American single malt is the latest legally defined style of American whiskey, with the Tax & Trade Bureau’s new rules governing the category officially going into effect over the weekend. The new rules, finalized in December after a lengthy period of lobbying by distillers, give American single malt the same legal standing afforded to Bourbon, rye, and other protected American whiskey styles. While the category remains in its nascent stages—Impact Databank estimates that total U.S. volume was 90,000 cases last year—marketers tell SND they’re excited about growth prospects moving forward.
“This opens up the possibility of American single malt whiskey to the global market, with a product that can compete head to head with the most prestigious whiskey brands in the world,” Lander Otegui, senior vice president of marketing at Stranahan’s parent company Proximo Spirits, tells SND. “As the category leader in American single malt whiskey and one of its pioneers, Stranahan’s applauds the TTB’s designation of American single malt as an official category.”
Under the new rules, American single malts must be made from 100% malted barley (whether grown in the U.S. or abroad); distilled to 80% abv or less at the same distillery in the U.S.; and aged in used, charred new, or uncharred new oak barrels with a 700-liter maximum capacity. In addition, whiskies cannot contain neutral spirits nor flavorings or colorings besides caramel coloring, which must be listed on the label. “This is a once-in-a-generation moment that will no doubt bring new interest and growth to the category,” adds Justin Aden, Stranahan’s head blender. To celebrate the milestone, Colorado-based Stranahan’s has launched Founder’s Release, a 12-year-old, 60% abv single malt.
While much of the activity in American single malt has come from smaller distillers, heavy hitters like Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam, and Bulleit have also entered the fray, underscoring the category’s growth potential. Currently, Proximo’s Stranahan’s, at 20,000 cases, is the biggest American single malt label, more than twice the size of its closest competitor. “Official category designation is poised to accelerate this process, and we expect consumer buy-in to follow in kind—first in America and then worldwide,” says Otegui. “We also hope retailers will create a specific section for this category, which will be a game changer.”
While the definitions for American single malt are new, acclaim for category leaders is not. Last year, Virginia Distillery Co. and Rémy Cointreau’s Westland landed on Whisky Advocate’s Top 20, with Westland also appearing on the 2023 list and Westward appearing in 2022 (Diageo is a minority investor in Westward). “I’m excited about the quality and range of what we will taste in five years,” says Tom Mooney, Westward’s CEO. “We normally can’t see the future, but our 2030 whiskey is already in barrels at our Clackamas warehouse, so I know exactly what is coming. Expect more extraordinary releases like Westward Milestone, along with collaborations with likeminded producers.”
“Now we can focus on actually growing the category and educating consumers,” says Jason Parker, co-owner of American single malt maker Copperworks. Recent Copperworks releases have scored well in Whisky Advocate, with PeatSmith peated whiskey scoring 91 points and FarmSmith Single Origin Washington Barley at 90 points. Copperworks was instrumental in gaining approval to allow American single malt distillers to partner with brewers to produce their mashes, instead of requiring that distillers mash in-house.
Expectations are high among American single malt producers, with many betting that the category has considerable global runway, due to global preferences for malt whiskies inspired by Scotch. Copperworks’ Parker is especially bullish on global prospects, predicting the category will begin to take a sizeable share of total American whiskey in export markets down the road. “When most of the world thinks about whiskey, they actually think about a hundred percent malted barley whiskey,” he notes.—Shane English
| Leading American Single Malt Whiskies (thousands of 9-liter cases) |
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| Brand | Company | 2023 | 2024E | Percent Change1 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stranahan’s | Proximo Spirits | 21 | 20 | -3.0% | ||
| Balcones | Diageo North America | 8 | 8 | -4.5% | ||
| Bulleit | Diageo North America | – | 7 | + | ||
| Westland | Rémy Cointreau USA | 4 | 4 | 2.0% | ||
| Westward | Astoria | 3 | 4 | 3.7% | ||
| Clermont Steep | Suntory Global Spirits | 3 | 3 | – | ||
| Total Leading Brands2 | 39 | 45 | 15.8% | |||
| 1 Based on unrounded data. 2 Addition of columns may not agree due to rounding. Source: IMPACT DATABANK © 2025 |
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