomond Group fields entries across single malt, single grain, and blended Scotch. Winners will be announced on Thursday, 26 November at the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central, with the event raising funds for The BEN, a charity supporting people in Scotland's drinks and hospitality trades.

Murray's take: The Distillery of the Year shortlist tells you where the energy is. Ardnahoe and Cabrach are new distilleries, not legacy names. Dornoch is a micro-operation run by the Thompson brothers. Borders is the only distillery in the Scottish Borders. Glenmorangie and Loch Lomond are the established players. If a three-year-old distillery wins Distillery of the Year over a brand that ships millions of cases, that is the awards making a statement about what it values.

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Glen Scotia Unveils Griffin 12-Year Icons Release No.4

Glen Scotia has released the fourth expression in its five-part Icons of Campbeltown series: a 12-year-old unpeated single malt finished in Vin Santo wine casks. The whisky pays homage to the Griffin, a half-eagle, half-lion creature said to have guarded Campbeltown's harbour.

The series draws from folklore carved into Campbeltown's 14th-century market cross, which depicts saints and beasts shrouded in myth. Release No.4 was finished in Vin Santo casks, bringing honeyed sweetness, dried apricot, sultana, toasted almond, hazelnut, and cinnamon, anchored by Glen Scotia's coastal salt. The artwork was created by Joel Holtzman, whose previous clients include Disney, Marvel, and Lucasfilm.

Master blender Ashley Smith linked the Griffin's guardian role to the distillery team. "The Griffin stood watch over Campbeltown for hundreds of years, and that's exactly how I think of our distillery team, as the guardians of Glen Scotia's whisky," she said. The whisky is bottled at batch strength of 53.8% ABV, non-chill filtered, natural colour. It retails at £80 ($109) and is available now via Glen Scotia's website and specialist retailers globally. Established in 1832, Glen Scotia is one of only three surviving distilleries in Campbeltown, which once housed over 30 during the Victorian era.

Murray's take: Vin Santo is a sweet Tuscan dessert wine. Finishing a Campbeltown malt in those casks is not the obvious move. Campbeltown spirit carries weight and coastal character that can bulldoze delicate cask influence. Smith chose a wine cask that brings honey and dried fruit rather than another sherry butt. She was looking for a conversation, not a domination. At £80 for a 12-year-old at 53.8%, the price is fair. The series is building a body of work worth collecting.

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Swinney Backs SWA Call for Spirits Duty Cut in Autumn Budget

First Minister John Swinney has called on the UK Government to cut spirits duty in next month's Autumn Budget, backing a submission the Scotch Whisky Association made to the Treasury. The intervention followed a meeting between Swinney and the SWA's Council of member companies.

The SWA asked Chancellor John Healey to cut excise duty on spirits, 70% of which are produced in Scotland. The trade body called the current alcohol duty system "a broken model for Scotland," noting that it taxes spirits up to four times more than beer, cider, and wine. The SWA highlighted that the 17% increase to excise duty over the last three years led to a fall in Treasury revenue, not a rise. Hospitality businesses rely on spirits for over a third of total profits.

Swinney said the Scottish Government stands "shoulder to shoulder" with the industry. "It is clear that duty rises have placed undue pressure on the industry and I echo calls for the UK Government to address this unfairness," he said. SWA chief executive Mark Kent said a duty cut would give producers "breathing room to look to the future, invest in innovation and expansion, and support jobs."

Murray's take: The SWA's strongest argument is not emotional. It is arithmetic. A 17% duty increase produced less revenue, not more. That is the definition of a tax that has passed the point of diminishing returns. Whether the Chancellor listens is a different matter. Spirits duty is a Treasury lever, and the Autumn Budget will test whether evidence or politics wins. Swinney's backing matters because it turns an industry lobby into a government-to-government ask. That changes the tone, if not the outcome.

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