[Animadversior]

Originally Posted by bkblankenship

.... To reiterate, Speyside is a sub-region classification of scotch whisky from the Highlands as the other sub-regions. SPEYSIDE IS NOT A MAJOR CLASSIFICATION. SPEYSIDE FALLS INTO THE HIGHLAND CATEGORY. There are only FOUR MAJOR CLASSIFICATIONS OF SCOTCH WHISKY: HIGHLANDS, LOWLANDS, CAMPBELTOWN, AND ISLAY.

Actually... According to The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (Passed November 23 '09):

(5) The protected localities are:
(a)“Campbeltown”, comprising the South Kintyre ward of the Argyll and Bute Council as that ward is constituted in the Argyll and Bute (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2006(1); and
(b)“Islay”, comprising the Isle of Islay in Argyll.

(6) The protected regions are:
(a)“Highland”, comprising that part of Scotland that is north of the line dividing the Highland region from the Lowland region*;
(b)“Lowland”, comprising that part of Scotland that is south of the line dividing the Highland region from the Lowland region; and
(c)“Speyside”, comprising—
(i)the wards of Buckie, Elgin City North, Elgin City South, Fochabers Lhanbryde, Forres, Heldon and Laich, Keith and Cullen and Speyside Glenlivet of the Moray Council as those wards are constituted in the Moray (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2006(2); and
(ii)the Badenoch and Strathspey ward of the Highland Council as that ward is constituted in the Highland (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2006(3).

*(7) In this regulation “the line dividing the Highland region from the Lowland region” means the line beginning at the North Channel and running along the southern foreshore of the Firth of Clyde to Greenock, and from there to Cardross Station, then eastwards in a straight line to the summit of Earl’s Seat in the Campsie Fells, and then eastwards in a straight line to the Wallace Monument, and from there eastwards along the line of the B998 and A91 roads until the A91 meets the M90 road at Milnathort, and then along the M90 northwards until the Bridge of Earn, and then along the River Earn until its confluence with the River Tay, and then along the southern foreshore of that river and the Firth of Tay until it comes to the North Sea."

Now... I don't know my Scottish Geography, but that sounds like the Speyside region is - technically - a part of the Highlands, but as of now it is - by law - it is recognized as it's own region with two subregions of it's own (apparently decided by the electrical grid?)... No mention of any other subregions.

That being said, I think I prefer the specific regions implemented by the SMWS. It seems to me that their approach more accurate with general distillery profiles... If nothing else, their system is helping tremendously with remembering characteristics of malts & other distillery information.