I said people were saying snobby things.

Just because something has always been made one way, doesn't mean that suddenly moving that method to a different region will blemish the product. In fact, Artsapat's article shows that moving the production can improve the overall quality.

Protecting the brand for your country's economy is one thing and fair enough, but that's no call to snub the hard work of others. If it was made like scotch and tastes like scotch, then whatever it is called, it is still scotch. I say a compromise would be perfectly fair. The Asians can call it Scotch, but they have to put some sort of clarifier that it is not made in Scotland, or can't put things like "authentic" or such. So they could have a label like "Taiwanese Scotch Whisky". They've done that with Cheddar and other cheeses, and I can still tell the difference between good cheddar and bad cheddar. (but then, I'm a cheddar-whore)

Random only slightly related note: I was so confused when our Whole Foods store labeled Cheddar as being Irish. So much for their "cheese experts".

Hmm, I probably should have been listening to that heart murmur lecture. Oops.