What is the difference between whiskey, scotch and bourbon?
Even self-proclaimed connoisseurs sometimes don't always answer this question correctly. It's a trick question, really, because whiskey is the overarching category of spirits that scotch and bourbon fall under. Both scotch and bourbon get their names from places – scotch from Scotland and bourbon from Bourbon County, Kentucky – but true scotch is made only in Scotland, while bourbon can be made in parts of America outside of Kentucky.
"Whiskey" can refer to any kind of whiskey – Irish, Japanese, Canadian, American, scotch and bourbon being the main types. Aficionados and Irish drinkers may refer to Irish whiskey as simply "whiskey," whereas they might specify location when talking about other types.
Is it "whiskey" or "whisky"?
It's both. "Whiskey" is the Irish spelling and "whisky" is the Scotchish spelling. The origin of the word goes back to both Ireland and Scotland. Uisge beatha or usquebaugh is Gaelic for "water of life". It was translated from the Latin aqua vitae, used to describe spirits.
Where did whiskey originate?
Both Ireland and Scotland claim to have given birth to whiskey however neither country has definitive proof. That part of the world wasn't too great at keeping records of who was doing what.'"
How are the different kinds of whiskeys made?
Generally, whiskey is made by (1) crushing grains (barley, corn, rye, wheat, etc.) to create the grist, (2) adding water to create the mash (3) boiling this mixture and then allowing it to cool, (4) adding yeast, which carries out fermentation by eating the sugars to create alcohol, (5) draining the resulting liquid, which is now beer, and then distilling using a still and (6) aging the resulting liquor in wooden barrels.
Here's how the different varieties are made:
Scotch is made from water and malted barley (ie. barley that's been steeped in water to trigger germination), distilled to less than 94.8% alcohol, aged for at least three years in oak barrels that can hold no more than 700 liters, and bottled at no less than 40% alcohol. No additives are allowed except for water and caramel coloring. By law, it can only be called scotch if it follows this process and is made in Scotland.
"Single malt" scotch is made from malted barley in a single distillery while "single grain" is made from malted barley and other grains in a single distillery. "Blended" scotch is a mix of whiskys/eys from multiple distilleries.
Irish whiskey is distilled to less than 94.8% alcohol and aged for at least three years in wooden barrels. By law, whiskey can only be called Irish whiskey if it follows this process and is made in Ireland.
Irish whiskey comes in several forms. If the whiskey is continuously distilled from unmalted grains, it is referred to as grain whiskey. This lighter and more neutral spirit is rarely found on its own and the vast majority of grain whiskey is used to make blended whiskey, a product made by mixing column still product with richer and more intense pot still product. Irish whiskeys made in a pot still fall into two categories. Those made entirely from malted barley distilled in a pot still are referred to as single malt whiskeys, a style also very commonly associated with Scotch whisky. The second style of Irish pot still whiskey is single pot still whiskey, made from a mixture of malted and unmalted barley completely distilled in a pot still. This latter style has also been historically referred to as "pure pot still" whiskey and "Irish pot still whiskey", Older bottlings often bear these names. Regardless of whether the blended whiskey is made from combining grain whiskey with either single malt whiskey or with single pot still whiskey, it is labelled with the same terminology.
How do you drink whiskey?
Ask for your whiskey neat if you want it poured in your glass at room temperature. On the rocks, conversely, means you want it poured over ice in your glass. Straight up usually means the same as "neat", but it can mean chilled and served in a cocktail glass. You can also order your whiskey with a splash of water or water back, that is, a glass of water on the side.
Most in Ireland recommend enjoying whiskey with a little bit of water added. (And with a little more water added when it comes to high alcohol content barrel proof, aka cask strength, whiskeys, which are bottled without any water added.) Some amount of dilution helps your nose and tongue smell and taste more of the flavors in your whiskey because it counteracts the alcohol's numbing of your senses. This is what whiskey tasters mean when they say that water helps "open up" the flavors.
When learning how to taste whiskey, keep in mind appearance, aroma (of first the straight whiskey and then the diluted whiskey), mouth-feel and flavor.Which whiskeys should I try?
Here are a couple of suggestions:
- Jameson's Original (My husbands favorite): To the nose, Jameson has a light floral fragrance, peppered with spicy wood and sweet notes. Taste wise it is a perfect balance of spicy, nutty and vanilla notes with hints of sweet sherry and exceptional smoothness.
- Bushmills 12 Year Old: an Irish whiskey with hints of sherry, fruit and nuts
- Connemara Single Malt: a peaty whiskey, sweet, with hints of vanilla, from Ireland's only independent distillery, Cooley
- Dalwhinnie: scotch infused with an aroma of heather
- Ezra B Single Barrel: aged for 12 years, this bourbon is complex and tastes of spices and honey
- Glenfarclas 12 Year Old: a single malt scotch from Speyside that's nutty and peaty with caramel notes
- Talisker: peaty scotch from the Isle of Skye
- Willett 8 Year Old: a rare release bourbon from Kentucky, its barrel proof bite gives way to deep, smoky, molasses flavors
- Blends: Black Bush, Bushmills Original, Clontarf, Inishowen, The Irishman Potstill, Jameson, Kilbeggan, Locke's Blend, Midleton Very Rare, Millars, Paddy, Powers, Tullamore Dew, Writer's Tears
- Single pot still: Green Spot, Yellow Spot, Jameson 15yr Old Pure Pot Still, Redbreast (12, 15, 21 years)
- Single malt: Bushmills (10, 16, 21 years), Connemara Peated Malt (Regular, Cask Strength and 12 years), The Irishman Single Malt, Locke's Single Malt (8 years), Tullamore Dew Single Malt (10-year), Tyrconnell
- Single grain: Greenore (8, 10, 15, 18 years), Teelings Single Grain.
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