A whisky war has erupted in the UK: English single malt whisky has been granted protected geographical status, angering Scotch producers.

English whisky has been made a separate category—on a par with Scottish, Welsh and Irish whisky. However, the Scotch Whisky Association said it was “deeply concerned” by the authorities’ decision.

The main point of contention is the differing production rules. Scottish single malt must be produced entirely at a single distillery, from mashing and fermentation through to distillation. For English whisky, some stages are permitted to be carried out elsewhere. Scottish producers believe this blurs the very definition of single malt whisky and threatens decades-old industry traditions.

The association, which represents around 90 companies, including Glenmorangie, Johnnie Walker and Diageo, intends to discuss the situation with the British authorities and then decide what steps to take next, The Telegraph reports.

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