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Have you ever wondered at the difference between single-malt whisky and a blended scotch? Or what differentiates a bourbon from a rye? Non-seasoned whisky drinkers will call these head-scratchers, but they’re simply different categories of the usquebaugh that you should know about, so you don’t end up ordering a Jameson and call it scotch. Yikes!
8 popular whisky categories that every whisky drinker should know about
As Harvey Specter from Suits will tell you, there’s little that a scotch on the rocks can’t fix. Crafted exclusively in Scotland, this legendary spirit is made using only cereal grains, water, and yeast, and is aged in oak barrels for a minimum of three years. There are two major sub-categories of scotch — single-malt and blended. While single malt scotch whisky is made from malted barley and produced at a single distillery, blended scotch is a product of blending different malt and grain whiskies that create a unique flavour.
Made from malted barley, single malt whisky is produced at a single distillery, which leads to its exclusivity factor. Although Scotland makes the most famous single malts in the world, the style has been mirrored in several whisky-favouring countries like India, Ireland, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and America. In fact, Indian single-malts are having their global moment, with several homegrown whiskies winning big at international spirits competitions. The type of barrel used, and the ageing process differs from country to country.
Made from combining a variety of grains, barrel types and whiskies from different distilleries, blended whiskies are more affordable than single-malts, and usually comprise a complex flavour profile that highlights the strengths of the various whiskies used in its production.
Bourbon can only be produced in the United States, and is made by using at least 51 per cent of corn, and grains like rye, wheat or barley. It is necessary to age this whisky in new charred American oak barrels for at least two years and needs to be bottled at 80 proof or more.
As the name suggests, Irish whisky is crafted in Ireland and tends to have a smoother flavour as compared to its counterparts. Made from a mash of malt, it is typically triple-distilled in wooden casks for a period of at least three years, which lends it its notes of honey, vanilla, and citrus.
A category of American whisky, rye whisky is made with 51 per cent rye, along with other ingredients like corn and barley. The spirit is usually aged for at least two years, and tends to be on the spicier side.
Although Japanese whisky tends to mimic the Scottish distillation process, it features add-ons like fresh mountain water, uniquely shaped stills and barrels made from indigenous wood that give it its distinct flavouring and plenty of variety.
Canadian whisky has sometimes been referred to as rye, but the former’s definition of rye is nothing like the one in America. While American rye whisky requires the spirit to be made of at least 51 per cent of the rye grain, Canadian whisky doesn’t have any sort of minimum rye requirement. Most Canadian whiskies, which need to be aged in oak barrels for at least three years, are made from rye and corn, but there are some that are created using wheat and barley.