Whisky

Difference between Whisky and Whiskie

Before delving into the different types of whiskies, it is important to first understand the difference between whisky and whiskie. Generally, is should be known that there is no difference between whisky and whiskey as both terms refer to the same thing. The difference in spelling is believed to have been brought about by Irish and American copy editors and liquor producers who prefer to spell it as whiskey while their Japanese, Scottish and Canadian counterparts favor whisky. 

Types of Whiskies

There are many sub-categories of whisky that include rye, bourbon, scotch, Tennessee and Canadian style whisky. The manufacturers are mainly guided by the governments within the countries where they are produced. This is what brings about the distinctive difference between the different brands of Canadian, American and Irish whisky. Types of whisky are also distinguished by the production processes from growing the cereals to harvesting and actual production processes.

The two basic types of whisky are:

·    Grain whisky – Apart from barley, the production of this whisky includes at least one type of grain with the most common ingredients being rye, wheat or corn. Even then, the name of the product usually has the name of the pre-dominant component like rye malt whisky or blended scotch whisky for blended variations.

·    Malt whisky – This whisky is a product of fermented mash that is exclusively produced from barley grain that is malted. For whiskies that are made using a single type of grain then the end product will be named single malt whisky.

There are other types of whiskies that are made from different combinations of ingredients. 

They include the following:

·    Single cask whisky – This is a product of single processed grain mush and its packaging carries specific details of the cask from which it was made.

·    Single malt whisky – This is produced in one distillery from a single batch of grain much and is usually mixed with other casks to get attain a desired flavor.

·    Blended whiskies – As the name suggests, this is a result of a combinations of grain, malt as well as other additives that influence the flavor of the spirit. Some of the common whiskies in this category include Irish, Scotch and Canadian whisky.

·    Blended malt – This is a product of a single malt grain but is processed in several distilleries.

·    Cask strength – This is a powerful type of whisky that is exceptionally strong hence requires to be diluted to attain satisfaction.

Whisky can also be categorized according to the region is which it is produced. Some of the regional types of whisky include:

Scottish whisky - that is also considered to be the best in the world, are distilled twice and have a minimum aging time of 3 years.

American whisky – This type has numerous variations like bourbon whisky, malt whisky, Rye whisky and corn whisky. They are distilled to attain an alcohol volume of up to 80% and do not have flavoring and coloring additives. Their minimum aging time is 2 years.

Irish whisky – This is regarded highly across the globe. The three variations namely blended, single malt, single grain and pure pot still whisky has an aging time of 3 years.

5 Fun Facts about Whisky

Did you know that …?

1.    The name whisky means water of life?

The term whisky when interpreted in Gaelic is read as uisge beathe translated as water of life.

2.      For whisky life begins at 40?

The minimum strength at which scotch whisky is bottled is 40% ABV hence life literally begins at 40!

3.      A bottle of whisky can remain good for a period of 5 years when opened.

4.      The oldest whisky in the world is over 150 years old

5.      Three is the magical number for whisky as most of them have a minimum aging time of 3 years.

…well now you know!

In conclusion, whisky is a spirit that is carefully processed with different ingredients over varied periods to ensure that the desired flavor is achieved. http://whiskipedia.org

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