Hi Mark,
One scenario where we specifically do NOT want to use a Type designation is when producing our Whiskey that we have a (currently) fanciful name of “American Single Malt”. Our current releases of whiskey happen to adhere to all of the requirements for the TTB designation of “Malt Whisky”, (i.e., “Whisky produced at not exceeding 80% alcohol by volume (160 proof) from a fermented mash of not less than 51 percent malted barley and stored at not more than 62.5% alcohol by volume (125 proof) in charred new oak containers.”) We’d prefer to simply call it “Whiskey”, and have the fanciful name “American Single Malt” appear above it.
If the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission is successful in getting the TTB to create the proposed Type of “American Single Malt”, we will continue to print that on our labels, and it will no longer be just a fanciful name, but an actual type. But we never want to use the designation of “Straight”, such as in “Straight Malt Whisky”, or “Straight American Single Malt Whiskey”, even though our whiskey does qualify for that designation. We feel that consumers associate the term “Straight” with bourbon and rye whiskey, and so do not want to further confuse them with that designation on our (American Single) Malt whiskey.
Like you, I would be interested in hearing what others think about this.
