There's a Brand New Type of Whiskey Now

Federal regulators just added a genuinely new whiskey category for the first time in over 50 years.

What changed

American Single Malt Whiskey officially became law on January 19, 2025. Before that, distillers making 100% malted barley whiskey in the U.S. had no protected, official category to label it under.

The requirements

It has to be made entirely in the U.S., from a mash of 100% malted barley, distilled at a single distillery, and aged in oak barrels no larger than 700 liters. Unlike bourbon, those barrels can be new or used, charred or uncharred.

Why that flexibility matters

Because the barrel rules are looser than bourbon's, American Single Malt covers a wider range of styles, some closer to bourbon's vanilla and caramel, others closer to a maltier, more Scotch-like character.

A new category still finding its identity

This whiskey style is still actively developing, since producers now have a formal category to build a consistent identity around for the first time.

Ask us next time you're in whether we carry any American Single Malt yet. It's one of the more genuinely new things happening in whiskey right now.