Golden Promise (Barley) is a classic British spring barley variety, often compared with Maris Otter for its rich flavor. It was also the first variety to be protected under the UK 1964 Plant Varieties and Seeds Act. It was first recommended for growing in Scotland in 1968 and continued to be planted until the 1990s. Golden Promise was bred by Miln Marsters seed company of Cheshire, UK, now part of the French Groupe Limagrain, and was a direct product of gamma ray mutation of the UK variety Maythorpe. It was selected for its short, stiff straw and suitability for contemporary agronomic practice, characteristics largely the result of a mutation that induced the ari-e.GP dwarfing gene. This was also associated with even but relatively small grain, characters that made Golden Promise particularly suited to malt production for distilling. Consequently, it was the dominant barley variety grown in Scotland in the 1970s and early 1980s before it was superseded by Triumph, a then East Germany–bred variety, and its derivatives. Golden Promise was, however, susceptible to most common UK foliar pathogens of barley, but the integration of effective fungicides into management regimes from the 1970s onward enabled growers to control potential problems such as powdery mildew. At its peak, over 30,000 tons of certified seed were produced annually for UK growers. This resulted in a large amount of seed being marketed, especially in Scotland where the distilling industry turned some 400,000 metric tons of Golden Promise into whiskey each year. Although a strong performer in its day, Golden Promise’s performance is now so far behind contemporary varieties that such uses are for research purposes only. It is still used by some brewers and is generally available in small quantities as a floor malt. Golden Promise floor malts produce worts showing a soft, sweet character suitable for the production of full-bodied cask- conditioned ales.