Geographical Indications - Single Malt Welsh Whisky/Wisgi Cymreig Brag Sengl

Perderyn Distillery

Author JTreg52 Licence CC BY-SA 4.0 Source Wikimedia Commons

 

Jane Lambert

Art 54 (2) of the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community required HM Government to continue to protect geographical indications under the laws of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland after 23:00 on 31 Dec 2023.  I discussed the protection of geographical indications after that date in Geographical Indications in the UK after 31 Dec 2020 in NIPC Law on 30 Sept 2020.  I considered how such protection would apply to Wales in The New Protected Food Names Scheme as it will apply in Wales on 26 Oct 2020.

The latest product to be registered under the scheme is Single Malt Welsh Whiskey (see the Secretary of State's Decision Notice of 24 July 2023).  According to the Product Specification, the application was launched by a consortium of five distillers styled "The Welsh Whisky Association" on 12 Aug 2021. The members of that consortium were Penderyn Distillery at Pontpren, Aberfalls Distillery at Abergwyngregyn, Dà Mhile Distillery at Llandysul, Coles Distillery at Llanddarog and In the Welsh Wind Distillery at Tan-yr-Groes.

The Product Specification contains a description of the whisky, its ingredients, provenance and details of its production.  There is also information on the link between the spirit and its geographical origin,

Any appeal against the decision must be lodged with the First Tier Tribunal before 21 Sept 2023.

Anyone wishing to discuss this article may call me on +44 (0)20 7404 5252 or send me a message through my contact form.