There are so many kinds of whisky that it can be hard to learn the details of even one. We’ve put together a list of answers to the most common questions about the brown spirit to help you. Think of this as your guide to whisky.
1. What Is Whisky?
What can be called “whisky” varies from country to country, so the answer is trickier than you might think. Because they haven’t been aged, many moonshines and white whiskeys sold in the U.S. can’t legally be called whisky in other countries. How long the spirit must be aged before it can be called whisky varies from country to country, but all whiskeys are made from grain.
2. Why Is Whiskey Spelled Without An E?
You may have seen that some labels say “whiskey,” and others say “whisky.” Irish and American whiskeys are usually spelled with an e, while Scottish, Canadian, and Japanese whiskeys are generally spelled without an e. But Maker’s Mark and George Dickel are two bourbons and Tennessee whiskies that don’t have an “e” in their names. Go figure.
3. What’s Bourbon?
In the U.S., a spirit must be made from grain and have between 40 and 95 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) to be called whisky. Most of the time, it is distilled twice. Most types of American whisky don’t have to be at least a certain age, which is different from most other countries.
In the United States, bourbon rules. To be called bourbon, a product must be both whiskies and made from at least 51% corn. It must have less than 62.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) and be aged in charred new oak barrels. For a whisky of any kind to be called “straight,” it must be aged for at least two years. Most people think that bourbon tastes sweeter than other types of whisky, like rye or Scotch, and has a hint of smoke.
And last but not least, bourbon must be made in the United States. It is so much a part of our culture that the word “bourbon” can only be used to describe whisky made in the United States.
4. Is Tennessee Whisky The Same As Bourbon?
You shouldn’t mix up Tennessee whisky and bourbon, even though there are only a few legal differences between the two. Tennessee whisky must also be made within the state’s borders, as well as meeting all the federal requirements for bourbon. The Lincoln County Process [PDF] says that since 2013, all Tennessee whisky has to be “filtered through maple charcoal before aging” (although one distiller received an exemption from the law).
The U.S. also makes rye whisky, which must be made from at least 51 percent rye, and wheat whisky, which must be made from at least 51 percent wheat. Unaged white whiskeys and grain whiskeys are made from everything from corn to quinoa, which isn’t even a grain.
5. What Is Scotch, Then?
Scotch has a wide range of tastes, just like American whisky, but it is usually thought to be smokier and peatier than its cousins. By law, it has to be made in Scotland and stored in oak for at least three years. Many of these containers used to be bourbon barrels, which might come as a surprise. American law says that bourbon must be aged in “new oak,” so used bourbon barrels are often sent to Scotland to be used to make Scotch. Malted barley was used to make all Scotch whisky in the past.
6. What Is Malt Whisky?
Malt whisky must be made from a mash of malted grain, usually barley. This means that the grain has been soaked, allowed to start sprouting, and then roasted to stop the process. The smoky, savory peat flavor in whisky depends on how long the barley is dried over a peat-fueled fire. The longer it’s over the fire, the smokier the whisky is.
When whisky is called “single malt,” it means it was made at only one distillery. So, a single malt Scotch is a whisky made in Scotland from malted barley in a single distillery.
7. What Other Countries Make Whisky, And What Should I Know About The Products From Those Countries?
Canada, Ireland, and Japan are the other big players making whisky. Here’s the main stuff:
Canada: Of all the countries that make whisky, it could be said that Canada is the most misunderstood, and it’s not hard to see why: 75 percent of the whisky made in Canada is sent to the U.S., but only about 10 percent of the best whisky leaves the country (which means Americans are usually tasting the less-than-stellar stuff). A common misunderstanding about Canadian whisky is that it became popular in the U.S. during Prohibition. Davin de Kergommeaux, a Canadian whisky expert, says in his book Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert that this is not the case. His research showed that whisky’s generally anesthetic properties made it worthwhile during the Civil War. Since many American distilleries were burned down during the fighting, we had to get our supply from our neighbors to the north.
The laws that govern Canadian whisky give distillers and blenders a lot of freedom when making new products. Here, a whisky must be made from grain and distilled until the alcohol content is at least 40%. It must also be aged in wood for at least three years. In 1887, Canada was the first country in the world to set a minimum age for a whisky. About 25 years later, Britain did the same thing.
Ireland: Ten years ago, there were only three places in Ireland that made whisky. Since 2006, 13 more have opened because of the craft spirits movement. Irish whisky must be aged for at least three years, most of it is distilled three times, and it must have at least 40 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) (as in the U.S.).
Japan: Japanese whisky was made since the early 1920s, but it has only been available in the U.S. recently. And as it’s become more open, its celebrity has also grown: In the 2015 edition of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible (since 2003, Murray has been ranking the best whiskeys in the world), Yamazaki Distillery’s whisky was named the best in the world.