Irish Whisky Rules Set To Undergo Review With Feedback Drawn From Community

On 26 June 2026, Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has launched a public consultation to review the strict regulations governing Irish whiskey production, inviting interested parties to submit observations or objections regarding the Irish whiskey technical file.

Open for 10 weeks, the public consultation invites stakeholders to share a summary (of no more than 300 words) that will be considered when the department evaluates the product specification for Irish whiskey at a later date.

The Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) has submitted its proposed changes ahead of the public consultation, which includes:

• ‘Other cereals’ allowance from 5% to 30%: Under current regulations, the mash bill for single pot still Irish whiskey requires a minimum of 30% malted barley and 30% unmalted barley, with a strict 5% cap on alternative grains.

  The IWA contends that the 5% cap ignores the category's rich history, pointing out that old distilling records show traditional Irish pot still whiskey frequently used up to 30% alternative grains.

  While the current specification permits any "other cereals" without restriction, the IWA wants the rule tightened to exclusively allow rye, wheat, and oats. This change aims to safeguard the authentic distilling traditions of the 19th and 20th centuries.

• Increase on the malted barley limit for grain Irish whiskey from 30% to 40%: This would allow distilleries to implement processes that are more energy-efficient, such as the use of undried malt.

• Removing the emphasis on oak: This would allow any wooden cask to be used, which it describes as a “key differentiator” between Irish whiskey and other whiskies such as Scotch.
  

• Removal of the words ‘currently non-peated’: The removal of the words are because the association says as it has historically seen “clear evidence of peated malt being utilised in pot still distillation”. With peated pot still whiskies now hitting the market, removing the term would eliminate any lingering regulatory ambiguity.
  

The public consultation closes at 4pm on 4th September 2026.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team