View all text of Subpart I [§ 5.141 - § 5.166]

§ 5.141 - The standards of identity in general.

(a) General. Distilled spirits are divided, for labeling purposes, into classes, which are further divided into specific types. As set forth in § 5.63, a distilled spirits product label must bear the appropriate class, type or other designation. The standards that define the classes and types are known as the “standards of identity.” The classes and types of distilled spirits set forth in this subpart apply only to distilled spirits for beverage or other nonindustrial purposes.

(b) Rules. (1) Unless otherwise specified, when a standard of identity states that a mash is of a particular ingredient (such as “fermented mash of grain”), the mash must be made entirely of that ingredient without the addition of other fermentable ingredients.

(2) Some distilled spirits products may conform to the standards of identity of more than one class. Such products may be designated with any single class designation defined in this subpart to which the products conform.

(c) Designating with both class and type. If a product is designated with both the class and the type, the type designation must be as conspicuous as the class designation, and must appear in the same field of vision.

(d) Words in a designation. All words in a designation must be similarly conspicuous and must appear together.