Buyer's Guide to Whiskey

If you're new to whiskey and found your way here or if you're trying to learn a little so you can buy a decent gift for a whiskey enthusiast in your life, welcome! In this article, I'll break down the major categories of whiskey so that you at least know a little bit about what you're looking at in a liquor store or when a friend shows you a bottle and asks you if you want any. Generally speaking, there are regulations in each country that whiskey is distilled that dictate what is allowed and what isn't in order to call it scotch, bourbon, Canadian whiskey, etc. That's what we'll cover in this article. There are some regulations in each of the categories as well as for the overall whiskey class that specify the proof that the spirit must enter the barrel, etc. I'll stay away from those in this article since they aren't really necessary to know for the typical enjoyer of whiskey. Just know that those regulations do exist too.

What exactly is a whiskey?

Super simply put, whiskey is the alcohol from distilled cereal grains. Again, there's a little more to it to separate whiskey from a grain neutral spirit but that's the key piece to know for the typical consumer at the store. You can sort of think of it as distilled beer. Beer is to whiskey as wine is to brandy.

During the distillation process, a mash of fermented cereal grains is heated up until the alcohol generated from the fermentation process starts to evaporate. Then, some of that alcohol is collected and some is discarded or even redistilled depending on the distillery and the whiskey. At this stage of the process, you have the clear spirit that is often referred to as "white dog" or "new make spirit". It requires two more steps to be legally called a whiskey.

It must be put into an oak container. The chosen word "container" here is intentional and becomes a bit interesting when we get to bourbon.

It also must be bottled at no less than 40% ABV (alcohol by volume) i.e. 80 proof.

What is the difference between "whiskey" and "whisky"?

Spelling. That's it. These two words refer to the same thing. Spelling differences are typically country to country. In the United States, you may see some distilleries nod to the Scottish tradition and use the no "e" spelling but it's mostly spelled "whiskey". As a general rule of thumb, if the name of the country of origin is spelled with an "e", they spell "whiskey" with an "e" too (i.e. United States and Ireland). Canada and Japan spell it "whisky". The major exception is England but we'll narrow it down to Scotland because that's the region that really matters in terms of whiskey. Scotland has no "e"; therefore, it's "whisky". As the whiskey market continues to grow and other countries put their name on the whiskey map, this rule of thumb may become irrelevant particularly because it's the Scotch Whisky Association that continues to really lay the groundwork globally and those countries are using the Scottish spelling. Luckily for us, those current up and coming countries are Japan, India, and Australia. No "e" in sight there. So for now, our rule of thumb still works.

The other exceptions to this rule are specific distilleries that choose one spelling over another for a variety of reasons. One example of that is Balcones Distilling in Waco, Texas. They use the no "e" spelling for their products as a nod to the rich heritage of making whisky.

What are the major categories?

I know. You've read four paragraphs but still have not seen the categories that I've mentioned in the second sentence. It was important to know that information first because the categories of whiskey only refine their definitions further from there. It's also important to know that each of these categories is a type of whiskey. Many people don't understand that scotch, bourbon, etc. are not different from whiskey. They are specific types of whiskey. Let's break them down.

Scotch Whisky

As I already mentioned, Scotch, like all of the other categories of whiskey/whisky in this article, must meet those initial standards we discussed: distilled from cereal grains, put in an oak container, and bottled at no less than 40% ABV. But to call it a scotch whisky, first and foremost, it must be produced and aged in Scotland.

Secondly, it must be aged in oak casks for at least 3 years. Notice the two points there that are different from "whisky/whiskey" as a class. Scotch does specify "casks" not just "container". They also specify a timeframe. The whisky must age in those oak casks for at least 3 years, which in the mild weather of Scotland, is a must to get much of any barrel impact on flavors. Regulations also specify the range of acceptable cask sizes but again, this is not something that a typical consumer needs to know, in my humble opinion.

The third requirement for a whisky to be called a scotch is that the only permissible ingredients are cereal grain, water, yeast, natural enzymes from malted barley, and caramel coloring. That's it. This makes it a bit interesting for spirits in Scotland that are distilled from something other than or in addition to malted barley like rye, wheat, or corn. They still need to use enzymes from malted barley in order to call it a scotch whisky.

Including the last ingredient, caramel coloring, in that list means that all other color and flavor additives are excluded. Once again, with the mild weather in Scotland, getting a rich color in a whisky can prove difficult even after spend a decade or more in a cask. Scotch has further categories some of which, such as a single malt scotch, exclude the option to add caramel coloring. I won't discuss those here. That's another article by itself.

Irish Whiskey

The requirements Irish whiskey is very similar to scotch so I'll cover the differences between the two. The first major difference might be obvious but rather than being produced and aged in Scotland, Irish whiskey must be produced and aged in Ireland.

The "cask" (not just "container") requirement and time spent in that cask (at least 3 years) still stands in Ireland. As does the stipulation that the only coloring ingredient allowed is caramel coloring. No flavors additives are permitted. The mild Irish weather has the same effect as the mild weather in Scotland. Getting a rich color in the whiskey doesn't really happen naturally here.

Where the Irish differentiate their ingredient list is in the enzymes during the fermentation process. Ireland does not limit distillers to using only natural enzymes from malted barley. They only require that fermentation must occur by the action of yeast. Malted barley is still the traditional grain in Ireland like it is in Scotland but the Irish could have a 100% malted rye whiskey and not use anything from malted barley.

The other main differentiator between a scotch and an Irish whiskey is more in tradition and not a requirement at all. Scotland traditionally double distills their whisky. This means that they distill a mash in a still. Then, they distill it again. In Ireland, they traditionally triple distill. So they do what the Scottish do. Then they distill it yet again. This is why Irish whiskey is know to have gentler and softer flavors than scotch.

Bourbon

Bourbon is the top dog in the United States whiskey industry. Just like in Scotland and Ireland, in order to be called a bourbon, the first requirement is that it must be produced in the United States. Notice that it's not just Kentucky. Many consumers still believe that a bourbon must be produced in Kentucky. This is not the case. Kentucky is the bourbon capitol of the United States without question but a bourbon can be produced anywhere in the United States and still be called a bourbon. Many consumers believe that the requirements for bourbon are stricter than they actually are. I'll address some of the other myths about bourbon here as well.

The second major requirement for bourbon is that it's mash bill (grain composition) must be at least 51% corn. The remainder can be any other cereal grain. Bourbon can be distilled from 100% corn but it typically is combined with rye or barley and sometimes wheat.

The third major requirement is that it must be put in a new charred oak container. Let's break this down a bit because there are some things to unpack here. We already know about the oak. It's been a consistent thread. As promised, let's return to the word "container". Bourbon does not have a "cask" requirement. Nor does it have a container size requirement. If you had an oak cup and charred the inside of it, it's sufficient to meet the standard for a charred oak container. Additionally, it has to be a new container. It cannot have held any substance prior. No former rum casks. No former sherry casks. Brand new.

The other component to that requirement that is different from scotch and Irish whiskey is not what is written but what is missing. Bourbon does not have an age requirement. notice the word "put" is not the word "aged". If you took your new make and placed it in that new charred oak cup we talked about. Assuming it meets the proofing requirements as well during distillation and when it's put in the cup, you could immediately transfer it to a bottle and call it a bourbon. The barrel will likely have no noticeable impact to the color or flavor of that whiskey but it could be called a bourbon. Most distillers will not do this because consumers simply will not buy it. Consumers have their own standards for a bourbon. They expect to see some color and flavor impact on the whiskey from the wood, which is also why distillers do not just use an oak cup or bucket and do use casks as you'd traditionally see in whiskey-making. Other types of containers are just not realistic.

The last differentiator from scotch or Irish whiskey in terms of regulations is that no color or flavor additives are permitted at all. In the United States, barrel impact is not hard to come be cause our weather fluctuates enough to move the whiskey in and out of the pores in the wood no matter where you are in the country. You can get plenty of flavor and color in 3 years. On that note, it's why there is no age requirement. In a place like Texas, you can get sufficient color and flavor impact in just two years due to the wild weather fluctuations. An age requirement would eliminate some very good young whiskeys in the United States.

Tennessee Whiskey

This one can be controversial to some but a Tennessee whiskey is a bourbon that has gone through a specific type of charcoal filtering known as the Lincoln County Process. There is no requirement for bourbon saying that it cannot be filtered. 

The second element making it a Tennessee whiskey is exactly what you would guess. It has to be produced in Tennessee.

Wheat/Rye/Malt Whiskey

In the United States, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulates the categories of whiskey. I'll be using their definitions for these. In Scotland, anything other than malted barley is just known as grain whiskey. In the US, a rye whiskey, wheat whiskey, or malt whiskey is similar to bourbon in that the mash bill needs to be at least 51% of that grain. So a rye whiskey needs to be at least 51% rye. A wheat whiskey needs to be at least 51% wheat. A malt whiskey needs to be at least 51% malted barley. It also must be put in a new charred oak container like bourbon does. All the same stipulations and nuances apply to that.

Canadian Whisky

Canada is quite a bit more lax on what can be called a Canadian whisky. First and foremost, the ever consistent and obvious criteria, it must be produced in Canada. Returning to the Scottish and Irish traditions, it also must be aged in Canada in wooded barrels for at least 3 years. After that, as long as it's made with cereal grains, it's still a Canadian whisky. In Canada, they can add artificial flavors and colors to their heart's content and still call it a Canadian whisky.

Honorable Mentions

There are two up-and-coming greater categories of whiskey that I think deserve a mention even through there are no governmental regulations that stipulate what defines them. Yet, the market is developing itself with a quality reputation.

Japanese Whisky

Japanese whisky has really come into its own on a global scale in recent years despite having been produced since the late 1800s. Even though there is no legal structure for defining Japanese whisky, Japan was heavily and primarily influenced by Scottish distilling and therefore generally follows the tradition of scotch whisky.

Texas Whiskey

Texas has become a hotbed for new and innovative whiskey distilleries. Although the state of Texas has not created legislation to define what a Texas whiskey is in the same way that Tennessee did, a handful of Texas distilleries joined forces to create the Texas Whiskey Association (TXWA). They continue to amass members and associate members across Texas to continue build out the category they created and defined to help grow the Texas whiskey market and provide a confidence in quality when consumers see the Certified Texas Whiskey shield on their bottle. The TWA standards require the grain to be grown in Texas and the whiskey to be distilled and aged in Texas. Grain to glass Texan. However, in order to be a member of the TXWA and use the Certified Texas Whiskey shield, the distillery must also commit to truthful and transparent about their production practices.

Just the Tip of the Iceberg

The categories covered in this article are really just the main ones that you might see on the signage in the store above the shelves. I probably could've started the discussion on bourbon and rye whiskey with "American wiskey" first but the reality is that bourbon will most likely be it's own shelf or section in a store. Rye whiskey may be as well. You may see a shelf of American Whiskey but in reality, there is no regulatory definition for "American whiskey". Anything under that sign you can only assume that it's some form of whiskey made in the United States. It's a catch-all for whiskey that didn't make sense under their other signs. It might include Rye and wheat whiskeys if they don't have a separate grouping for them. It may also include flavored whiskeys. In this situation, what the bottle says is where you'll get your answers. In each of these categories, what else is on the bottle tells you more about it. Is it a single malt, straight bourbon, small batch, single cask, sour mash? I'll dive into that in another article.