Old Monk drops ‘7 years old’ claim after Bombay HC questions rum’s ageing label

MUMBAI: Old Monk is getting a label makeover, after the Bombay High Court questioned whether its “7 years old blended” claim could give consumers the wrong impression about the rum’s ageing.

Mohan Meakin, the maker of Old Monk, has agreed to modify the labels on its bottles following scrutiny linked to action by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The company will remove ageing-related claims and disclose the use of added flavourings on future labels.

The dispute surfaced after FSSAI action restricted the sale of Old Monk in Maharashtra. The regulator had raised concerns about the composition of the product as well as claims made on its packaging.

At the heart of the labelling issue is the phrase “7 years old blended”. During proceedings, the Bombay High Court questioned whether the wording could suggest that the entire spirit inside the bottle had been aged for seven years.

Mohan Meakin has now agreed to submit a redesigned, digitally printed label to the court for consideration. The company is expected to make the revised packaging clearer on the product’s composition and remove the disputed ageing reference.

However, the agreement does not mean the wider dispute with FSSAI has been settled. There is currently no interim stay on the regulator’s order restricting sales.

The Old Monk case forms part of a broader regulatory scrutiny of how alcoholic beverages are made and described in India.

FSSAI has raised concerns about the use of external artificial or nature-identical flavourings in certain alcoholic products. The regulator has argued that such ingredients should comply with prescribed manufacturing standards and that labels must not create a misleading impression about a product’s ingredients, maturation or manufacturing process.

The action has extended beyond Mohan Meakin. Certain variants of United Spirits, Inbrew Beverages and other liquor makers have also come under scrutiny, putting several familiar whisky and rum brands in the regulatory spotlight.

Among the products affected are variants of Antiquity Blue, Royal Challenge and Bagpiper Deluxe, alongside Old Monk.

According to FSSAI, testing found external artificial or nature-identical flavours in some products. The regulator’s position is that these flavours were being used to deliver the desired taste and aroma rather than relying solely on natural ingredients and appropriate maturation.

For liquor makers, the issue goes beyond ingredients. It also raises questions about how traditional descriptions such as “aged”, “blended” and “matured” should be presented when a product contains additional flavouring.

For Mohan Meakin, the immediate task is straightforward: redesign the bottle label and submit it for judicial review. The move could remove one of the most contentious elements of the dispute, but the larger questions around the product’s composition and FSSAI’s action remain before the court.

The episode also puts a familiar piece of Indian liquor branding under an unusually bright spotlight. For Old Monk, a brand built over decades around its distinctive identity, the next label may say a little less about age, but quite a bit more about transparency.