#scotch-whisky

#scotch-whisky

If you're shopping in a state where grocery stores are allowed to sell liquor, you might even see Trader Joe's brand whisky on the shelves with a low price tag attached to it. So, how is it that a grocery chain can put proper, single-malt Scotch on the shelves for just $20 to $30 a bottle? The answer is similar to that of most of the deals you find in the store: A private label bottled by a non-distiller producer (NDP) in Scotland.

As a result of a new deal agreed during Sir Keir Starmer's trip to China, import taxes on whisky will be cut from 10% to 5% - a deal the UK government said would be worth 250m to the UK's economy over the next five years. Scotch whisky is a key export for Britain's drinks sector, with more than 5bn in annual exports. In recent years, China has been one of its fastest-growing markets.

The Scottish whisky market has slipped into a supply glut as US tariffs and falling demand weigh on the country's distilleries. Global scotch sales fell 3% in the first half of 2025, marking the third consecutive year of decline after decades of growth, according to the alcohol data provider IWSR. The slowdown comes as distilleries grapple with uncertainty around Donald Trump's trade tariffs, as well as declining rates of alcohol consumption.

Gone are Glen Grant's traditionally light and fruity characteristics, replaced by aged notes of stewed prunes, cinnamon, dark chocolate and oak spice.