A lot of people get confused about whiskey, and I understand why. If you're confused, take a look at the following designations and see if you can make heads or tails of them. After you’ve read it all, look at some whiskeys online and see if you can see how the designations overlap.

 

An important note about spelling: Only whiskeys from America and Ireland are actually spelled with the “e.” A whiskey made in Scotland, Japan, or Canada is spelled "Whisky." When talking broadly about whiskey, I’ll spell it with an “e.”

 

Whiskey is a very broad category. Whiskeys are always distilled from fermented grain mash, which can include barley, rye, wheat, or corn.

 

Malt Whiskey is made entirely from malted barley.

 

Grain Whiskey is made from malted and un-malted barley, combined with other grains in various ways.

 

Vatted Malt Whiskey is blended from malt whiskies from different distilleries. Will usually not carry the name of a distillery. Also: blended malt.

 

Single Malt Whiskey is comprised of whiskey from one distillery. Only single malts labeled “single-cask” will be from one cask, so sometimes single malts can be comprised of whiskeys from different years.

 

Pure Pot Still Whiskey is distilled in a pot-still from both malted and unmalted barley and is exclusive to Ireland.

 

Blended Whiskey is comprised of both malt and grain whiskeys. Like vatted malt whiskey, blended whiskeys can be made of spirits from many distilleries, so they will usually not be labeled with a distillery’s name.

 

Cask Strength Whiskey is very rare. It will come undiluted, so you can dilute it to your own liking.

 

 

So, the above terms apply across the board most of the time, but in order to understand what you’re drinking you also have to understand the different standards that different countries apply to their whiskeys or whiskies.

 

Scotch Whisky is only produced in Scotland. It is usually double-distilled, and when the malt is dried over a peat-fueled fire it is also smoked, giving the spirit an intense smoky flavor. Scotch must be aged over three years.

 

Single Malt Scotch: Comes from one distillery and will carry the label of said distillery. 

 

Important Note: The following regions of Scotland create their own Scotch Whiskies, and their flavors are very distinct: Lowland (Glenkinchie), Speyside (The Macallan), Highland (Glenmorangie), Campbeltown (Glen Scotia), and Islay (Laphroaig). Campbeltown is very similar to Islay.

 

Why make a blended Scotch? By blending a single-malt Scotch Whisky with other mixed grain whiskies, the distillery can create a milder flavor. These blended Scotch Whiskies are often preferred for use in mixed cocktails.

 

Irish Whiskey is, of course, exclusive to Ireland. Most Irish Whiskeys are tripled-distilled blends of pot-stilled malt whiskey, pot-stilled un-malted barley whiskey, and column-stilled corn-based grain whiskey--which can seem a little overwhelming, but the outcome is so distinctly Irish Whiskey. Ireland only has three major distilleries that produce all the Irish Whiskeys the country creates: New Middleton (Jameson), Old Bushmills (Bushmills), and Cooley (Michael Collins).

 

Canadian Whisky is generally much lighter than other whisky, making them ideal for mixing in cocktails. They are aged in used oak barrels for a minimum of three years and many are blended. The most popular Canadian Whiskies are Crown Royal and  Canadian Club.

 

Japanese Whisky has been long-overlooked until very recently. Some have fared well or even better than some Scotch Whiskies in blind taste tests. They are modeled very closely after Single Malt Scotch Whiskies. Try Yamazaki Single Malt 12-year; it’s very affordable.

 

American Whiskey is also very complex, including several very essential distinctions.

 

Bourbon: Almost all bourbons in the United States are made in Kentucky, and will be labeled as such. It must be made from a mash of at least 51% corn, distilled at 160 proof or less, and aged a minimum of two years in new, charred oak barrels. The only blending or additive allowed is the water added to reduce the spirit to 80 proof. Some Kentucky Bourbons you may recognize are Blanton’s, Buffalo Trace, Bulleit, Knob Creek, Maker’s Mark, W.L. Weller, and Woodford Reserve.

 

Tennessee Whiskey: While Tennessee Whiskey is very similar to Bourbon, the main differences are as follows: it must be made of at least 51% of any one grain, be filtered through 10 feet of sugar-maple charcoal, and it can be aged in used oak barrels rather than only new. Jack Daniel’s is a popular Tennessee Whiskey.

 

Rye: Must be made from at least 51% rye grain. When compared to bourbon, rye whiskeys are bitterer, more peppery, and far less sweet. One of my favorite Rye Whiskeys is (ri)¹.

 

Straight: If a whiskey is aged for two or more years, it is subsequently named a straight whiskey—ex: “straight rye whiskey” or “Kentucky Straight Bourbon.”

What is Bourbon Whiskey? SF Bartender Examiner 

Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey: SF Bartender Examiner

Whiskey or Whisky? Cigar Examiner

Highland Park and the College World Series Whisky Tasting: Omaha Bartender Examiner