Whisky

Whisky, also spelled whiskey, is a type of liquor made from fermented grain mash. Different grains like barley, corn, rye, and wheat are used to make different kinds of whisky, and sometimes these grains are malted. After fermentation, whisky is usually aged in wooden casks made from charred white oak. Sometimes, casks that were used to age port, rum, or sherry are used to give the whisky special flavors and colors.

Whisky is a spirit that is carefully regulated around the world. There are many different classes and types of whisky, but they all share common steps: fermenting grains, distillation, and aging in wooden barrels. These processes give whisky its unique taste and character, making it popular in many countries.

Etymology

The word whisky (or whiskey) comes from an old Gaelic word uisce, meaning "water". This word is related to words for "water" in other languages, like the Germanic water and the Slavic voda. In Latin, distilled alcohol was called aqua vitae, meaning "water of life". This idea moved into Irish and Scottish languages as uisce beatha and uisge beatha.

Names and spellings

There are two ways to spell the word: whisky and whiskey. Some think the spelling just depends on where you are or personal choice, like the difference between color and colour. Others believe the spelling should match where the spirit comes from. In Ireland and the United States, whiskey is common, but whisky is used in most other countries that make the drink. In the US, both spellings were used for a long time, but now whiskey is often used for drinks made there, and whisky for those made elsewhere. Still, some US brands like George Dickel, Maker's Mark, and Old Forester use the whisky spelling.

Scotch

Whisky made in Scotland is called whisky there. Elsewhere, it is often called Scotch whisky or just Scotch. To be called Scotch whisky, it must be distilled and aged in oak casks in Scotland for at least three years, following strict rules to keep its quality high.

History

Early distilling

People may have started distilling liquids a very long time ago. The earliest sure records of distilling were made by Greeks in a place called Alexandria around the year 100 AD, but they were not making alcohol. Later, people in the Middle East learned about distilling from these Greeks and began writing about it in the 9th century, though again, not for making alcohol. The skill of distilling moved from the Middle East to Europe, with the first written records in Latin appearing in the early 1100s.

The first known records of making alcohol by distilling came from Italy in the 1300s, where people distilled alcohol from wine. This method was described by a writer named Ramon Llull. The practice spread through monasteries, mainly for helping people with health problems.

Ireland and Scotland

By the 1100s, the practice of distilling had reached Ireland, and by the 1400s, it had reached Scotland. People made a strong spirit called aqua vitae, mostly to help with health issues. Over time, this practice moved from monasteries to doctors. The first mention of whisky in Ireland appears in old records from 1405, talking about a leader who got sick after drinking too much aqua vitae at Christmas. In Scotland, the first proof of whisky-making comes from a record in 1495, where malt was sent to a monk named Friar John Cor to make aquavitae.

King James IV of Scotland loved Scotch whisky. In 1506, the town of Dundee bought a lot of whisky from a group that had a special right to make it.

At this time, whisky was not aged in barrels, so it had a strong, rough taste and a high amount of alcohol. People drank it without adding water, and it did not have the smoother taste that aging in barrels would later give. Over time, ways of making whisky and what people liked changed, leading to the nicer-tasting whisky we know today.

18th century

In 1707, laws joined England and Scotland into one country, called the Kingdom of Great Britain. After that, taxes on strong drinks went up a lot. Because of a tax on malt in 1725, most whisky-making in Scotland stopped or went secret. People hid their whisky in places like under altars or in coffins to keep it from government officers. Some distillers worked at night to hide the smoke from their stills. At one time, it was thought that more than half of Scotland's whisky was made this way without paying taxes.

In North America, whisky was used as money in the late 1700s. George Washington even ran a big distillery with workers, both hired and enslaved. Since travel and roads were not very good, farmers often turned corn into whisky to make it easier to transport. A new tax on whisky in 1791 caused a big protest called the Whiskey Rebellion.

19th century

Scottish whisky was brought to India in the 1800s. The first distillery in India was started by a man named Edward Dyer in the late 1820s in a place called Kasauli. Later, it moved to Solan, where there was plenty of fresh water. In 1823, a law allowed people to make whisky if they paid a fee, which ended most secret home distilling.

In 1831, a man named Aeneas Coffey created a new kind of still that made whisky cheaper and easier to produce. In 1850, a man named Andrew Usher started mixing old-style whisky with the new kind, creating what is called blended whisky. Some Irish distillers did not like this new method and kept using their old ways.

In the 1830s and 1840s, a city in Minnesota grew around a secret whisky distillery run by a man named Pierre Parrant. He made whisky in a cave and sold it to soldiers and Native American warriors.

20th century

From 1920 to 1933, the United States banned the sale of all alcohol. However, doctors could prescribe whisky, and people could buy it in pharmacies.

Production

The production of whisky from barley to bottle (top), swan necked copper stills in the Glenfiddich distillery (bottom)

Making whisky usually has four main steps: getting ready the grains, fermentation, turning it into alcohol, and aging it. After these steps, the whisky is put into bottles and sold.

Grain preparation

To start making whisky, grains are prepared so their starches can change into sugars. This involves malting, milling, and mashing the grains.

Malting

First, grains are soaked in water for three days. They are then moved to containers where they start to sprout, turning starches into sugars. This is stopped by drying the grains with warm air, called kilning. In Scotland, the air for kilning is heated by burning peat bricks, giving the malt a smoky taste.

Milling

After malting, the grains go to a machine that separates the sprouts from the seeds. Then the grains are ground up.

Mashing

In mashing, the grains are mixed with hot water in a large container called a mashtun. This helps turn the starches into sugars. The sugary liquid, called _wort, is cooled and moved to containers for fermentation.

Fermentation

A special kind of yeast, called Saccharomyces cerevisiae or "brewer's yeast", is added to the sugary wort. The yeast eats the sugars and makes alcohol, carbon dioxide, and other substances that affect the taste. The liquid stays at a warm temperature for two or more days until it has 5% to 10% alcohol. This liquid is then called wash or distiller's beer and is moved to a still for the next step.

Distillation

The wash is heated in a still until the alcohol turns into vapour. The vapour goes through copper tubes where it cools and becomes liquid again. Only the best part of this liquid is kept; the rest is sent back to the still. This liquid, called the distilled spirit, has about 70% to 80% alcohol.

Maturation (Aging)

Whisky ages in wooden barrels, not bottles. The "age" of a whisky is the time it spent in a barrel before being bottled. The wood changes the whisky’s taste. Different countries have different rules about how long whisky must age. In the United States, it is usually 2 years, while in Scotland, Ireland, Japan, and Canada, it is often 3 years.

Packaging

Most whisky bottles contain about 40% alcohol, but some can have much more. Some people like whisky that has not been diluted.

Exports

The UK sells a lot of whisky to other countries. In 2022, exports from Scotland were worth £6.25 billion. The US and France are big buyers. Many jobs depend on whisky making, especially in places like Speyside and the Isle of Islay. In 2011, most Canadian whisky was sold to the US and other countries.

Types

Whisky or whisky-like drinks are made in many places where grains grow. They can differ in what they are made from, how strong they are, and their quality.

• Malt whisky – made from malted barley
• Grain whisky – made from any type of grain

Malts and grains can be mixed in different ways:

• Single malt whisky is whisky from one place made using just one kind of malted grain. It usually comes from many barrels and different years, so it tastes typical for that place. Often, single malts have the name of the place, an age label, and maybe some special notes, like aging in a port wine barrel.
• Blended malt whisky is a mix of single malt whiskies from different places. If a label says "pure malt" or just "malt," it is likely a blended malt whisky. It used to be called "vatted malt" whisky.
• Blended whisky is made by mixing different kinds of whisky. A blend can include whisky from many places, so the taste stays the same for the brand. The brand name might not include a specific place. Most Scotch, Irish, and Canadian whisky is sold as a blend, even if it comes from one place, which is common in Canada. American blended whisky may contain neutral spirits.
• Cask strength (also called barrel proof) whiskies are uncommon, and usually only the best ones are bottled this way. They are put in bottles straight from the barrel or only a little diluted.
• Single cask (also called single barrel) whiskies are bottled from one barrel, and the bottles often have special barrel and bottle numbers. The taste of these can change a lot between different barrels of the same brand.

National varieties

American

Main article: American whiskey

American whiskey is made from a mix of grains that have been fermented. It has a special taste and smell that we connect with whiskey.

Some types of American whiskey include:

• Bourbon whiskey: made mostly from corn and aged in new oak barrels.
• Corn whiskey: made mostly from corn and may or may not be aged.
• Malt whiskey: made mostly from malted barley.
• Rye whiskey: made mostly from rye.
• Wheat whiskey: made mostly from wheat

These types of whiskey are made at certain strength levels and aged in wooden barrels. Only water can be added to the final product.

Australian

Main article: Australian whisky

Australian whiskys have won awards around the world.

Canadian

Main article: Canadian whisky

Canadian whiskys must be made and aged in Canada from grains, aged for at least three years, and have the taste we expect from Canadian whiskey. They can be made from different grains and often include flavors like caramel. Well-known brands include Crown Royal, Canadian Club, Seagram's, and Wiser's.

Danish

Denmark began making whisky in 1974. The first Danish single malt was sold in 2005.

English

Main article: English whisky

Making English whisky stopped in the late 1800s but started again in 2003. Today, there are many distilleries making English whisky.

Finnish

Main article: Finnish whisky

Finland has had a few distilleries making whisky since 2005. Sales of strong drinks are controlled by the government.

French

Main article: French whisky

France has many distilleries making whisky, including some that use special grains like buckwheat. The first French whisky was made in 1987.

German

Main article: German whisky

Germany began making whisky in the early 1990s. They make many types, similar to Ireland, Scotland, and the United States.

Indian

Main article: Indian whisky

In India, many "whiskys" are mixes made from grains or molasses, not just traditional malt. Real malt whiskys are also made there and have grown very popular.

Irish

Main article: Irish whiskey

Irish whiskys are usually made three times and aged for at least three years in wooden barrels. They are often smooth and not smoky. Ireland has many distilleries again after a long time of having very few.

Japanese

Main article: Japanese whisky

Japan makes both single malt and blended whiskys. They use malted barley and have won many international awards. Japanese whisky became very popular around the world in recent years.

Mexican

Main article: Mexican whisky

Mexico is a new place for making whisky, but local makers are working hard to build its reputation.

Scotch

Main article: Scotch whisky

Whisky from Scotland is called Scotch whisky. It must be made and aged in Scotland for at least three years in oak barrels. Scotch whiskys can be malt, grain, or a mix of both. They come from different areas of Scotland, each with its own flavor.

Swedish

Whisky making in Sweden started in 1955. Today, Mackmyra Whisky is the main maker and has won awards.

Taiwanese

Main article: Taiwanese whisky

Kavalan was the first private whisky distillery in Taiwan. Its whiskys have won many awards around the world.

Welsh

Main article: Welsh whisky

Making whisky in Wales stopped in the 1800s but started again in the 1990s. The Penderyn Distillery began in 2000 and makes Welsh single malt whisky.

Dutch

Since 2005, many Dutch brands have started making whisky. There are now over 70 of them.

Other

ManX Spirit from the Isle of Man is made from Scotch whisky and re-distilled there. Whisky DYC is a Spanish whisky made since 1958. Puni in Glurns makes single malt whisky, including one aged in special Marsala barrels. Ankara was a whiskey made in Turkey from 1964 to 2011.

Chemistry

Whisky and other drinks like cognac and rum are made from many different flavor chemicals. Some of these chemicals include carbonyl compounds, alcohols, carboxylic acids, esters, nitrogen and sulfur compounds, tannins, and polyphenolic compounds.

The smoky taste in some types of whisky, like Scotch, comes from using peat smoke to treat the malt. Whisky also gets its flavor from the oak barrels it is aged in, which add a coconut-like smell. Some whiskies may have added flavorings or coloring, depending on where they are made.