SCOTCH WHISKEY

The biggest market  is India which consumes as much whisky as the rest of the world put together. Yet , instead of scotch, Indians drink local varieties with Scotch-sounding names such as McDowell's or Bagpiper, that are made from molasses. Scotch purists say these are rums and not whiskies.But India imposes tariff of 150% on imported whiskey, putting  Scotch beyond the reach of all but the rich.

While scotch producers moan about protectionism elsewhere, they benefit from European Union rules that define the scotch by " geographic indications" . To be described as scotch, the drink must be distilled in Scotland from fermented mash of malted cereals,with or without whole grains, and matured in wooden casks for three years or more. The whiskey cannot be sweetened or flavoured too. Such rules preserve the distinctiveness of Scotch from competing whiskies from, say, America or Canada.

( From the Economist )