By definition, whisky (or whiskey) is a spirit distilled from fermented grain aged in oak. More common grain varieties include wheat, rye, barley, and corn.  Whisky is made all over the world, each with various rules for production, and there are many popular styles! 

Is it whisky or whiskey?

Geography of where the spirit is made is the answer! Yes, whisky can be spelled both with an “e” and without, which does confuse even the most experienced whisky drinkers. The letter is particularly important to the story of the spirit. The Irish use of the “e,” is a tradition that carried over to American-made whiskeys. An interesting fact is that American federal laws all spell Whisky without the “e” just to make this all a bit more confusing!  The Scots do not use the “e,” and distillers in Canada, Japan and much of the world follow their lead. Hence, whisky vs. whiskey.

What types of whiskies are there in the world?

Scotch Whisky

Scotch whisky (aka scotch) is made in Scotland with either malt or grain. The Scots take their whisky-making seriously and have laws in place that distillers must follow. The spirit must age in an oak barrel for at least three years. When an age statement is used it can only reflect the youngest whisky used in that expression. 

For a whisky to be sold as Scotch whisky, it must be produced in Scotland and be one:

• that has been distilled at a distillery in Scotland from water and malted barley (to which only whole grains of other cereals may be added) all of which have been processed at that distillery into a mash; converted at that distillery into a fermentable substrate only by endogenous enzyme systems; and fermented at that distillery only by the addition of yeast
• that is mashed, fermented, distilled to no more than 94.8% ABV, and matured in oak casks not exceeding 700 liters for a minimum of three years in Scotland
• that contains no additives other than water and caramel coloring
• that retains the characteristics of its raw materials and production, and maturation methods (in other words, smell and taste like whisky)
• that is bottled at no less than 40% ABV
• that has been matured only in oak casks of a capacity not exceeding 700 litres; 
• that has been matured only in Scotland
• that has been matured for a period of not less than three years
• that has been matured only in an excise warehouse or a permitted place

Irish Whiskey

Irish whiskey often has a smoother flavor. It is made from a mash of malt or other grains, and can only be distilled using water and caramel coloring. It must be aged in wooden casks for at least three years. The result is a whiskey that is easy to enjoy neat!

Key requirements include specifications that Irish whiskey must: 

• Be made from a mash of malted barley, plus other cereal grains (optional)
• Be mashed, fermented, distilled to no more than 94.8% ABV, and matured in wooden casks, such as oak, not exceeding 700 liters for a minimum of three years in the Republic of Ireland and/or Northern Ireland
• Not contain additives other than water and caramel coloring 
• Retain the characteristics of its raw materials (in other words, smell and taste like whiskey)
• Be bottled at no less than 40% ABV

Japanese Whisky

Japanese whisky was founded on Scottish whisky traditions and has made certainly made its mark on the spirits world. New guidelines (not laws) for Japanese whisky began April 1st, 2021 and are new internally enforced standards:

• The spirit must be fermented, distilled and aged at a distillery in Japan
• It must contain malted grain (e.g. barley, wheat, rye), but other non-malted cereal grains can also be included
• Water used to make the spirit must be extracted in Japan
• The spirit must be aged for at least three years
• It must be bottled in Japan

Japanese whisky lovers consume their whisky either neat or as a highball cocktail. 

Canadian Whisky

Like scotch whisky, Canadian whisky must be barrel-aged for at least three years. It often tastes lighter and smoother than many other types of whiskey because it contains a high percentage of corn. You will find that most Canadian whiskies are made from corn and rye, but some may feature wheat or barley.

Bourbon Whiskey

An American whiskey, bourbon is made from corn. In fact, to be called bourbon whiskey, the spirit needs to be made from at least 51% corn, aged in a new oak barrel and produced in America. It has no minimum aging period and needs to be bottled at a minimum of 40% ABV.

Here are the rules for Bourbon:

1. It must be made in the United States. Contrary to popular belief, it does not have to be made in Kentucky, although 95 percent of the world’s bourbon comes from Kentucky.

2. Aging must take place in a new, charred, oak barrel. 

The bourbon must be aged for at least two years to be considered a Straight Bourbon (unlike regular bourbon which has no aging requirement). To qualify as Bottled-in-Bond, it must be aged for a minimum of 4 years.

3. The mash must consist of at least 51 percent corn. 

4. The whiskey cannot enter the barrel at higher than 62.5% ABV. It cannot enter the bottle at less than 40% ABV.

5. Nothing can be added but water and only to lessen the proof when necessary. 

On an interesting note, Makers Mark brands their American whisky with no ”e”  and help keep us on our toes about the use of the “e” in whisky! The creators of Maker’s Mark, The Samuels say that the reason for this is that they want to pay homage to their Scottish heritage.

Tennessee Whiskey

While Tennessee whiskey is technically classified as bourbon, some distillers in the state are not too keen on that use of the term. Instead, they use “Tennessee Whiskey” to define their style. One of the key things to understand about this category is what is legally allowed to be called Tennessee whiskey. Since 2013, in addition to other bourbon rules, state law defines Tennessee whiskey as:

• a spirit that is distilled in Tennessee from at least 51% corn 
• aged in new charred oak barrels and has undergone the Lincoln County process, which is filtering the new-make spirit through layers of charcoal before barreling. A special exception in the law was a grandfathering clause that was made for Prichard’s, which makes a Tennessee whiskey that doesn’t go through the charcoal filtering process.

Rye Whiskey

Rye whiskey is made in America with at least 51% rye grain, along with other ingredients such as corn and barley. It follows the distilling process of bourbon. Rye that has been aged for two or more years and has not been blended is dubbed “straight rye whiskey.” Rye tends to have a spicier flavor than their sweeter, sometimes smoother bourbon cousin.

Did you know? Rye whiskey was the original whiskey made in America

World of Whisky!

Whisky is made all over the world! While Scotland, Canada, Ireland, Japan, and the United States are the leaders in whisky world, the rest of the world is now making their own incredible whiskies and are close behind in production levels!  Dozens of countries are making whisky including India, Germany, Australia, Taiwan, France, Finland, and Israel just to name a few! 

Now that you know about the different types of whisk(e)y it is time to start enjoying these variations on the great spirit that is celebrated all over the world…whisky!!!!

So get out your whisk(e)y passport and start traveling the world of whiskies!

Slàinte! Skål! Cheers! Proost! Salud!