The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
By Richard Thomas
Protecting the definition of Scotch whisky from foreign imitators has been an important mission for the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), and earlier this month they achieved a major milestone when Botswana granted Scotch whisky legal recognition and protection. This move makes spirit sold in the African nation that calls itself Scotch, but isn’t made in Scotland according to UK law, a counterfeit product.
Botswana is a tiny export market for Scotch whisky, amounting to less than half a million British pounds in 2014. What makes this victory for the SWA so important is that it is the first time an African country has granted Scotch such protection.
