UGANDA STANDARD  
  US EAS 141 
First  Edition  
2014-10-15 
 
 Reference number  
US EAS  141: 2014 
© UNBS 201 4 
   
Whisky  — Specification  
 US EAS 141: 2014 
ii                © UNBS  2014 - All rights reserved  
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsible for its correct application  
© UNBS 20 14 
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without prior wr itten 
permission from UNBS.  
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to  
The Executive Director  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards  
P.O. Box 6329  
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Uganda  
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E-mail: unbs@infocom.co.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  
 US EAS 141: 2014 
© UNBS  2014 - All rights reserved                 iii National foreword  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and 
Industry established under Cap 327, of the Laws of Uganda. UNBS is mandat ed to co -ordinate the elaboration 
of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT/SPS Agreeme nts of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).  
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consists of representatives of 
consu mers, traders, academicians, manufacturers, government and other stakeholders.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before re commending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
This Uganda Standard, US EAS 141: 2014, Whisky  — Specification , is identical with  and has been 
reproduced from  an East African  Standard , EAS 141: 2014, Whisky  — Specification , and adopted  as a 
Uganda Standard.  
Wherever the words, “ East African  Standard" appear, they should be replaced by "Uganda Standard."  
 
   EAS 141: 2014  
ICS 67.160.10  
© EA C 2014                                                                                                                         Second  Edition 2014   
 
EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Whisky — Specification  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  EAS 141: 2014  
ii © EAC  2014  – All rights reserved  
 Copyright notice  
This EAC document is copyright -protected by EAC. While the reproduction of this document by 
participants in the EAC standards development process is permitted without pri or permission from EAC, 
neither this document nor any extract from it may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form for 
any other purpose without prior written permission from EAC.  
Requests for permission to reproduce this document for the purpose o f selling it should be addressed 
as shown below or to EAC’s member body in the country of the requester:  
© East African Community  2014  — All rights reserved  
East African Community   
P.O.Box 1096  
Arusha  
Tanzania  
Tel: 255 27 2504253/8  
Fax: 255 27 2504481/2504 255 
E-mail: eac@eachq.org  
       Web: www.eac -quality.net  
Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement.  
Violators may be persecuted  
 FDEAS 141: 2014  
© EAC 2014  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality of products and services in the East African Community. It is envisaged that through 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered when goods and services are exchanged 
within the Co mmunity will be removed.  
In order to achieve this objective, the Community established an East African Standards Committee mandated 
to develop and issue East African Standards.   
The Committee is composed of representatives of the National Standards Bodies  in Partner States, together 
with the representatives from the private sectors and consumer organizations. Draft East African Standards 
are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards Bodies in the Partner States. The comments 
received are di scussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in accordance with the procedures 
of the Community.  
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expecte d to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
EAS 141 was prepared by Technical Committee EASC/TC 007, Alcoholic and non -alcoholic beverages . 
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (EAS  141:2000), which has been technically revised.  
 EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  EAS 141: 2014  
 
© EAC 2014  – All rights reserved  1 
 Whisky — Specification  
1 Scope  
This East African Standard specifies the requirements and methods of sampling and test for whisky (whiskey).  
2 Normative references  
The following referenced documents are indisp ensable for the application of this document. For dated 
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced 
document (including any amendments) applies.  
CAC/GL 66  Guidelines for the use of flavourings  
CODEX STAN 192 , General standard for food additives  
EAS 12,  Drinking (potable) water — Specification  
EAS 38,  Labelling of pre -packaged foods — Specification  
EAS 39,  Hygiene in the  food and drink manufacturing industry — Code of practice  
EAS 100,  Food stu ffs — Methods of determination of Lead  
EAS 123 , Distilled water — Specification  
EAS 144,  Neutral spirit — Specification  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions shall apply.  
3.1 
whisky  
alcoholic spirit  obtained from a distillation of fermented mash of malted or unmalted grains such as barley,  
sorghum,  maize, rye or other cereal grain with or without aging  
3.2  
malt whisky  
whisky made exclusively from malted cereals  
NOTE  Malt whisky from grains other th an barley are also known as grain whisky . 
3.3  
unmalted whisky  
whisky made exclusively from unmalted cereals  EAS 141: 2014  
2 © EAC  2014  – All rights reserved  
 3.4 
blended whisky  
blend of malt whisky, and neutral spirit  
4 Quality requirements  
4.1 Ingredients  
The ingredients for whisky shall include the f ollowing:  
a) distilled water conforming to EAS  123 or demineralised water;  
b) neutral spirit , if used  for blending, conforming to EAS 144 ; and  
c) flavouring  agents,  if used, in accordance with CAC/GL 66 . 
4.2 General requirements  
Whisky shall  be: 
a) free from any extra neous substances ; and  
b) free from haze  and particulate matter .  
4.3 Specific quality requirements  
4.3.1  Whisky shall also comply with the requirements given in Table 1  when tested in accordance with EAS 
104.  
Table 1 ― Requirements for whisky  
SI No  Characte ristic  Requirement  
i.  Ethyl alcohol , %, v/v at 20 °C, min.  37.5 
ii.  Total solids, % (m/v), max  2.0 
iii.  Total ash, % (m/v), max  0.2 
iv.  Volatile acids as acetic acid , mg/L of 
absolute alcohol, max  400 
v.  Higher alcohols as amyl alcohol, mg/ 
L of absolute alcohol , max . 2 400 
vi.  Aldehydes as acetaldehyde, mg/L  
absolute alcohol, max  400 
vii.  Methyl alcohol, mg/L, max.  300 
 
4.3.2  Blended whisky shall have a minimum of 10 % of absolute alcohol volume from malted and /or 
unmalted whisky .  
5 Food additives  
Food additives m ay be used in the preparation of whisky in accordance with CODEX STAN 192.  FDEAS 141: 2014  
© EAC 2014  – All rights reserved  3 
 6 Heavy metal contaminants  
When tested in accordance with EAS 10 0 the level of lead shall not exceed 0.01 mg/L.  
7 Hygiene  
Whisky shall be manufactured and handled in a hygienic mann er in accordance with EAS 39.  
8 Weight s and measures  
The volume and fill of whisky shall comply with the weights and measures regulations of Partner States or 
equivalent legislation  
9 Packaging  
9.1 Whisky shall be packaged in suitable food grade container s.  
9.2 Whisky shall be packaged for bulk delivery and storage in containers that shall prevent contamination of 
the product and preserve its safety and quality.  
10 Labelling  
In addition to the requirements of EAS 38, the following specific labelling requ irements shall apply and shall be 
legibly and indelibly marked:  
a) common name as ‘ Whisky or Blended whisky’ ; 
b) name, physical location and address of manufacturer;  
c) ethyl alcohol content, % by volume;  
d) net content ; 
e) declaration by common name of any additives use d; 
f) date of manufacture ; 
g)  batch identification number/code;  
h) country of origin ; and  
i) statutory warnings . 
11 Sampling and test  
Sampling and testing of potable spirit shall be done in accordance with EAS 104.  
 EAS 141: 2014    
 
© EAC 2014  – All rights reserved