The time taken to age whisky counts against distilleries concerned by the pandemicScotland’s economy secretary has cast doubt on whether whisky distilleries should continue to operate during the Covid-19 crisis. Fiona Hyslop suggested that making spirits which will not be available for at least three years may not meet the definition of an essential service. The spirit produced in Scotland must be distilled and stored here for at least three years before it can meet the legal definition of being Scotch. In practice many distilleries store their liquid for much longer periods with most single malt varieties spending at least ten years in a barrel. It is not clear what impact a few weeks or months of interruption to production would mean for the industry but it may potentially lead to a shortage of some types of

Source: The Times April 01, 2020 22:57 UTC