In this beginner’s guide to whiskey, I’m talking about the different styles, and how whisk(e)y from Scotland, Ireland, Canada, United States, and Japan all differ from each other.
Single Malt vs Single Grain vs Blended
Whisk(e)y will fall into one of three categories. The first is single malt whisk(e)y, which is made of malted barley, water, and yeast. Then is grain whisky which is made with grains other than malted barley such as corn, wheat, or rye. However, a small amount of malted barley is usually used to produce a grain whisk(e)y because malted barley contains enzymes which will convert starches in the grains into sugars.
Lastly, we have blended whiskies which are a blend of single malt whiskies and grain whiskies. When you are looking at a blended whiskey label it might specify that it’s a blended malt whisk(e)y. This means it is only made of blended single malt whiskies. Or, the label might specify that it is a blended malt and grain whisk(e)y, meaning it is a blend of both kinds.
Generally speaking, single malt whiskies are more expensive than blended whiskies. This is ironic because it takes more skill to create a blended whisk(e)y than to create a single malt whisk(e)y. In order to produce a blended whisk(e)y a master blender will work with 2-50 different whiskies. The blender will blend them to produce a product that is the same every time. This is not an easy thing to do, especially if they run out of one of the whiskies that make up the blend.
Scotch Whisky
Scotland is famous for Scotch Whisky. Notice there is no “e” at the end. To legally be called Scotch, the whisky has to be produced and matured in Scotland for no less than three years and one day in oak casks.
Most Scotch is made with peated malt which gives it a characteristically deep and smoky flavor. The peat can give scotch a burnt, rubbery taste, so if you are just trying whisky for the first time, it is probably best that you NOT start with scotch.
Scotland is divided into the whisky regions: Highland, Lowland, and Speyside as well as the protected localities of Islay and Campbeltown. Each region produces whisky with a different regional flavour profile. For example, Islay is known for its heavily peated whiskies. Whereas The Borders Distillery where I used to work is in the Lowlands. Since there is no peated soil in the Lowlands, there is no peat used in the production of whisky at The Borders Distillery. Instead, we wanted to produce a whisky with a smooth and refined character.
Irish Whiskey
Similar to Scotland, Ireland makes malt and grain whiskies. Unlike scotch which is usually double distilled, Irish whisky is usually triple distilled, giving it a comparatively lighter character. It is usually more smooth in taste and easy to drink.
One style of Irish whiskey worth mentioning, is the single pot still whisky. This is a whiskey made of a combination of malted and unmalted barley (minimum 30% unmalted, 30% malted). There may also be a small addition of other cereals such as wheat and oats. Irish pot still whiskey was created in the 1800s when the government levied many taxes on distilleries in Ireland, one of them being the malt tax. To get around paying the full amount of this malt tax, distilleries started including unmalted barley in their grain bills. Thus the irish pot still whisky was born. It tastes similar to a single malt whisky, but the unmalted barley gives it a distinctive spiciness, more of a weighty, grainy texture, and a funky cereal flavor that isn’t present in a Scotch, or even other types of Irish whiskeys.
Canadian Whisky
Most of the whisky coming out of Canada is of the blended variety, but the country is best known for its rye whisky. The addition of flavourful rye to the grain bill is a contribution from the Dutch and German settlers who first came to Canada. The rye imparts a spicy or fruity flavor to whisky. Rye was such a common addition to whisky, that the term Canadian whisky became interchangeable with rye whisky.
The legal definitions for Canadian whisky are very loose. Distilleries are able to label their product as rye whisky even if the grain bill contains less than 10% rye. Whereas in the United States, a rye whisky must contain at least 51% rye to meet the legal definition of a rye whiskey. For this reason many people claim that Canadian whisky is not a true rye whisky. As well, in Canada colourings and flavor additives are permitted for use in whisky. Many purists who think that nothing but water should be added between transferring whisky from the cask and into the bottle believe that these additives reduce the quality of the whisky. Please note that Scotch and Irish whisk(e)y production allow for caramel colouring to be added as well.
American Whiskey
One very unique aspect of whiskey from the United States is that it does not have a maturation age requirement. The minute it comes off of the still it is legally whiskey. Whereas in Scotland and Ireland, the liquid must spend at least three years maturing in the cask before it can legally be called whisk(e)y.
Bourbon is probably the most famous kind of American whiskey. Bourbon must be made in the United States, have a minimum of 51% corn, and be stored in new oak casks. The use of corn as the base ingredient is a nod to America’s farming roots. The corn imparts a sweeter flavor to the whiskey compared to that of Scotch or Irish whisk(e)y.
Another popular whiskey style from the United States is Tennessee whiskey. This whiskey must be produced in the state of Tennessee and must undergo a filtration process called the Lincoln County process. This process sees the spirit filtered through charcoal chips before being transferred into casks.
Japanese Whisky
Japan is famous for taking creations from other countries and perfecting them. Whisky is a textbook example of this. Varied, nuanced, and complex, Japanese whiskies have no set flavor profile.
Two of the biggest names in the whisky game in Japan are Suntory and Nikka. Nikka’s founder, Masataka Taketsuru, traveled to Scotland and studied how to make scotch at several distilleries before returning to Japan in 1920. He helped establish a whisky distillery with Suntory before going on to found Nikka Whisky. It is due to his experiences in Scotland that Japanese whisky tends to be more similar in style to scotch.
There is no strict legal definition for Japanese whisky like there is for scotch and bourbon. Distilleries can blend Japanese whisky with scotch or a neutral spirit and still legally call it Japanese whisky. To fix this issue and to help maintain the integrity of Japanese whisky, the Japanese Whisky Association will be announcing a legal definition for Japanese whisky sometime in the near future.
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