Geography Reference
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of each alcoholic ingredient shall be expressed as a percentage in descending
order of quantities used. That proportion shall be equal to the percentage by
volume of pure alcohol it represents in the total pure alcohol content by volume
of the mixture.
5. Specific rules concerning the description, presentation and labelling of
spirit drinks
(a) Indication of raw material
Article 12(1) of the Spirits Regulation provides that where the description,
presentation or labelling of a spirit drink indicates the raw material used to
produce the ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, each agricultural alcohol used
shall be mentioned in descending order of quantity used.
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(b) Blends
Article 12(2) of the Spirits Regulation provides that the description, presenta-
tion or labelling of a spirit drink may be supplemented by the term 'blend',
'blending' or 'blended' only where the spirit drink has undergone blending, as
defined in Annex I(7).
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Article 12(3) of the Spirits Regulation provides that without prejudice to any
derogation adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny
referred to in Art 25(3), a maturation period or age may only be specified in the
description, presentation or labelling of a spirit drink where it refers to the
youngest alcoholic component and provided that the spirit drink was aged
under revenue supervision or supervision affording equivalent guarantees.
6. Prohibition of lead-based capsules or foil
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Article 13 of the Spirits Regulation provides that spirit drinks shall not be held
with a view to sale or placed on the market 'in containers fitted with closing
devices covered by lead-based capsules or foil'.
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Annex I(7) provides as follows:
Blending means combining two or more spirit drinks of the same category, distinguished only by minor
differences in composition due to one or more of the following factors:
(a) the method of preparation;
(b) the stills employed;
(c) the period of maturation or ageing;
(d) the geographical area of production.
The spirit drink so produced shall be of the same category of spirit drink as the original spirit drinks before
blending.
