The Campaign for Real Whisky

[Pete Smoke]

Illegal?
No, it should just be noted on the label.

Flavourings are illegal. E150a is permitted on the 'fact' that it is flavourless. If it it is 'proven' to add flavour then the SWA will have some rewording to do.

[Mr Tattie Heid]

Illegal?
No, it should just be noted on the label.

If it affects the flavor, it already is illegal.

[MacDeffe]

It doesnt affect the flavour

I have been on several distillery tours where my guide told me that

QED

They also said chillflltering didn't affect the flavour so no need to have all these discussions about that either

Steffen

[Nick Brown]

Illegal?
No, it should just be noted on the label.

If it affects the flavor, it already is illegal.

It's not illegal. Caramel can be added whether or not the flavour is affected.

In any case, flavourings are not illegal and nor should they be - but flavoured product just can't be sold as whisky in the UK unless the flavouring has come from caramel or the previous contents of an oak cask.

[Iain M]

I have a wee power point on filtration if anyone is interested, it doesnt really say anything as it's just a brief summary (although an incredibly useless sumamry).

I wasnt entirely sure how to post it.

[davindek]

Illegal?
No, it should just be noted on the label.

If it affects the flavor, it already is illegal.

I don't feel strongly about this, but, from the world of rum: I just came across a reference in some old distilling notes that explains that spirit caramel is used to colour rum with the additional benefit that it helps contribute that unique dark rum flavour. Just a passing reference and quantities/concentrations not mentioned.

[Mr Tattie Heid]

...spirit caramel is used to colour rum with the additional benefit that it helps contribute that unique dark rum flavour.

I find that rather amusing....

It's not illegal. Caramel can be added whether or not the flavour is affected.

That's a reasonable interpretation. I think mine is, too. Post-production flavoring agents are not permitted in a product to be labeled as whisky, but caramel specifically is. But part of the rationale for the latter provision is that flavor is presumably not affected, a premise I think is false. If it can be shown that caramel makes a difference to flavor, its legitimacy collapses. The Malt Maniacs' experiment can't be taken as definitive, but contrary to what someone said above, it did indicate that caramel was detectable by taste.