An official definition
The United States Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau adopted a standard of identity for American single malt whisky, effective 19 January 2025. It requires a mash of entirely malted barley, distillation at one US distillery and production and ageing in the United States, alongside requirements concerning distillation strength, barrel size and bottling strength.
Read the requirements together
A whisky is not American single malt merely because its label contains the words 'single malt'. The US standard addresses process, place and labelling. For instance, the rule permits a range of oak-barrel histories rather than prescribing one universal new-charred-oak treatment.
Keep the date visible
The rule also contains a transition arrangement for qualifying earlier-labelled products. An international knowledge base should attach effective dates to regulations instead of silently applying today's definition to every historical bottle.
Further reading
Original WHISKAVIA introduction; not a producer dossier or live travel listing.